Tastings - Spirits United

Allow Tastings

The distilled spirits industry produces thousands of different brands and continues to develop new products every year. A consumer can easily be overwhelmed by the number of quality products available for purchase. Just as tasting a small sample of food before you buy it can help you make a decision on whether or not to buy that product, spirits tastings can be an incredibly effective way for consumers to make an informed and personal decision on how to spend their hard-earned money.

State of Affairs

Currently, 46 states allow some form of distilled spirits tastings, with 37 states allowing tastings both at on-premise and off-premise establishments. These states have regulations in place to limit the size and number of tastings (i.e. no more than three ¼ ounce samples per person per day), as well as prohibit illegal, underage consumption. Of course, regulations allowing for legal drinking age consumer tastings need to uphold high standards of responsibility. However, tastings should be allowed in any retail establishment where beverage alcohol is sold that allows adults to try different brands or products.

Furthermore, many states allow wine and beer tastings, but not for spirits. This contributes to an uneven marketplace. After all, alcohol is alcohol and spirits, beer and wine products should be treated the same.

Alaska, North Carolina, and Utah have a complete ban on spirits tastings, making it harder for the consumer to decide which brand or product they want to purchase.

Our Goals

Our goal is to enable both on-premise and off-premise establishments to provide distilled spirits tastings to consumers so that they can make an informed and personal decision on which spirits they might want to purchase.