Manufacturer License

A distillery license allows a facility to manufacture and distill alcoholic spirituous beverages with an alcohol content of eight percent (8%) or greater by weight and to sell those beverages for off-premise and on-premise consumption. They can also offer samples of their manufactured product without cost or may include those samples as part of a tour of the premises with or without cost.

Anyone who wishes to distill alcoholic spirituous beverages for commercial purposes must be licensed as a manufacturer/manufacturer.

A Distillery License expires on December 31st following the date of issue of the license.

You can apply for this license using RLPS.

Requirements

  • The application for a Distillery license must be approved by the TABC commission at a regular monthly commission meeting. Applications must be complete before being placed on the agenda.
  • You must obtain a Federal Basic Permit from the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (ttb.gov).
  • A distillery must be located in an area that meets the requirements of T.C.A. 57-2-103.
  • Any representative of a manufacturer must have a Supplier Representative permit before soliciting orders from any wholesaler.
  • A licensed distillery can serve free samples of the product to anyone over twenty-one (21) as a part of a public tour of the distillery's premises. The location where samples are given must be disclosed to the TABC.
  • A licensed distillery can sell its product at retail for consumption off-premise to any person of legal drinking age limited to five gallons (5 gal.) or one sixth (1/6) of a barrel of its product to any one (1) individual per visit to the premises.
  • Retail sales at the distillery must occur between 8:00 A.M. and 11:00 P.M. on Monday through Saturday and between the hours of 10:00 A.M. 11:00 P.M. on Sunday.
  • Product sold at retail or given for samples must be obtained from a wholesaler.

Restrictions

  • Anyone who has ownership in, or participates in, either directly or indirectly, the profits of any distillery must be disclosed to the TABC as to the nature, extent and character thereof.
  • All applicants, including stockholders or members of an LLC, must be citizens of the United States.
  • Pursuant to the Fresh Start Act, no person having an interest in a Delivery Service license may have been convicted of a crime which directly relates to the business of alcoholic beverage sales.
  • No applicant can have any interest in the business or building containing licensed premises of any other person having a manufacturing, wholesale, retail, or winery license or in the fixtures of any such person.