From your Brewer's Notice to taproom licensing and distribution, we handle the federal and state compliance that lets your brewery open, pour, and grow.
Breweries are the exception to the federal basic-permit rule: instead of a basic permit, brewers must file and receive approval of a Brewer's Notice before producing beer for sale. It's a different track with its own requirements, and the state licensing, taproom permits, and distribution rules layer on from there.
Alcohol Industry Associates handles brewery compliance end to end: your Brewer's Notice and state licensing, taproom and self-distribution permits where allowed, label approvals, and the excise tax and operational reporting that keep you compliant. Our team brings regulatory-side experience and understands how these filings are reviewed.
Breweries and brewpubs carry a specific set of federal and state obligations. We handle:
The Brewer's Notice authorizes your brewery operations at the federal level, and the TTB distinguishes between operations like breweries and brewpubs, but all must have an approved notice before brewing commercially. From there, your state licensing, taproom permits, and distribution approvals determine how and where you can sell.
We manage the full picture, so your Brewer's Notice, state licenses, and taproom or distribution permits all line up and you can open and pour without gaps.
Common questions from breweries about licensing and compliance.
Breweries do not operate under an FAA Act basic permit the way wineries, distilleries, importers, and wholesalers do, instead, a brewery operates under a Brewer's Notice filed with the TTB under 27 CFR Part 25. The Brewer's Notice is the federal authorization to produce beer, and it functions as the brewery equivalent of a permit. You still need a state brewery or manufacturer license through your ABC authority, plus local zoning and business licensing. So while the federal instrument has a different name, the effect is the same: you cannot legally brew for commercial sale without an approved Brewer's Notice at the federal level and the corresponding state license. We prepare and file the Brewer's Notice and coordinate the state and local approvals. See TTB.gov beer guidance.
A Brewer's Notice is the TTB filing, submitted through Permits Online, that authorizes you to operate a brewery under 27 CFR Part 25. It requires detailed information about your business structure, ownership, brewery premises (with diagrams), equipment, and the operations you intend to conduct, and in most cases a brewer's bond, though many small brewers who expect to owe $50,000 or less in federal excise tax per year are exempt from the bond requirement. Incomplete notices, inconsistent ownership disclosures, or premises diagrams that do not match the lease are common reasons filings get held up. We prepare the Brewer's Notice so it is complete and internally consistent, handle the bond or exemption election correctly, and respond to any TTB specialist questions to keep the review moving.
Usually yes. Your federal Brewer's Notice under 27 CFR Part 25 authorizes production and removal of beer; it does not by itself authorize selling pints or packaged beer to the public. On-premises taproom sales, growler and crowler fills, and off-premises retail sales are state privileges that require additional state (and often local) licenses, and the rules vary widely, some states grant breweries generous taproom and self-distribution rights, others limit hours, volumes, or require a separate retail license. Many breweries also add guest taps or food service, which trigger their own approvals. We determine exactly what your state and municipality require for the taproom model you want, and file those licenses alongside the Brewer's Notice so your retail revenue is authorized from opening day.
It depends entirely on your state. The federal 27 CFR Part 25 framework governs production and taxation, but distribution is controlled by state three-tier and franchise laws. Some states allow breweries to self-distribute up to a volume cap, selling directly to retailers without going through a licensed wholesaler; others require all beer to move through a distributor once you exceed a threshold or from day one. Where self-distribution is allowed, you typically need a self-distribution license or endorsement and must handle the associated reporting and taxes. Once you sign with a distributor, state franchise laws can make that relationship very hard to exit. We advise on your state's self-distribution rights, file the needed licenses, and help you understand the franchise-law consequences before you commit to a distributor.
It depends on the beer and where it is sold. Under 27 CFR Part 25 and TTB labeling rules, malt beverages sold in interstate commerce generally need an approved Certificate of Label Approval (COLA), though there is a category nuance: beers made without both malted barley and hops fall outside the FAA Act malt-beverage definition and are handled differently. Some products also require formula approval (for example, beers brewed with certain flavorings, fruit, or non-traditional ingredients) before a COLA. Purely intrastate sales may be exempt from federal COLA but still face state label registration. We determine whether your specific beer needs a formula and COLA, prepare and file them, confirm your labels carry all mandatory statements, and clear common rejection triggers. See TTB labeling guidance.
A brewery files the Brewer's Report of Operations and federal excise tax returns under 27 CFR Part 25, plus state reports. Depending on your volume you file the report of operations monthly or quarterly (smaller brewers often qualify for less frequent filing), reflecting beer produced, removed, and on hand, along with excise tax returns tied to your taxable removals and the reduced CBMA rates you qualify for. Breweries must also keep records of production, transfers, losses, and returns. Filing frequency and reduced-rate eligibility depend on your size. Late or inaccurate reports are a frequent trigger for TTB attention and penalties. We handle the operations reports and excise returns, apply the correct reduced rates, and keep federal and state numbers reconciled so an audit finds no surprises.
A second production location generally needs its own federal Brewer's Notice (or an amendment covering the additional premises) under 27 CFR Part 25, plus its own state brewery license and local approvals, it is not automatically covered by your existing notice. If the second site is a taproom or brewpub that also brews, it needs full brewery authorization; if it only serves beer produced elsewhere, the licensing looks more like a retail location. Transferring beer in bond between your locations has its own recordkeeping rules. We map exactly what the second location requires based on what it will do, file the federal and state authorizations, and set up the inter-premises transfer and reporting structure so both locations stay compliant and your beer moves between them legally.
Yes. We regularly take over for operating breweries that filed their own Brewer's Notice, then fell behind on reports, misapplied excise tax rates, or hit an issue such as a premises change, ownership change, or a discrepancy flagged by the TTB. We assess your standing against your 27 CFR Part 25 obligations, file any delinquent or amended reports, correct excise tax errors in either direction (including missed CBMA reduced rates that may have caused overpayment), and prepare a voluntary disclosure where back liabilities exist. Then we can run your ongoing operations reports, excise returns, and state filings so the problems do not recur. Reaching out before the TTB contacts you almost always leads to a better and less expensive outcome.