New Colorado Bill SB24-231 Would Add Catering Liquor License

A new Colorado liquor bill – SB24-231 – was introduced in the Colorado General Assembly late Wednesday (5/1/24) night and would add a catering liquor license to Colorado law. SB24-231 is an “omnibus bill” comprised of the consensus recommendations of the Liquor Advisory Group (“LAG”) convened by the Colorado Department of Revenue to conduct a comprehensive review of Colorado’s liquor laws.

There’s a lot in the Bill, but no surprises given the LAG recommendations were put forth in the Liquor Advisory Group Final Report back in December 2023.  We think the biggest change that would come from SB24-231 is the creation of a catering license – something that has not existed, but has been contemplated for many years in Colorado.

Highlights of SB24-231 are that the Bill would:

• Allow a brewery, a limited winery, and a distillery to manufacture alcohol beverages at up to 2 noncontiguous locations and set an annual fee for such operations.
• Increase the amount of alcohol beverages certain retailers can purchase from retail liquor stores, liquor-licensed drugstores, and fermented malt beverage and wine retailers to $7,000 each year.
• Allow retail liquor stores to hold educational classes.
• Remove the requirement that a local licensing authority schedule a public hearing on an application for a new retail liquor license.
• Allow a distiller that operates a sales room to purchase and use common alcohol modifiers to mix with its spirituous liquors to produce cocktails.
• Allow wholesalers of vinous or spirituous liquors to obtain an importer’s license.
• Allow wholesalers to hold trade show events.
• Allow a retail liquor store going out of business to sell its inventory to another retail liquor store.
• Create an alcohol beverage shipper license and permit for wine direct shipping deliveries.
• Establish a catering license to allow a catering company to sell alcohol beverages at a location that is not otherwise licensed to sell or serve alcohol beverages.

You can read the full text of SB24-231 HERE.

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