Daniel J. Munoz reports for NJBIZ:The Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control is indefinitely suspending enforcement of new restrictions it placed last week on the state’s craft breweries, ABC Director David Rible announced Tuesday afternoon.
The rules, issued Sept. 24, will be suspended while the ABC meets with craft breweries, alcoholic beverage license holders and lawmakers to hammer out new regulations, be it through the division itself or new legislation, Rible said.
“We want to make sure that we get this right,” Rible said in a prepared statement. “We are committed to supporting the state’s growing craft beer industry, while also balancing the concerns of other stakeholders and ensuring compliance with state law.”
Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin and Senate President Stephen Sweeney are vowing legislative action to overturn sweeping restrictions on craft breweries that the Alcoholic Beverage Commission put in place last week, joining a chorus of critical lawmakers and business owners.
Coughlin, D-19th District, said the regulations are inconsistent with the 2012 law aimed at fostering growth in the state’s nearly 100 craft breweries.
“I strongly believe the ruling by the director of the Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control is inconsistent with the law intending to help foster craft breweries in the state and sets unreasonable restrictions on small businesses taking advantage of the opportunities to grow and prosper,” Coughlin said in a statement Tuesday.
Sweeney, D-3rd District, said the legislation would allow for the continued successful operation of the state’s microbreweries. He noted he and other lawmakers would work on legislation that would “clarify” state regulations on how microbreweries can operate successfully while maintaining their distinction from traditional C-license restaurants.
“Microbreweries in New Jersey have been very successful in capitalizing on new opportunities that have attracted a growing number of customers, created new jobs and contributed to economic growth in their communities,” Sweeney said in a prepared statement. “These microbreweries epitomize the best qualities of small business and we should be doing what we can to support them.”
At a Facebook town hall Monday, Gov. Phil Murphy cast doubt on whether the ABC’s actions were the “sensible step to take” and that his administration is looking into the regulations, though he did not specify how officials are examining the new rules.
