Bill would extend alcohol shipping to local breweries

SANTA FE, N.M. – Fans of wine delivery clubs may soon have more options for getting alcohol shipped right to their front doors, especially if you are a beer lover. 

House Bill 343 will allow local breweries to ship beer directly to customers. 

New Mexico already allows wineries to have a direct shipment permit, so this bill is simply adding breweries to that permit as well.

Small breweries that would want to start shipping specialty or seasonal beers to customers would first need to apply for a shipping permit through the New Mexico Alcoholic Beverage Control Division. 

But once they get approved they would then have the same abilities that wineries in the state have had for years.

“The Legislature over the past 10 or so years has done several things to keep that equality between small winemakers and small brewers in New Mexico. One area we had not gotten to is shipping and competitions and this bill merely adds beer to those two sections where it just says winery,” said Pat Block, a craft brewing lobbyist. 

HB 343 was passed 3-2 and moved on to its next committee.

Track HB 343 during the legislative session.