Victory! Ban on Infused Cocktails in California Lifted!

by Jonathan Perri · 2011-09-23 17:01:00 UTC
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Only a few weeks after Change.org members demanded that Governor Brown lift the nearly century old ban on infusing alcohol in California, he signed SB 32 into law!

Because of an urgency clause included in the bill, SB 32 took effect immediately after being signed - meaning bartenders and restaurants can start serving infusions without fear of the California Alcoholic Beverage Commission coming after them. And just in time for SF Cocktail Week!

Over the last year, the California ABC had been randomly enforcing this little known law that was created shortly after the passage of the 21st Amendement ended alcohol prohibition. The law was intended to prevent people from drinking bad moonshine - clearly not a problem in California's mixology scene. But the ABC began raiding upscale bars, fining bartenders and restaurant owners and in some cases making them pour out thousands of dollars worth of alcohol. Sen. Mark Leno (D-CA) took notice and introduced legislation to stop the ABC's egregious use of power and take this antiquated law off the books.

“In San Francisco and other cities where tourism is critical to the local economy, restaurant owners have been asked to stop serving infused cocktails in the name of an outdated law written decades ago,” said Sen. Leno in a statement. “This Prohibition-era statute did nothing more than punish California restaurants and small businesses that are using culinary innovations to survive in this difficult economy.”

This is a huge victory for bartenders and restaurant owners throughout the state and a boom to California’s economy. Petition creators and San Francisco bartenders Josh Harris and Scott Biard say thank you to the more than 600 people who joined their campaign!

"I feel like it's a great win for the collective voice of our community," said , Josh Harris. "Score one for the good guys."

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