California craft distillers lose delivery rights as lobbying blocks extension

For six years, Californians have been able to order craft spirits for home delivery under temporary rules introduced during the pandemic. Those rules, which allow distillers producing up to 150,000 gallons a year to ship directly to customers, expire on 31 December 2026. Assemblymember Josh Hoover, a Republican from Folsom, attempted to make the rules permanent by amending one of his bills, but the effort failed after opposition from the wine industry, Teamsters union and corporate alcohol distributors.

The groups opposing the extension spent more than $1 million lobbying the California Legislature this year, according to reports filed with the state secretary of state. They have also donated at least $11 million to California politicians over the years. Craft distillers, who have spent far less on lobbying, say the opposition’s spending effectively killed their proposal. Cris Steller, acting executive director of the California Distillers Association, said the groups opposing the measure went directly to lawmakers’ offices to block it.

Opponents of the extension argue that allowing direct shipments weakens safeguards, including preventing alcohol deliveries to minors. Teamsters lobbyist Matt Broad said the union supports direct shipments but wants distillers to use established shipping companies with unionised drivers. The wine industry, which has been allowed to ship directly to customers for decades, has also expressed concerns about extending the same rights to distillers.

What the coverage left out

No right-rated outlet ran this story at all. None of the digests or reports mentioned the specific amount craft distillers spent on lobbying, or whether they proposed alternative safeguards for alcohol deliveries. The Washington Top News report noted that breweries are prohibited from shipping directly to customers, but none of the digests included this detail.