Sunday distillery sales bill passes to Senate, Sunday alcohol sales fails once again

Indiana’s craft distilleries may soon be able to sell their products out of their distilleries on Sundays as part of this year’s newest alcohol-related House Bills moving through the Senate, the Indy Star’s Amy Haneline first reported.

This is big news for Indiana’s growing craft distillery industry, as businesses like Indianapolis’ Hotel Tango and Bloomington’s Cardinal Spirits can now sell their product for carry out on Sunday’s in the same manner as Indiana’s craft breweries. Craft distilling is an ever-growing market; Market Watch reported back in August that there were then over 500 craft distilleries in America, and the American Craft Spirits Association expects that number to more than double by the end of 2016.

Two other bills that passed the Indiana House would increase the number of alcohol permits available for sale in Hamilton and Boone county, as well as allowing growler fills at New Day Craft Mead & Cider, who ran into issues filling growlers back in the fall; New Day is a meadery, not a brewery, and the language of the law was not loose enough to squeeze them in. HB 1386 would help change that.

This latest round of bills though prooved futile once again for advocates of Sunday package sales in Indiana, however. HB 1399 would have allowed Sunday sales provided retailers met a number of requirements like keeping the alcohol away from toys and requiring sales clerks to receive servers training. The bill failed in the House 8-5 though, and the 80 year ban on Sunday sales in Indiana continues.

The 30-year ban on Happy Hours at bars and restaurants will remain in place as well, as HB 1386 would have lifted the ban, but shortly before testimony the issue was removed from the proposal.

You can find a complete breakdown of these and other related bills by Amy Haneline at the IndyStar.com.