PORTLAND, Maine — Brewery, distillery and winery tasting rooms, which have grown in popularity in recent years, will now be subject to a $500 fee, MPBN reports.
The Portland City Council recently approved the fee, which City of Portland spokeswoman Jessica Grondin told MPBN was about creating “a level playing field for all bar and restaurant owners.”
Portland city clerk noted in a memo to the council recently that while a new restaurant or bar is subject to licensing and inspections, a brewery needs only a manufacturing license from the state Bureau of Alcoholic Beverages and Lottery Operations to operate a tasting room.
Portland currently has 13 brewery and winery tasting rooms, where patrons can buy small samples and larger pours of beer, wine and distilled liquors.
Tasting rooms are a result of a 2011 change in Maine alcohol laws allowing sales of “samples” at breweries. Depending on the brewery, tasting rooms often have a profit margin three to four times higher than sales to wholesalers or self-distribution.
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