New Restrictions Could ‘Squash’ Local Breweries: Westfield Mayor

WESTFIELD, NJ — The New Jersey Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) has tightened its restrictions on microbreweries across the state, and Westfield Mayor Shelley Brindle suggested that these new rules could lead to the demise of local breweries.

The new rules, which went into effect July 1, significantly limit activities on the premises of microbreweries. As a result, the establishments can only hold up to 25 on-site events and 52 private parties per year. Each business can attend up to 12 off-site events.

Read more: Microbreweries In Peril Due To New NJ Restrictions, Industry Says

Brindle tweeted on Monday, in response to a Patch article on the new restrictions, saying, "These ABC directives will squash our local breweries. It’s past time to reform NJ’s archaic liquor license laws."

See the full Tweet below:

The new regulations also require microbreweries to only let patrons consume their products on-site if they have taken a tour of the brewery. Repeat customers don't have to take a tour if they've gone on one in the past year, but they must complete one annually and the business must document that they did so.

The state's directive explains that limited-brewery licenses carry different privileges than those of bars or restaurants. A microbrewery, such as Lions Roar Brewing Co. in Westfield, is a brewery that produces smaller amounts of beer and is typically independently owned.

The ABC — part of the New Jersey Office of the Attorney General — says it "must balance the concerns of the growing limited brewery sector comprised of 100 licensees against the issues and concerns facing the bars and restaurants that collectively hold approximately 6,000 retail consumption licenses" in New Jersey.

In addition, the ABC says that microbreweries who want to focus more on promoting consumption on their premises in tasting rooms, rather than creating products for widespread wholesaling, should couple a limited-brewing license with a plenary retail consumption license, which allows businesses to sell alcohol for on-site consumption.

Restrictions listed in the state's 24-page special ruling also include the following:

• No selling food or collaborating with a local food vendor. Microbreweries may provide menus from local restaurants, but they can't have an exclusive relationship with them. Microbreweries can only serve "de minimis" types of foods, such as nuts or packaged crackers.
• A microbrewery can only have two television screens — none larger than 65 inches. Businesses with more than two screens can only use the extras to display information about the brewery and its products.
• No happy-hour or specially priced drinks on-premises, no mixing specialty cocktails, and no brewing or selling coffee.

According to its website, Lions Roar does not sell food on the premises — as state law prohibits it — but the owners encourage customers to explore the surrounding food options in downtown Westfield and to BYOF (Bring Your Own Food).

The ABC originally tried to impose the new restrictions in Sept. 2018 but suspended them a month later after an outcry from the industry.

The Brewers Guild of New Jersey — an industry group representing craft breweries and brewpubs — says the new restrictions will hurt small businesses and they hope that the Murphy Administration will "recognize the need for reform in the wake of the pandemic to keep [the] local beer industry growing."

Lions Roar is run by husband-and-wife duo Corinne and Tim Grant. Tim decided he wanted to open his own brewery after becoming fascinated with an at-home brewing kit, according to the website.

While experiencing the decline of his father's health due to cancer, Tim decided he would take his love for home brewing and turn it into his career, because life is short, the website states.

"Our focus and footprint is small, intentionally," the brewery explains on its website. "Our goal is to make genuine craft beer for our friends, neighbors and community. Our hope is to make strangers feel like they’re our friends, wish they were our neighbors and crave to be a part of our community."

The couple also said the brewery is a great excuse to spend some time away from their kids and socialize with friends.

You can learn more about the brewery on their about page and check out their wide variety of IPAs, hard seltzers and ales on their taplist.

This article features reporting from Patch editor Josh Bakan.