Zoe Donoghue-Rick enlightens taste testers about the next round of samples of limoncello during a sampler session at Bloomery Plantation Distillery in 2015. A bill passed this week by the West Virginia State Senate would allow distilleries to sell drinks to consume on-premises.
MARTINSBURG, W.Va. — After the passage of a bill that would authorize distilleries to offer liquor for purchase and consumption on the premises as well as operation on Sundays, Rob Losey, co-owner and national sales and distribution manager of Bloomery Plantation Distillery in Charles Town, said it would positively affect his business.
“For us, the real benefit of the bill is being able to operate on Sunday,” Losey said. “If we were located in any of the surrounding states, we would be allowed to. Laws here are really hampering the development of this business.”
Losey, who has been a lobbyist for similar bills since 2012, said Senate Bill 481 is a piece of legislation he has been working on alongside the Eastern Panhandle delegation.
“We’ve had some really nice support,” Losey said. “I think we have support from all the senators and delegates except maybe 10 or 12. With that many people being positive, it’s hard to single a few people out. Now, it’s just really about trying to come up with ways to get more support.”
Bloomery Plantation Distillery, located at 16357 Charles Town Road, specializes in crafting home-grown, natural fruit cordials.
The bill passed 33-0 in the Senate on Monday, and it has been communicated to the House. Sen. Chris Walters, R-Putnam, is the lead sponsor of the bill.
Losey added that SB 298, a “Brunch Bill” that passed the Senate and has been introduced in the House, is a main priority legislation for the state.
“This would improve our business, which would be significant in tax revenue for the state,” Losey said.
Tara Price, marketing and development director at Black Draft Distillery in Martinsburg, said the language in the bill referring to being able to buy and consume alcohol on the premises isn’t something that would directly affect her business, but she sees the benefit.
“As we go forward, who knows how this will affect us, but I know there are some distilleries out there that might have different kinds of experiences that they’re promoting. We’ll definitely be keeping ourselves interested in hearing from other distilleries and how it will impact them while also figuring out how we fit into that.”
Price said this year is when Black Draft will be more available for tourism, so it’s yet to be revealed how the bill would impact the business one way or another.
“The experience we are promoting is education to the public about the craftsmanship and history,” Price said. “The purchase side of it all seems to be a tie-in to the overall experience. It hasn’t been something our customers have brought to our attention, but we are just going to keep our ears open as far as feedback is concerned.”
Black Draft is a family-owned distillery located at 1140 Kelly Island Road that specializes in handcrafted spirits, including moonshine.
For more information about SB 481, visit bit.ly/1OjBUFS.
Staff writer Emily Daniels can be reached at 304-263-8931, ext. 132, or twitter.com/emilykdaniels.
