Bloomfield Business Cheers For NJ Brewery Law: ‘Positive End To Saga’

BLOOMFIELD, NJ — A major overhaul to New Jersey’s liquor laws and brewery regulations has gotten a big thumbs-up from Bloomfield’s first microbrewery.

Last week, Gov. Phil Murphy signed a bill that his office called the “first substantive overhaul of New Jersey’s antiquated liquor license laws since the aftermath of Prohibition” (learn more below).

Varitage Brew Works, which recently opened the first craft beer microbrewery and taproom in Bloomfield, was among the businesses cheering for the latest news.

“For those of you who have been following this saga ... it has finally come to a positive end,” the brewery’s owners wrote in an update on Friday.

“We wanted to take a second to just thank all of you for the support – whether it was writing a letter/email to Trenton, listening to us vent about the proposed regulations or helping us breweries spread the word about the pending bill,” they added.

The email from Varitage Brew Works continued:

“The day [Gov.] Murphy signed the bill marks one of the most important days in the history of New Jersey craft beer. It also opens up new doors to us specifically as a small local business. There is a very important Brewers Guild meeting this week where a number of New Jersey's brewery owners will get together to discuss the new future of our business. Based on these discussions at this meeting, we will then pivot our business model in a positive direction. This will open us up to serving other varieties of beverages other than beer, additional in-house events, more food collaborations, beer promotions, additional private parties and much more. In the meantime, we hope that you come visit us this weekend and raise a glass to the future of craft beer in New Jersey!”

The law isn’t everything that Murphy and supporters wanted; the state’s controversial liquor license limit – which is based on a town’s population – will remain unchanged, for example. But it did make several substantial changes that will benefit the liquor industry.

One of these? Less cumbersome rules for breweries, distilleries, cideries and meaderies across New Jersey.

According to a statement from Gov. Murphy’s office, the law eliminates a "longstanding burden" that required these establishments to provide tours of the premises to patrons, while also allowing them to:

• Offer snacks and other non-alcoholic beverages
• Collaborate with outside vendors including food trucks
• Host unlimited onsite events and private parties, including birthdays, weddings, anniversaries, and civic and political functions
• Host up to 25 off-site special events
• Participate in up to 25 events hosted by the holder of a social affairs permit

The bill also increases the number of barrels that may be manufactured per year from 10,000 to 300,000 and allows license holders to directly sell and distribute 50 percent of the beer that is produced on premises in each year to retailers, rather than having to rely solely on wholesalers.

In addition, the bill establishes a new farm-brewery license that would permit the licensee to produce malt alcoholic beverages for retail sale to consumers for consumption off the licensed premises.

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