WASHINGTON – There’s a new law in D.C. that is pulling the top shelf closer to customers. The law allows distilleries and wineries to sell their products to customers on site and also makes for an especially tasty cupcake.
Soon after Faith Sleeper launched her idea for boozy cupcakes, they took off. Sleeper was selling her iced creations at bars in the District’s H Street neighborhood.
“I was anxious about selling in general because I didn’t want to be bootlegging … selling alcohol without a license,” she says.
With names like like the Buttery Nipple, infused with Irish cream, and Fluffanut, infused with marshmallow vodka, she can now legally sell her Crunkcakes.
Until this week, on site sales of alcohol was for breweries only. But Sleeper and other business owners say that wasn’t fair.
“I’m not distilling anything. I’m just putting alcohol into cake,” she says.
She now has plans to expand her bar and wholesale business with her license that allows for 5% alcohol by volume in each baked good.
In Northeast, the CEO of One Eight Distilling says he built a 2,000 square foot tasting room in anticipation of this law passing. Until now, they could only offer customers tastes of their handmade gin, vodka and whiskey.
“One of the great things about this permit to us is it’ll allow us to bring some of the city’s great bartenders in here and really kind of experiment with our spirits on site for our tasting room customers,” Wood says.
They can also charge for drinks, which he couldn’t previously for tastings.
DC Act 20-609 allows for multiple business permits amending the Omnibus Alcoholic Beverage Act of 2014 and went into effect May 2.
Mayor Muriel Bowser signed the bill back on January 26. It’s moving forward now as the Congressional review period has passed.
The legislation also creates the opportunity for festival organizers to sell alcohol for consumption at approved events.
The application for the permit is available on the Alcoholic Beverage Regulation Administration’s (ABRA) website.
