Lawmaker files bill to boost Bourbon tourism

House majority whip Chad McCoy has put forward a bill to legalise distillery satellite tasting rooms in Kentucky to boost Bourbon tourism and investment.

Filed on 14 February, the Kentucky House Bill 500 would enable distilleries to open satellite tasting rooms, with the hope that it would bring investment, jobs and tourism opportunities across the state.

The bill, which was also sponsored by house representative Thomas Huff and William Lawrence, would also legalise private barrel selections at Kentucky-based distilleries. A private barrel selection consists of a consumer choosing a batch specially selected by a distiller.

Consumers would be able to purchase private barrel selections from distillery gift shops, or have them delivered to their homes or to an out-of-state retailer. The state’s three tier-system would continue to protect ‘the integrity of that process’.

Plus, the House Bill 500 would permit the selling of exclusive bottles in distillery gift shops, a motion already in place for breweries and wineries in Kentucky, and distilleries in outside states.

The bill also puts forward an amendment to redefine a vintage-distilled spirit to be a distilled spirit in its original manufacturer’s unopened container, not owned by a distillery, and not otherwise available for purchase from a licensed wholesaler within the Commonwealth of Kentucky.

Earlier this year, The US state of California has passed a bill to permanently allow distillers to ship their spirits directly to consumers.

Last year, we explored in depth how demand for direct-to-consumer shipping the US is growing.