TRENTON, N.J. (KYW Newsradio) — Brewery owners in New Jersey have temporary relief from some restrictions on events and menu offerings, and they hope a permanent solution is close.
A bill to remove the restriction on the number of events a brewery can host was passed by the state legislature, then conditionally vetoed by Gov. Phil Murphy. A six-month moratorium on enforcement expired at the start of the new year, but Alcoholic Beverage Control extended the moratorium by two weeks.
While Murphy hoped for a larger overhaul of New Jersey’s liquor laws, that hasn’t happened yet and brewery owners are stuck in the middle.
“Those restrictions though are set to go back into place on Jan. 16,” said Eric Orlando, executive director of the Brewers Guild of New Jersey. He said the group is hopeful a new bill will be on the agenda in Trenton in the next few days.
“Based on the conversations that we have had with both the legislature and the governor’s office, I think there is a commitment to try to get rid of these restrictions within the next few weeks,” said Orlando.
“I’m hoping that possibly this Thursday there will be action on that legislation with the hopes of getting it on the governor’s desk by next week.”
Orlando said the constant fits and starts with the bill have been difficult to digest, but he’s happy to see removing regulations that are harmful to breweries seems to be a priority in Trenton. However, as this is a lame duck session, Orlando acknowledges that brings some uncertainty to the table for an issue he wishes was already settled.