Welcome to our Manufacturer Permits page. Here you will find general information about our manufacturer permits.
What type of manufacturer permits are there?
We offer four types of manufacturing permits. They are limited in scope, and you may need more than more to make all the alcohol you’d like. For example, if you want to make beer and cider, you would need both the Manufacturer Permit for Beer and the Manufacturer Permit for Wine, Cider, and Mead.
1. Manufacturer of Beer: Allows you to manufacture, store, and bottle malt-based beverages.
- Wholesale: You may wholesale what you make to retail permit holders, or you may also appoint a wholesaler.
- Tastings: May offer tastings to customers at your brewery.
- On-premise retail sales: You may sell beer you make, or beer made in collaboration with another brewery, to customers to drink at your brewery.
- Off-premise retail sales: You may sell sealed beer you make, or beer made in collaboration with another brewery, to customers to take with them and drink elsewhere. Limited to 9 Liters per customer per day.
- Annual Cost: $1,400
2. Manufacturer of Spirits: Allows you to manufacture, store, and bottle all kinds of spirits, such as tequila, rum, vodka, and whiskey.
- Wholesale: You may wholesale what you make to retail permit holders as long as you sell less than 10,000 proof gallons a year. You may also appoint a wholesaler.
- Tastings: May offer tastings to customers at your distillery of products you make either alone or in a cocktail. Limited to 2 oz/patron per day.
- On-premises retail sales: Prohibited. You may not sell spirits you make to customers to drink at your distillery.
- Off-premises retail sales: You may sell sealed spirits you make to customers to take with them and drink elsewhere. Limited to 3 Liters per person per day and 5 gallons per person per month.
- Annual Cost: $1,850
3. Manufacturer of Wine, Cider, and Mead: Allows you to manufacture, store, and bottle wine, cider not exceeding 6% abv, mead, eau-de-vie, and apply brandy.
- Wholesale: You may wholesale what you make to retail permit holders if you make 100,000 gallons or less per year, and limited to 15 gallons/container. You may also appoint a wholesaler.
- Tastings: May offer tastings to customers at your brewery.
- On-premises retail sales: You may sell to customers to drink at your premises. Limited to your own products, or other Connecticut-made wine, cider not exceeding 6% abv, mead, apple wine not exceeding 15% abv, apply brandy, eau-de-vie, and brandy manufactured from fruit grown in CT but distilled in another state.
- Off-premises retail sales: You may sell sealed products you make to customers to take with them and drink elsewhere.
- Annual Cost: $200
4. Farm Winery Manufacturer: Allows you to manufacture, store, and bottle wine and brandies distilled from grapes or other fruits; includes grappa and eau-de-vie.
- Wholesale: You may wholesale what you make to retail permit holders if you make 100,000 gallons or less per year, and limited to 15 gallons/container. You may also appoint a wholesaler.
- Tastings: May offer tastings to customers at your WINERY.
- On-premises retail sales: You may sell your wine to customers to drink at your premises. Limited to your own products, or other Connecticut-made wine and brandy manufactured from fruit grown in CT but distilled in another state.
- Off-premises retail sales: You may sell sealed wine you make to customers to take with them and drink elsewhere.
- Crops: At least 25% of the fruit used in your manufacturing must be grown on land owned or controlled by the winery.
- Annual Cost: $300
Any special application requirements?
You must have federal approval from the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau to manufacture before you proceed with any manufacturer application (e.g., Brewer’s Notice or Distilled Spirits Permit.) You also need a Connecticut Department of Revenue Alcohol Distributors License. All permits also require local approval from the town where your premises is located.
For more information, please visit our Quick Reference Guides for our Manufacturer Permits. Guides help describe the legal hours of alcohol sales, requirements, and permit-specific rules.