Oral Beer Distribution Agreements Do Get Franchise Protection and the Recent —Oak v. Yuengling Shows How to Plead Them
It finally happened. New York courts have at last spoken clearly on a question...
Alcoholic Beverage and Cannabis Regulatory and Legal Updates
Second Circuit Brings State-Tied Restorative Justice Licensing Under Constitutional Scrutiny
New York’s attempt to bake “home field advantage” into its cannabis licensing process just...
Maryland’s Direct Beer Shipping Case Puts Granholm-Type Manufacturer Issue on Trial
A Manufacturer’s Fight, Not a Retailer’s On August 4, 2025, the U.S. District Court...
Seventh Circuit Uncorks Dual Rationales in Chicago Wine v. Braun, Affirms State’s Direct Shipping Ban
A Decision Long in the Cellar On August 5, 2025—nearly four years after oral...
Farm Bill Hemp Preemption Fails: 4th and 8th Circuits Uphold State THC Bans in Bio Gen and Virginia Hemp Rulings
Two Courts, One Message: States Can Ban Intoxicating Hemp In back-to-back rulings, the Fourth...
Defining The Brand: Protecting Distributor Goodwill When Non-Alcoholic Brands Enter the Alcohol Market
In the recent federal court decision from the Western District of Michigan, Capitol Beverage...
Federal Court Allows Winery to Pursue Insurance Claim in Defective Wine Coverage Dispute
Goose Ridge Vineyards case underscores the importance of wine production contracts, commercial general liability (CGL) coverage, and documentation in defective wine litigation.
Eighth Circuit Strengthens Franchise Rights for Distributors
Beverage distributors just gained major ground under the Missouri Franchise Act (MFA), thanks to...
Standing Still: California Wine Law Challenge Falls on Procedural Grounds, Not the Dormant Commerce Clause
The federal court decision in Dwinell, LLC v. McCullough, No. 2:23-cv-10029-SB-KES (C.D. Cal. Apr....
Washington Court Tries to Sidestep Granholm in Out-of-State Distiller Fight
In an opinion that will likely not stand for long, the U.S. District Court...
The Echo of Brandeis in the Age of Tennessee Wine: Jean-Paul Wegg and the Limits of State Power under the 21st Amendment
Justice Brandeis, writing for the Supreme Court in State Board of Equalization v. Young’s...
When Bottles Break and Contracts Bend: Lessons from the MacH Flynt v. Veritiv Warranty Dispute
When bottles break in transit or on the production line, the resulting cracks often...
