Rhode Island § 3-6-1 - Manufacturing and Wholesale Licenses

§ 3-6-1. Manufacturer’s license.

(a) A manufacturer’s license authorizes the holder to establish and operate a brewery, distillery, or winery at the place described in the license for the manufacture of beverages within this state. The license does not authorize more than one of the activities of operator of a brewery or distillery or winery and a separate license shall be required for each plant.

(b) The license also authorizes the sale at wholesale, at the licensed place by the manufacturer of the product of the licensed plant, to another license holder and the transportation and delivery from the place of sale to a licensed place or to a common carrier for that delivery. The license does authorize the sale of beverages for consumption on premises where sold; provided that the manufacturer does not sell an amount in excess of forty-eight ounces (48 oz.) of malt beverage or four and one-half ounces (4.5 oz.) of distilled spirits, or fifteen ounces (15 oz.) of wine per visitor, per day, or a combination not greater than three (3) drinks where a drink is defined as up to sixteen ounces (16 oz.) of beer or one and one-half ounces (1.5 oz.) or five ounces (5 oz.) of wine of spirits, for consumption on the premises. The license also authorizes the sale of beverages produced on the premises in an amount not in excess of forty-eight (48) twelve-ounce (12 oz.) bottles or cans or forty-eight (48) sixteen-ounce (16 oz.) bottles or cans of malt beverages, or one thousand five hundred milliliters (1,500 ml) of distilled spirits per visitor, or three (3) seven hundred fifty milliliter (750 ml) bottles of wine or the equivalent amount of wine sold by the can or other container, per day, to be sold in containers that may hold no more than seventy-two ounces (72 oz.) each. These beverages may be sold to the consumers for off-premises consumption, and shall be sold pursuant to the laws governing retail Class A establishments. The containers for the sale of beverages for off-premises consumption shall be sealed. The license does not authorize the sale of beverages in this state for delivery outside this state in violation of the law of the place of delivery. The license holder may provide to visitors, in conjunction with a tour or tasting, samples, clearly marked as samples, not to exceed three hundred seventy-five milliliters (375 ml) per visitor for distilled spirits and seventy-two ounces (72 oz.) per visitor for malt beverages at the licensed plant by the manufacturer of the product of the licensed plant to visitors for off-premises consumption. The license does not authorize providing samples to a visitor of any alcoholic beverages for off-premises consumption that are not manufactured at the licensed plant. All manufacturer licenses conducting retail sales or providing samples shall be subject to compliance with alcohol server training and liquor liability insurance requirements set forth in §§ 3-7-6.1 and 3-7-29 and the regulations promulgated thereunder.

(c) The annual fee for the license is three thousand dollars ($3,000) for a distillery producing more than fifty thousand gallons (50,000 gal.) per year and five hundred dollars ($500) for a distillery producing less than or equal to fifty thousand gallons (50,000 gal.) per year; five hundred dollars ($500) for a brewery; and one thousand five hundred dollars ($1,500) for a winery producing more than fifty thousand gallons (50,000 gal.) per year and five hundred dollars ($500) per year for a winery producing less than fifty thousand gallons (50,000 gal.) per year. All those fees are prorated to the year ending December 1 in every calendar year and shall be paid to the general treasurer for the use of the state.