Wisconsin Code § 125.29

Brewers
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(1) PERMIT. No person may operate as a
brewer unless that person obtains a permit from the division. A
permit under this section may only be issued to a person who
holds a valid certificate issued under s. 73.03 (50).
(2) INTEREST RESTRICTIONS. (a) Subject to s. 125.20 (6), a
brewer’s permit may not be issued to any person who holds, or
has an interest in a licensee or permittee holding, any of the
following:
1. A Class “A” license issued under s. 125.25 or “Class A” license issued under s. 125.51 (2).
2. A Class “B” license issued under s. 125.26, “Class B” license issued under s. 125.51 (3), or “Class C” license issued under s. 125.51 (3m).
3. A Class “B” permit issued under s. 125.27 or “Class B”
permit issued under s. 125.51 (5).
4. Except as provided in par. (c), a wholesaler’s permit issued
under s. 125.28 or 125.54.
5. A brewpub permit issued under s. 125.295.
6. A no-sale event venue permit under s. 125.24.
(c) If a wholesaler that has been granted distribution rights by
a brewer for a brand in a designated sales territory is unable to
service the designated sales territory for any reason, including the
discontinuation of the wholesaler’s distribution rights, bankruptcy, or criminal prosecution of the wholesaler in connection
with operation of the wholesaler, and the reason is not the result
of an action by the brewer, then a brewer shall be allowed, for a
period of not more than one year, to take temporary control and
operation of the wholesaler.
(3) AUTHORIZED ACTIVITIES. The division shall issue
brewer’s permits to eligible applicants authorizing all of the
following:
(a) The manufacture of fermented malt beverages on the
brewery premises.
(b) The bottling, packaging, possession, and storage of fermented malt beverages on the brewery premises.
(c) The transportation of fermented malt beverages between
the brewery premises and any depot, warehouse, or full-service
retail outlet maintained by the brewer, off-site retail outlet established by the brewer, or other premises for which the brewer holds
a permit under this chapter.
(d) The sale, shipment, transportation, and delivery, in original unopened packages or containers, to wholesalers, from the
brewery premises, of fermented malt beverages that have been
manufactured by the brewer on those premises or on other
premises of the brewer.
(dm) The sale, shipment, transportation, and delivery of fermented malt beverages, in bulk or in any state of packaging, that
have been manufactured by the brewer to another brewer holding
a permit under this section, and the receipt of the fermented malt
beverages by the other brewer.
(e) Notwithstanding ss. 125.04 (9) and 125.09 (1), and subject
to sub. (7) (h), the retail sale of fermented malt beverages that
have been manufactured on the brewery premises or on other
premises of the brewer for on-premise consumption by individuals at an off-site retail outlet established by the brewer.
(f) Notwithstanding ss. 125.04 (9) and 125.09 (1), and subject
to sub. (7) (h), the retail sale to individuals of fermented malt beverages, in original unopened packages or containers, that have
been manufactured on the brewery premises or on other premises
of the brewer for off-premise consumption by individuals, if the
sale occurs at an off-site retail outlet established by the brewer.
(h) Notwithstanding ss. 125.04 (9) and 125.09 (1), the retail
sale of intoxicating liquor, for on-premises consumption by individuals at the brewery premises or an off-site retail outlet established by the brewer, if all of the following apply:
1. The brewer held, on June 1, 2011, a license or permit authorizing the retail sale of intoxicating liquor at the location.
2. The intoxicating liquor has been purchased by the brewer
from a wholesaler holding a permit under s. 125.54.
3. The brewer is not eligible to make full-service retail sales
under sub. (7) at the location.
(i) The provision of free taste samples on the brewery
premises, at an off-site retail outlet established by the brewer, or
at the brewer’s full-service retail outlet if the taste samples are of
alcohol beverages the brewer is authorized to sell under pars. (e)
and (f) or sub. (7) (c) or as authorized under s. 125.33 (12).
(j) The ownership, maintenance, or operation of places for the
sale of fermented malt beverages at the state fair park or on any
county fairgrounds located in this state. A brewer may not make
retail sales of fermented malt beverages at the state fair park unless the state fair park board has approved the brewer to make
such sales.

(3m) SALES TO RETAILERS. (a) Except as provided in pars.
(b) and (c), no brewer may sell fermented malt beverages to a retail licensee.
(b) A brewer that manufactures 300,000 or less barrels of fermented malt beverages in a calendar year from all locations may
sell, ship, transport and deliver to retailers, from the brewery
premises, fermented malt beverages, in original unopened packages or containers, that have been manufactured on the brewery
premises, if the brewer complies with the requirements in ss.
125.33 and 125.34, as applicable, to the same extent as if the
brewer were a wholesaler.
(c) If a wholesaler that has been granted distribution rights by
a brewer for a brand in a designated sales territory is unable to
service the designated sale territory for any reason, including the
discontinuation of the wholesaler’s distribution rights, bankruptcy, or criminal prosecution of the wholesaler in connection
with operation of the wholesaler, and the reason is not the result
of an action by the brewer, then a brewer shall be allowed, for a
period of not more than one year, to sell or ship any brand of fermented malt beverages to retailers located in the wholesaler’s
designated sales territory.
(5) BREWPUBS. No person holding a brewpub permit under s.
125.295 may register as a brewer under this section.
(6) RESTAURANTS. A brewer may operate a restaurant on the
brewery premises, at an off-site retail outlet established by the
brewer, and at any full-service retail outlet under sub. (7). Unless
engaged in retail sales under sub. (7), a brewer operating a restaurant may only sell alcohol beverages that have been manufactured
under the brewer’s own brewer’s permit.
(7) RETAIL SALES; FULL-SERVICE RETAIL OUTLETS. (a) 1.
Notwithstanding ss. 125.04 (9) and 125.09 (1) , a brewer may
make retail sales, on the brewery premises, of fermented malt
beverages that have been manufactured by the brewer on the
brewery premises or on other premises of the brewer, for onpremises or off-premises consumption.
2. Notwithstanding ss. 125.04 (9) and 125.09 (1), if a brewer
manufactured, on all brewery premises operated by the brewer in
this state, a cumulative total of at least 250 barrels of fermented
malt beverages in any one of the 3 preceding calendar years, the
brewer may engage in full-service retail sales on the brewery
premises.
(b) Notwithstanding ss. 125.04 (9) and 125.09 (1), and subject
to pars. (d) and (g), if a brewer manufactured, on all brewery
premises operated by the brewer in this state, a cumulative total of
at least 250 barrels of fermented malt beverages in any one of the
3 preceding calendar years, the brewer may engage in full-service
retail sales at off-site locations identified in the brewer’s permit.
Subject to pars. (f) and (g), the number of retail sales locations a
brewer is allowed in addition to the brewery premises is determined by the cumulative volume of fermented malt beverages the
brewer manufactured on all brewery premises operated by the
brewer in this state in any one of the 3 preceding calendar years,
as follows:
1. If the brewer’s cumulative volume in a year was at least
250 barrels of fermented malt beverages but less than 2,500 barrels of fermented malt beverages, the brewer may establish one
full-service retail outlet.
2. If the brewer’s cumulative volume in a year was at least
2,500 barrels of fermented malt beverages but less than 7,500 barrels of fermented malt beverages, the brewer may establish not
more than 2 full-service retail outlets.
3. If the brewer’s cumulative volume in a year was at least
7,500 barrels of fermented malt beverages, the brewer may establish not more than 3 full-service retail outlets.
(c) 1. Except as provided in subd. 2. and par. (f), a brewer
may make full-service retail sales of alcohol beverages on the
brewery premises and at any of its full-service retail outlets only
if the alcohol beverages were purchased by the brewer from a
wholesaler holding a permit under s. 125.28 or 125.54, from a
brewer authorized to make sales to retailers under sub. (3m), from
a brewpub authorized to make sales to retailers under s. 125.295
(1) (g), or from a permittee under s. 125.30 authorized to make
sales to retailers under s. 125.30 (4).
2. A brewer is not required to purchase from another permittee fermented malt beverages manufactured by the brewer that the
brewer sells at retail on the brewery premises or at a full-service
retail outlet of the brewer.
3. Subject to subd. 2. and par. (f), a brewer engaged in fullservice retail sales on brewery premises or at a full-service retail
outlet of the brewer is subject to ss. 125.33 (9) and 125.69 (6) to
the same extent as if the brewer were a retail licensee.
(d) 1. A brewer may not commence sales of alcohol beverages
at a full-service retail outlet unless, prior to commencing such
sales, the brewer receives approval from the municipality in
which the full-service retail outlet is located and from the division as provided in par. (g).
2. Subject to par. (f), a municipality may limit the scope of
alcohol beverages offered for sale at a full-service retail outlet
only with respect to alcohol beverages that are not of the same
type as those produced by the person holding the brewer’s permit.
A municipality may not limit the sale, at a full-service retail outlet, of alcohol beverages produced by the person holding the
brewer’s permit. A municipality may not limit the scope of alcohol beverages offered for sale under sub. (3) (h). If a municipality
limits the scope of alcohol beverages offered for sale, the provision of taste samples is limited to those alcohol beverages authorized to be sold.
3. Except as provided in subd. 2., a municipality’s approval
under subd. 1. shall be based on the same standards and criteria
that the municipality has established by ordinance for the evaluation and approval of retail license applications. A municipality
may not impose any requirement or restriction in connection with
the approval under subd. 1. that the municipality does not impose
on retail licensees.
(e) If a brewer operates a restaurant as provided in sub. (6) and
is authorized under this subsection to make retail sales of wine at
the restaurant, the brewer may make retail sales of wine in an
opened original bottle, in a quantity not to exceed one bottle, for
consumption both at the restaurant and away from the restaurant
if all of the following apply:
1. The purchaser of the wine orders food to be consumed at
the restaurant.
2. The brewer provides a dated receipt that identifies the purchase of the food and the bottle of wine.
3. Prior to the opened, partially consumed bottle of wine being taken away from the restaurant, the brewer securely reinserts
the cork into the bottle to the point where the top of the cork is
even with the top of the bottle, or securely reattaches the original
cap to the bottle, and the cork is reinserted or the cap is reattached
at a time other than during the hours in which the brewer is prohibited under sub. (8) (b) from making retail sales for offpremises consumption.
(f) 1. If a brewer may establish one or more full-service retail
outlets under pars. (b) and (g) and the brewer also holds a manufacturer’s or rectifier’s permit or winery permit or both and, as
such, may establish full-service retail outlets under s. 125.52 (4)
(b) and (g) or 125.53 (3) (b) and (g), the aggregate number of fullservice retail outlets that may be established is the maximum
number authorized under par. (b), under s. 125.52 (4) (b), or under s. 125.53 (3) (b) , whichever is greatest, but not exceeding 3

full-service retail outlets. Under these circumstances, each authorized full-service retail outlet shall serve as the full-service retail outlet associated with each applicable permit, regardless of
whether the permittee would otherwise be entitled to fewer fullservice retail outlets when calculated under par. (b) or s. 125.52
(4) (b) or 125.53 (3) (b).
2. If a brewer may engage in full-service retail sales on the
brewery premises as provided in par. (a) 2. and the brewer also
holds a manufacturer’s or rectifier’s permit or winery permit or
both, the brewer may make retail sales on the brewery premises of
intoxicating liquor produced under its manufacturer’s or rectifier’s permit or winery permit without first purchasing the intoxicating liquor from a wholesaler holding a permit under s. 125.54.
3. If a person holds more than one brewer’s permit under this
section, the retail sales authority under this subsection for brewery premises applies with respect to each brewer’s permit, but the
limit on full-service retail outlets is an aggregate maximum, regardless of the number of brewer’s permits held.
(g) 1. An application for a brewer’s permit, including an application for an amendment to the brewer’s permit, shall specify
each full-service retail outlet of the brewer and particularly describe the premises of the full-service retail outlet.
2. The division shall establish a process for approval of a
brewer’s full-service retail outlet and for revocation of this approval. The division shall approve a brewer’s full-service retail
outlet, and may not revoke this approval, unless the brewer has violated a provision of this chapter related to full-service retail outlets. The division’s failure to approve, or revocation of approval
of, a full-service retail outlet described in a brewer’s application
or permit does not affect any other full-service retail outlet or the
brewery premises as described in the application or permit.
3. If the division approves a full-service retail outlet, the
brewer’s permit, as initially issued or as amended, shall particularly describe the premises constituting the full-service retail outlet, which shall be considered part of the premises under the
brewer’s permit.
4. If the division approves a full-service retail outlet, the
agent appointed under s. 125.04 (6) for the brewer’s permit shall
also serve as the agent for the full-service retail outlet.
5. Section 125.04 (12) (a) does not apply to a brewer’s fullservice retail outlet. Upon notice to the division, a brewer may
relocate any full-service retail outlet to a new location within this
state once per calendar year, except that one full-service retail
outlet of a brewer may be relocated without limitation on frequency in each calendar year.
(h) A brewer that is eligible to establish a full-service retail
outlet under this subsection is not authorized to make retail sales
of fermented malt beverages at an off-site retail outlet under sub.
(3) (e) and (f).
(8) CLOSING HOURS. (a) On brewery premises, no person
may sell alcohol beverages at retail for on-premises consumption,
provide taste samples of alcohol beverages, or consume alcohol
beverages during the closing hours applicable to a Class “B” licensee under s. 125.32 (3) (a). A full-service retail outlet under
sub. (7) shall be subject to the same closing hours applicable to a
Class “B” licensee under s. 125.32 (3) (a).
(b) On brewery premises and at a full-service retail outlet, no
person may sell alcohol beverages at retail for off-premises consumption during the hours in which a Class “B” licensee in the
municipality where the brewery or retail outlet is located may not
make retail sales under s. 125.32 (3) (am) and (d).
(c) No member of the public or invited guests may be present
on brewery premises during the closing hours applicable to a
Class “B” licensee under s. 125.32 (3) (a).
(d) Activities authorized under a brewer’s permit related to
the production, shipment, transportation, or delivery of alcohol
beverages may occur at any time.

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