Bill To Revamp NJ Craft Brewery Restrictions Awaits Murphy's Signature

BRICK, NJ — In January Gov. Phil Murphy announced plans to revamp New Jersey's liquor licensing regulations, including changes to restrictions on craft breweries that have handcuffed the growing industry.

The Brewers Guild of New Jersey has been pressing for legislative changes after the state's Alcoholic Beverage Control board issued a special ruling that put significant restrictions on the number of events a brewery can host, along with other restrictions.

A bill passed June 30 by the state Legislature, S3038, would address the restrictions imposed by the Alcoholic Beverage Control board that took effect in 2022. But Murphy has yet to sign the bill.

That has prompted the brewers guild to create and launch a beer to draw attention to the bill. Brew Jersey: Sign The Bill Phil, is another craft beer in the guild's series that aims to help New Jersey breweries fight the regulations, which they call unbalanced and unjust.

The recipe for the beer was created by Icarus Brewing, the craft brewer that is in the process of revamping a Brick Township property to move there from Lakewood's industrial park.

"On June 30, 2023, the New Jersey Senate passed Senate Bill S3038 unanimously with a 77-0 bipartisan vote and the people of New Jersey continue to voice their ceaseless support," the guild said in announcing the new beer. "Despite this, Governor Phil Murphy has so far declined to sign the bill into law and in response, we created Brew Jersey: Sign The Bill Phil."

Just like the previous Brew Jersey collaborations, breweries from across the country are invited to take part and use the project’s label template to brew their own batch of Sign The Bill Phil.

Breweries participating in the project are asked to donate 25 percent of the proceeds from their version of Brew Jersey: Sign The Bill Phil to the Brewers Guild of New Jersey to support the efforts to change the restrictions on New Jersey’s limited brewery licensing rules.

Seven breweries had signed up to participate as of early August: Buttzville Brewing, Ghost Hawk Brewing, Farmers and Bankers Brewing, Seventribesmen, Toms River Brewing, Fort Nonsense Brewing Company, and Departed Soles Brewing.

Moves to change the New Jersey's liquor license rules have been opposed by companies that currently hold liquor licenses in New Jersey, citing their investment in those licenses that can cost easily six figures when a license becomes available.

Read more: Lawmakers Unveil Bill To Revamp Prohibition-Era Liquor License Rules