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Committee releases bill to create historic distillery license, Laird & Company says license needed to fund museum and visitor center
Summary
S3813 would create a historic distillery license enabling historic producers to offer samples and on‑site sales to support preservation projects. Lisa Laird Dunn of Laird & Company testified about a planned $8.5M rehabilitation and the company's nine‑generation applejack history.
The committee released S3813, a bill to establish a historic distillery license that would allow historic producers to provide samples and on‑site sales in connection with museums or visiting centers.
Lisa Laird Dunn, president and global ambassador of Laird and Company, described her family's nine‑generation distilling history and testified that New Jersey’s last registered applejack distillery cannot currently sell direct to consumers under state law. She told senators the family plans to invest about $8.5 million to rehabilitate a historic barn into a cultural center and museum and argued on‑site sampling and sales are necessary to sustain the investment and preserve local heritage.
Committee members asked clarifying questions about market reach and licensing mechanics. After brief remarks from supporters and a lack of opposing testimony, the committee moved, voted and released S3813.
