Delaware Code Title 4 Sec. 512E – Craft distillery
(a) Upon proper application and subject to the applicable provisions, restrictions and prohibitions of this title, the Commissioner may grant a license to any person who is the owner or lessee of a craft distillery to manufacture and sell spirits.
Terms Used In Delaware Code Title 4 Sec. 512E
- Bottle: means any vessel that is corked, capped or stopped or arranged so to be and intended to contain or to convey liquids. See Delaware Code Title 4 Sec. 101
- Commissioner: means the person appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the Senate who serves as the Alcoholic Beverage Control Commissioner for the State. See Delaware Code Title 4 Sec. 101
- Establishment: means any place located physically in this State where alcoholic liquor of 1 or more varieties is stored, sold or used by authority of any law of this State, including a hotel, restaurant, tavern, beer garden, or club as defined in this section, or where alcoholic liquor of 1 or more varieties is manufactured by virtue of any law of this State. See Delaware Code Title 4 Sec. 101
- Import: means the transporting or ordering or arranging for the transportation or shipment of alcoholic liquor into the State whether by a resident of the State or otherwise. See Delaware Code Title 4 Sec. 101
- Importer: means the person transporting or ordering, authorizing or arranging the transportation or shipment of alcoholic liquors into this State, whether the person is a resident or citizen of this State or not, said person being permitted to sell said alcoholic liquors only to those persons licensed to resell alcoholic liquors; provided, however, that nothing contained in this definition shall be construed as prohibiting an importer from selling such alcoholic liquors to either an active owner of that business for that person's use and not for resale or to a full-time, bona fide employee of that business for that person's use and not for resale; and provided further, that nothing contained in this definition shall be construed as prohibiting an importer from selling beer in "half-barrel" or "quarter-barrel" containers to the holders of a personal license. See Delaware Code Title 4 Sec. 101
- License: means any license or permit to manufacture, to sell, to purchase, to transport, to import or to possess alcoholic liquor authorized or issued by the Commissioner under the provisions of Chapter 5 of this title. See Delaware Code Title 4 Sec. 101
- Manufacture: means distill, rectify, ferment, brew, make, mix, concoct or process any substance or substances capable of producing a beverage containing more than 1/2 of 1% of alcohol by volume and includes blending, bottling or other preparation for sale. See Delaware Code Title 4 Sec. 101
- Manufacturer: means any person engaged in the manufacture of any alcoholic liquor and among others includes a distiller, a rectifier, a wine maker, a brewer, and includes a bottler or one who prepares alcoholic liquor for sale. See Delaware Code Title 4 Sec. 101
- Person: includes an individual, a partnership, a corporation, a club or any other association of individuals. See Delaware Code Title 4 Sec. 101
- Retailer: means the person permitted to sell alcoholic liquors in a store in the State, not for consumption on the premises. See Delaware Code Title 4 Sec. 101
- Sale: means every act of selling as defined in this section. See Delaware Code Title 4 Sec. 101
- Sell: means : solicit or receive an order for; keep or expose for sale; deliver for value or in any other way than purely gratuitously; keep with intent to sell; keep or transport in contravention of this title; traffic in; or for any valuable consideration, promised or obtained, directly or indirectly, or under any pretext or by any means whatsoever, procure or allow to be procured for any other person, to carry alcoholic liquors on one's person or to transport with one and with intent to sell the same, but not in any establishment where the sale thereof is allowed. See Delaware Code Title 4 Sec. 101
- Spirits: means any beverage containing more than 1/2 of 1% of ethyl alcohol by volume mixed with water and other substances in solution, and includes, among other things, brandy, rum, whiskey and gin. See Delaware Code Title 4 Sec. 101
- State: means the State of Delaware; and when applied to different parts of the United States, it includes the District of Columbia and the several territories and possessions of the United States. See Delaware Code Title 1 Sec. 302
- Year: means a calendar year, and is equivalent to the words "year of our Lord. See Delaware Code Title 1 Sec. 302
(b) For purposes of this section, “craft distillery” shall mean a single establishment in which spirits are manufactured and which is operated by the licensee in accordance with this section.
(c) Notwithstanding any provision of this title to the contrary, a craft distillery license shall allow the licensee:
(1) To manufacture on the licensed premises and sell not more than 750,000 proof gallons of distilled spirits in any calendar year;
(2) To manufacture spirits, on the licensed premises, for persons other than the licensee who are licensed under this title or for persons outside this State;
(3) To sell, deliver and ship such spirits in labeled barrels, bottles or other closed containers to persons licensed under the provisions of this title to import spirits; and to sell and ship spirits to persons outside of the State in accordance with this title;
(4) To store and sell spirits on the premises by the bottle or by the glass for consumption on or off the premises where sold; and to purchase alcoholic beverages from licensed Delaware importers or retailers to add to product manufactured by the craft distillery to sell to patrons for on premises consumption only. The amount of spirits sold for off-premises consumption shall be limited to a maximum of 1 case (i.e., not more than 12-750 ml bottles) per day to each retail customer for consumption off the premises;
(5) To purchase and store product from a Delaware licensed importer or retailer licensed under § 516 of this title, and sell said product to its retail customers for consumption on the premises where sold so long as the product is manufactured by an entity that holds a Delaware license pursuant to § 512A, § 512B, § 512C or § 512E of this title or the manufacturer, as determined by the Commissioner, would qualify for a license under said sections if it were physically located in the State; and
(6) To sell, on the licensed premises, food items, souvenirs, spirit-related supplies and educational material as approved by the Commissioner.
(d) It shall be unlawful for a person to operate a craft distillery if:
(1) The license is denied, canceled, suspended or revoked for any of the grounds contained in § 543 or § 561 of this title;
(2) The establishment is moved to a location other than the licensed premises; or
(3) It is owned, operated or affiliated with any importer of alcoholic liquor, either in or without this State; except that the holder of a craft distillery license may have an interest in, be affiliated with, operate, or own in common ownership a microbrewery, farm winery, and/or brewery-pub licensed under this chapter and actually located within this State.
(e) A craft distillery licensee shall be exempt from the distance requirements for establishments licensed or to be licensed as contained in § 543(d) of this title, and such requirements shall not affect the granting of a craft distillery license.
(f) All spirits sold by a craft distillery licensee for off-premise consumption shall be in containers which are securely sealed and have attached thereto a label setting forth such information as required by this title, Commissioner rules and laws of the State.
(g) Any craft distillery licensed by the Commissioner to manufacture spirits in this State may provide tastings of the spirits at said premises pursuant to a spirits tasting license granted by the Commissioner pursuant to § 525 of this title.
(h) The provisions of § 546 of this title to the contrary notwithstanding, the sale for off-premises consumption at up to a combined total of 3 licenses licensed under this section, § 512A, § 512B, or § 512C of this title all owned or controlled by the same person shall be permitted.
(i) A craft distillery licensee shall be authorized to purchase and receive shipments of unfinished neutral grain spirit in bulk form from suppliers and importers located within and without the State that are licensed in accordance with this title.
(j) A craft distillery licensee shall be authorized to export unfinished spirit manufactured in this State in bulk to persons within or outside the State for blending, aging, finishing, bottling or labeling and shall be authorized to receive the finished product from that person.
(k) A craft distillery shall be exempt from the prohibition of sales on Sundays as proscribed in § 709 of this title, but any sales on Sundays shall be limited to the hours during which the holders of licenses for the sale of spirits in a store may sell on Sundays pursuant to § 709 of this title. A craft distillery shall remain closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter.
(l) The Commissioner may promulgate such rules and regulations with respect to the enforcement or furtherance of the objectives and provisions of this section as the Commissioner may deem necessary, and all such rules and regulations that are not inconsistent with the provisions of this title shall have the force and effect of law.
(m) The provisions of § 506 of this title to the contrary notwithstanding, the holder of a craft distillery license shall be permitted to have an interest in, be affiliated with, or own another supplier or manufacturer, whether located inside or outside the State, provided that the total domestic sales of all affiliated suppliers or manufacturers shall not exceed 750,000 proof gallons in any calendar year.
78 Del. Laws, c. 251, § ?1; 79 Del. Laws, c. 157, § ?1; 80 Del. Laws, c. 62, § ?1; 80 Del. Laws, c. 73, § ?1; 80 Del. Laws, c. 251, § 1; 80 Del. Laws, c. 382, § 3; 81 Del. Laws, c. 261, § 1;