Interest restrictions between brewers and retailers, and authorized activities of brewers, in connection with a certain redevelopment project in the city of Milwaukee

Subject to numerous exceptions, a brewer also may not give, sell, or lease, or otherwise furnish, anything of value to a Class “B” beer retailer.

This bill specifies that a brewer may have a direct or indirect ownership interest in a Class “B” beer retailer, and a Class “B” beer retailer may have a direct or indirect ownership interest in a brewer, if 1) the ownership interest arises in connection with a certain redevelopment project in the city of Milwaukee involving the former site of a historic Milwaukee brewery; 2) the brewer has or will have brewery premises within the redevelopment area; 3) the ownership interest does not extend to brewery premises or Class “B” licensed premises outside the redevelopment area; and 4) no brewer's permit is issued to the Class “B” beer retailer and no Class “B” retail beer license is issued to the brewer. The bill also allows a brewer to lease real property to a Class “B” beer retailer, for a fair consideration, if the real property is part of this redevelopment project.

Under current law, a brewer may, under its brewer's permit and without a retail license, make retail sales of its own beer and other Wisconsin-made beer at the brewery premises and one off-site retail outlet. A brewer may make retail sales of intoxicating liquor, which means wine and distilled spirits, at the brewery premises and the brewer's off-site retail outlet only if the brewer held, on June 1, 2011, a retail license authorizing the sale of intoxicating liquor.

This bill allows a brewer to also make retail sales of intoxicating liquor at the brewery premises if the brewery premises was established in connection with this redevelopment project.