Colorado House Passes Distillery Pub License Bill

It doesn't seem quite fair that while breweries and wineries are legally allowed to serve food and alcoholic beverages from other producers at their production facilities, distilleries aren't. Since distilleries play an increasingly large role in Colorado's surge in artisan products, Representative Dan Pabon, a Denver Democrat, decided to level...

By Mark Antonation

March 3, 2015

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It doesn't seem quite fair that while breweries and wineries are legally allowed to serve food and alcoholic beverages from other producers at their production facilities, distilleries aren't. Since distilleries play an increasingly large role in Colorado's surge in artisan products, Representative Dan Pabon, a Denver Democrat, decided to level the playing ground for small-batch beer, wine and spirits producers. His bill, HB15-1204, would allow distilleries with the proper state and local licenses to sell food, beer, wine, and other alcoholic beverages in addition to their own products.

The measure passed the Colorado House this morning on a unanimous vote and will now go before the Senate. "This will give distilleries options to serve food and other alcohol to provide a world-class experience for their customers,” says Pabon.

The bill would require that any distillery receiving the pub license — which would allow it to sell beverages from other producers — not only serve meals, but get 15 percent of its gross income from on-premise sales from food. The bill would also place limits on the annual production and sale of spirits for a licensed distillery pub, creating a class of food and beverage establishment similar to that of the brewpubs that became legal in the 1980s.

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Mark Antonation is the former Westword Food & Drink Editor. In 2018, he was named Outstanding Media Professional by the Colorado Restaurant Association; he's now with the Colorado Restaurant Foundation.

Contact: Mark Antonation

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