Alaska’s alcohol control board declined to ban distilleries and breweries from hosting fundraisers and special events, but the board did vote to advance a proposal that would change the way distilleries can serve cocktails.
In a 3-0 vote, the board voted to open public comment on a regulation proposal that would ban distillery employees from mixing cocktails. Under the plan, distilleries would serve mixers separately from alcohol, and the customer would have to mix them.
“I think that the proposed regulations create contrived inconveniences on our business. They seem shortsighted and out of touch with industry standards that we see with distillery tasting rooms down south,” said Brandon Howard, one of the owners of Juneau’s Amalga Distillery, after the vote.
