HB 5452 was introduced last month in Illinois with the ambitious goal of bringing hemp under the Illinois Liquor Control Act (ILCA).
The bill proposes to rename the law, the Liquor and Hemp Products Control Act and would establish the Hemp Products Commission as a division of the Illinois Liquor Control Commission (ILCC).
There are many […]
I am honored to be in Wine Spectator discussing the U.S. Supreme Court cert petition filed challenging the Ninth Circuit’s decision in Day v. Henry.
The Supreme Court should grant cert in this case as the circuits have muddled the case and there is no clear standard which applies. As the Wine Spectator piece states.
“I think […]
Another indictment was handed down last week by a federal grand jury in the case involving Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits (Southern).
Five high-level employees were indicted for allegedly participating in a bribery scheme involving Albertsons and for falsifying records to conceal the conduct (According to the San Francisco Chronicle). Unlike the Watergate scandal—where the cover-up […]
March comes in like a lion in Chicago, as starting March 1, 2026 the liquor tax system changes. Previously there was a gallonage tax remitted by wholesalers for the sale of liquor in Chicago.
The new system changes the status quo and makes it a bifurcated tax collection system.
Off-Premise/Package Goods
For off premise/package goods sales retailers are […]
I filed a lawsuit[1] today against the State of California under Section 1983 for laws that violate the Commerce Clause and the Privileges and Immunities Clause. Joining me in this lawsuit is premier California alcohol law attorney Gillian Garrett of Gillian Garrett Law, PC
Gillian and I disdain discriminatory state laws that impede […]
As Congress has less than a year to decide the fate of the hemp beverage industry, there is a lot of buzz about how it will be regulated. Will the alcohol three-tier regulatory system be imposed on it, or will hemp beverages enjoy a freer market than its alcohol compatriot.? WSWA is gearing up its […]
In support of cert petitioner challenging the Ninth Circuit’s ruling in Day v. Henry, upholding Arizona’s discriminatory wine retailer shipping law, I filed an Amicus Brief.
The cert petition and the amicus take aim at how far afield the circuits have become in adjudicating whether a discriminatory wine retailer shipping law can withstand a Commerce […]
The wine industry is going through a tough phase. Sales are down, vines are being pulled up, ultra committed health wackos are making absurd claims, and there is competition from the new en vogue cannabis industry.
Now we can throw another log onto the fire, governments that purposefully want to destroy some of the industries smallest […]
2025 is in its twilight and we now turn our gaze towards 2026. Although some major events occurred in 2025 such as legalizing California DTC shipping for craft distillers, 2026 is shaping up as a year where the alcohol industry could radically change.
The Hammer may fall in 2026
Previous to 2025 very […]
With new laws on the books and new administrative changes Illinois will look different in 2026.
Change 1: Cocktails-to-go becomes permanent! This is a little personal to me as I started this grass roots effort with my partners to legalize cocktails-to-go five years ago. Now the industry will have certainty going forward.
The law is strict and […]