New Rules For 88 NJ Craft Breweries

New Jersey is dealing with a backlash from a number of beer sellers after slapping new restrictive rules on craft breweries. The new rules, which will limit the number of special events that can be held at breweries, were spelled out in a release this week from David Rible, director of the state Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control.

Rible said there is "significant confusion" about what's allowed at these establishments. "The division is charged with regulating alcoholic beverages in a manner that protects the health, safety and welfare of the people of New Jersey, and that fosters moderation and responsibility in the use and consumption of alcoholic beverages," he said.

The new restrictions, he said, also encourage "the beneficial aspects of competition and maintenance of trade stability in the industry."

Here are some of the new rules:

• A brewery can hold only 25 special events per license term, which are open to the general public, to be held on the premises
• A special event is a one-day event only, and cannot exceed the opening and closing hours of the brewery. Special events that may be held include trivia and live music
• The brewery may get a maximum of 12 special permits per license term for special events taking place off the licensed premises. Those would include beer, music or arts festivals, running and bike races and holiday celebrations.
• A brewery may allow a maximum of 52 private parties to occur on the licensed premises, such as birthdays, weddings, anniversaries, civic/political functions, professional/trade association events or class reunion/alumni events, provided they have no alcoholic beverages, among other restrictions.

New Jersey Restaurant and Hospitality Association President Marilou Halvorsen told nj.com that craft breweries were part of the rule-change discussions. The changes, she said, now aligns the breweries to operate like the rest of the liquor industry does.

“They can do things that bars and restaurants cannot,” Halvorsen told nj.com. “They hold those privileges that nobody else has, and I think that is important because they were acting like they keep getting the raw end of this deal when they have abilities that we don’t have, but they are not going to bring that up, so I think that is important.”

While the restaurant industry supports the changes, craft breweries have taken out their frustrations on social media over the past week.

The Human Village Brewing Company in Pitman said the rules "wrap us in miles of red tape, and is a huge gift to the special interests that want the breweries to go away entirely."

Here are more reactions from craft breweries:

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