Alaska’s distilleries can continue mixing drinks and serving cocktails as they always have after months of proposed law changes and uncertainty.
Democratic Rep. Adam Wool of Fairbanks recently proposed an amendment to Senate Bill 45, pertaining to distillery and alcoholic beverage licensing, after a more comprehensive bill – Senate Bill 76, that would have prohibited distillery employees from mixing drinks – failed to pass. That bill was put on hold because of a largely unpopular attempt to limit the ounces of alcohol that breweries and distilleries could serve per customer.
The new amendment allows distilleries to combine alcohol manufactured onsite with other ingredients like “mixers, liquids or garnishes.” Distilleries are still prohibited from making drinks with alcohols not produced inhouse.
Senate Bill 45 was passed on May 12 and is awaiting the governor’s signature.