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Cheers! Brown Signs Bill Ending Ban on Infused Booze Into Law
Photo by djjewelz via the LAist Featured Photos pool
It's time to raise your glass for a toast in appreciation to Governor Jerry Brown, who today signed into law SB 32, the bill that ends a decades-old ban on infused spirits in the state.
Alcoholic beverages made with spirits infused at bars and restaurants have been illegal to date, with the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control using the law to target and bust a number of establishment in recent years.
Now, that vodka infused in-house with basil and watermelon and used in a cocktail will be totally legit.
A group of bartenders rallied together recently to create a petition in support of Brown signing the bill into law. SB 32 was authored by Senator Mark Leno of San Francisco, and creates a legal definition of what it means to be a "rectifier" of alcohol for the purpose of selling mixed beverages.
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You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
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