West Virginia Code § 60-4-3a

Distillery, mini-distillery, and micro-distillery license to manufacture and
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sell.
(a) Sales of liquor. — An operator of a distillery, mini-distillery, or micro-distillery may offer
liquor for retail sale to customers from the distillery, mini-distillery, or micro-distillery for
consumption off-premises only. Except for samples offered pursuant to §60-6-1 of this code,
customers may not consume any liquor on the premises of the distillery, minei-distillery, or
micro-distillery, except for a distillery, mini-distillery, or micro-distillery that obtains a
private manufacturer club license set forth in §60-7-1 et seq. of this codre, and a Class A
retail dealer license set forth in §11-16-1 et seq. of the code: Provided, That a licensed
distillery, mini-distillery, or micro-distillery may offer samples of alcoholic liquors as
authorized by this subsection when alcoholic liquors are manufactured by that licensed
distillery, mini-distillery, or micro-distillery for consumption ton the licensed premises.
Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, a licensed distillery, mini-
distillery, or micro-distillery may sell, furnish, and serve alcoholic liquors when licensed
accordingly beginning at 6:00 a.m. unless otherwise determined by the residents of the
county pursuant to §7-1-3ss of this code.
(b) Retail on-premises and off-premises consumption sales. — Every licensed distillery, mini-
distillery, or micro-distillery shall comply with the provisions of §60-3A-9, §60-3A-11,
§60-3A-13, §60-3A-16, §60-3A-17, §6g0-3A-18, §60-3A-19, §60-3A-22, §60-3A-23, §60-3A-24,
§60-3A-25, and §60-3A-26 of this code, and the provisions of §60-3-1 et seq., §60-4-1 et seq.,
and §60-7-1 et seq. of this codee, applicable to liquor retailers, and distillers. In the interest of
promoting tourism throughout the state, every licensed distillery, mini-distillery, or micro-
distillery manufacturingL liquor in this state is authorized, with a limited off-site retail
privilege at private fairs and festivals, for on-premises consumption sales served by the drink
or glass, and off-prem ises consumption sales by the bottle of only the licensed distillery,
mini-distillery, or micro-distillery's sealed liquor. At least five days prior to an approved
private fair and festival, an authorized distillery, mini-distillery, or micro-distillery shall
provide a copy of a written agreement to sell only liquor manufactured by the licensed
distillery, mini-distillery, or micro-distillery at the private fair and festival's licensed
premises. If approved, an authorized distillery, mini-distillery, or micro-distillery may
conduct on-premises and off-premises consumption sales of its liquor from a designated
booth at the private fair and festival as set forth in §60-7-8a of this code. All authorized and
approved distilleries, mini-distilleries, and micro-distilleries' off-premises consumption sales
shall comply with all retail requirements in §60-3A-1 et seq. of this code, and specifically
§60-3A-17 of this code with respect to all markups, taxes, and fees and also all retail
requirements of §60-7-1 et seq. of this code when applicable. Additionally, every authorized
distillery, mini-distillery, and micro-distillery may provide samples to patrons who are 21
years of age and older and who are not intoxicated. The liquor samples of the licensed
distillery, mini-distillery, or micro-distillery's product on any sampling day shall not exceed
six ounces in total volume. Samples may be mixed with each other or with non-alcoholic
liquids as long as the total amount of the liquor sampled does not exceed six ounces.
(c) Payment of taxes and fees. — The distillery, mini-distillery, or micro-distillery shall pay all
taxes and fees required of licensed retailers and meet applicable licensing provisions as
required by this chapter and by rule of the commissioner, except for payments of the
wholesale markup percentage and the handling fee provided by rule of the commissioner:
Provided, That all liquor for sale to customers from the distillery, mini-distillery, or micro-
distillery for off-premises consumption is subject of a five percent wholesale markup fee and
an 80 cents per case bailment fee to be paid to the commissioner: Provided,e however, That
liquor sold by the distillery, mini-distillery, or micro-distillery shall not be priced less than
the price set by the commissioner pursuant §60-3A-17 of this code. r
(d) Payments to market zone retailers. — Each distillery, mini-distillery, or micro-distillery
shall submit to the commissioner two percent of the gross sales price of each retail liquor
sale for the value of all sales at the distillery, mini-distillery, tor micro-distillery each month.
Any sales by a distillery, mini-distillery, or micro-distillery at a private fair and festival are
treated as occurring on their licensed premises for purposes of this market zone calculation.
This collection shall be distributed by the commissioner, at least quarterly, to each market
zone retailer located in the distillery, mini-distillery, or micro-distillery's market zone,
proportionate to each market zone retailer's annual gross prior years pretax value sales. The
maximum amount of market zone payments that a distillery, mini-distillery, or micro-
distillery shall submit to the commissioner is $15,000 per annum.
(e) Limitations on licensees. — A distillery, mini-distillery, or micro-distillery may not
produce more than 50,000 galelons per calendar year. The commissioner may issue more
than one distillery, mini-distillery, or micro-distillery license to a single person or entity and
a person may hold both La distillery and a mini-distillery license. The owners of a licensed
distillery, mini-distillery, or micro-distillery may operate a winery, farm winery, brewery, or
as a resident brewer as otherwise specified in the code.
(f) Building code and tax classification. — Notwithstanding any provision of this code to the
contrary, the mere addition of a distillery, mini-distillery, or micro-distillery licensed under
thisW article on a property does not change the nature or use of the property which otherwise
qualifies as agricultural use for building code and property tax classification purposes.
(g) A political subdivision of this state may not regulate any of the following activities of a
distillery, mini-distillery, or micro-distillery licensed and operating in accordance with this
section:
(1) The on-premises sale, tasting, or consumption of liquor during business hours set forth in
§60-7-12 of this code;
(2) The storage, warehousing, and wholesaling of liquor in accordance with the rules of the
commissioner and federal law or regulations; or
(3) The sale of liquor related items including but not limited to the sale of pre-packaged food
not requiring kitchen preparation that are incidental to the sale of liquor and on-premises
consumption.

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