Mountain Brook, Hoover can serve alcohol for Sunday brunch; 7 cities gain Sunday sales; draft beer possible in 4 new cities; entertainment district expansion and a small, craft breweries bill now law

June 10, 2019

In the 2019 regular legislative session, Mountain Brook and Hoover (only portion within Jefferson County) got the go ahead to move up the time restaurants and bars there can offer alcoholic beverages on Sundays to 10 a.m.

SUNDAY SALES
Seven local Sunday sales bills became law during the 2019 regular session. The governing bodies of Baker Hill, Midway, Union Springs and Hurtsboro can by ordinance allow alcohol sales after 1 p.m. Sundays. The Eutaw City Council can also allow Sunday alcohol sales by ordinance. The voters of Oxford and Enterprise also have to the chance to authorize Sunday sales.

House-passed legislation to allow the town of Coker to authorize Sunday sales by an ordinance of the Town Council never received consideration in the Senate. Later this year, Coker could opt for Sunday sales without legislative approval as Tuscaloosa is considered a wet county.

As of Aug. 1, city councils and county commissions in wet areas can authorize Sunday alcohol sales by ordinance, resolution or referendum without first seeking legislative approval, under Act No. 2019-100. (See link to full story below).

DRAFT BEER
The cities of Moundville, Hamilton, Guin and Lexington can by ordinance authorize draft beer sales.

STATEWIDE ALCOHOL BILLS
Two statewide alcohol bills that the governor signed after the session ended take effect Sept. 1:

  • SB276 would allow wineries, distilleries and breweries within entertainment districts to sell alcohol outside their business and within the entertainment districts.
  • SB404 would allow small craft breweries (60,000 barrels or less sold annually) to have a financial interest in a brewpub while retaining the traditional transfer of alcoholic beverages from the manufacturer to the brewpub through a wholesaler. It also would allow privilege or excise taxes on beer to be levied at the time the product goes from the brewery or brew pub to retailer rather than when it is sold for consumption. The bill was specifically designed for Monday Night Brewing, an Atlanta-based craft brewery, planning to open a brewpub in Birmingham’s The Denham Building project, near Regions Field and Railroad Park.

Two other statewide bills died from inaction:

  • SB269 amended legislation that would have allowed a winery to get a special license to hold a wine festival and sell their product for on-premises or off-premises consumption. It received House approval and Senate committee action, but never was considered by the full Senate.
  • HB543 would have allowed a manufacturer, importer or wholesaler to be a member, donor, director or officer of a tax-exempt nonprofit organization that also holds a retail class alcohol license for fund-raising purposes. The full House never considered this legislation.

Other 2019 Alcohol Laws of Interest:

 Wet Localities Can Skip Legislature for Sunday Sales, Under New Law

Study Committee for Direct Shipment and Delivery to Report by 2020

As of Sept. 1, Infused Liquor Can Be Served

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