Hospitality Law Blog

From Expansion to Strategy: Navigating the Next Phase of the Bourbon Industry

Over the past month, Kentucky has hosted several gatherings that brought together some of the most influential voices in the bourbon industry. 

Events like DISCUS, the Jim Beam Institute Conference, and most recently Bourbonomics in Louisville have created an opportunity for leaders across distilling, hospitality, tourism, and business to reflect on where the industry is headed. 

At Bourbonomics, I was asked a question that I think captures the moment the industry is in right now.  More >

Tobacco Retailers: URGENT Licensing Action Needed

The 2025 Kentucky legislative session saw the General Assembly enact Senate Bill 100, which requires retailers selling tobacco, nicotine, and vapor products to hold a tobacco-specific permit, effective January 1, 2026.  More >

New KY Laws Bring Codified Private Barrel Selections, Satellite Tasting Rooms, and Lower Age for Alcohol-Related Jobs

As the 2022 Kentucky legislative session has come to a close, it’s time to review the new laws that emerged in Frankfort. For those in the alcoholic beverage industry, the most significant of these is HB 500, which contains several significant advances for distillers. Among these are the standardization and legalization of private barrel selection events and the opportunity for distilleries to establish satellite tasting rooms, two steps to promote bourbon tourism in the commonwealth. More >

Kentucky General Assembly Makes Cocktails-To-Go Privileges Permanent

One of the many pandemic-inspired ad hoc measures enacted last year to support restaurants and provide much needed merriment for beleaguered patrons has now become a permanent feature of Kentucky law – the cocktail-to-go. SB 67 was signed into law by Kentucky Gov. Beshear on March 15^th featuring an emergency clause thereby rendering it immediately effective. More >

Alcohol Producers, Take Note: Direct To Consumer Sales and Shipping Privileges Enhanced

On February 26^th, the Kentucky House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed legislation that significantly enhances and expands in-state and out-of-state manufacturers’ ability to directly ship their products in and out of Kentucky. The legislation quickly passed the Kentucky Senate and was signed into law by Governor Andy Beshear on March 11^th.  Because the bill contains an emergency clause, nearly all its provisions became effective immediately upon the Governor’s signing. More >

ALERT: Supreme Court Strikes Down Tennessee Residency Requirements in Alcohol Licensing

In a move sure to have a profound effect on state regulation of alcohol sales and distribution, the United States Supreme Court has issued an opinion in Tennessee Wine and Spirits Retailers Assn. v. Thomas that strikes down Tennessee’s two-year in-state residency requirement for initial applicants for state liquor licenses. More >

Fudging a Five-Star Rating – Can It Hurt?

An online reputation can make or break a business. Though word-of-mouth is still important, most consumers today take to the Internet when looking for a place to shop, eat, vacation, or play. It is no surprise, then, that businesses want to boost their online ratings and garner gleaming reviews on sites such as Yelp, Angie’s List, TripAdvisor, Urbanspoon, and the like. Is there really any harm in requiring an employee to post a positive review under a fake name? How about paying a stranger to sing your business’s praises, even if he or she has never used its services? It may seem like a harmless form of self-promotion, but engaging in this practice can be illegal and very expensive. More >

The Basics of Alcoholic Beverage Control Laws

I.              Introduction

Since the end of Prohibition, states have traditionally dealt with the issue of Alcoholic Beverage Control (“ABC”) laws in one of two ways, either through full state regulation of the sale of alcohol or through a three-tier system of production, distribution and sale. With the abuses of the industry fresh in their minds, policymakers after Prohibition set about finding ways to keep alcohol from becoming a societal problem through careful regulation.  In Kentucky, the three-tier system is paramount, and that principle has been consistently affirmed by key court cases and legislation. These materials will provide an overview of the three-tier system in Kentucky with discussions of relevant cases and legislative changes. More >