Do you have a brewery in planning or are you thinking about starting your own brewery in New York? Congratulations! Below is a legal to do list in chronological order for you to consider as you begin the process. The list covers everything from trademarks, to commercial leases, to your federal and state brewing licenses, […]
Employee use of social media can be a tricky area for employers. As we all know, social media profiles can be a mix of personal and work-related content. But employers who discipline or terminate employees based on statements made on social media run the risk of violating the law. Section 7 of the National Labor […]
In the first part of this series, I covered the benefits of copyright registration for brewers. This article addresses and equally important topic: whether you as a brewer are the owner of the copyright in your label art. This is important because copyright literally protects the right to make copies, which includes the right to […]
Brewers are a creative bunch. Label artwork is a great example of this. From the gentleman with the hops exploding out of the top of his head that graces Heady Topper to the happy baby on every bottle of Founders Breakfast Stout, the craft beer world is full of iconic label art. These labels are […]
As you know well, the Workers’ Compensation governing class for New York State breweries (2121) has increased more than 74% since 2011. Why? Well, to put it (very) simply, the brewing industry in New York State has had substantial and costly workers’ compensation claims; that has, in turn, driven up the costs of coverage. So, […]
You’ve perfected several of your brews, but you realize that you do not have the ability to produce the volume necessary to take your brewery to the next level. Once you reach this point, you have two options: open your own brewery or contract with an existing brewery to produce your beer there. Depending on […]
The effort focuses on EPA’s Risk Management Program and OSHA’s Process Safety Management Program. These programs are very similar, except for their objectives: EPA’s is to protect human health and the environment and OSHA’s is to protect worker safety. EPA and OSHA inspectors are “cross-trained” to identify the other agency’s potential regulatory concerns. This is […]
Water is often overlooked as an important ingredient in beer making. Not only is it in the product, but fairly significant quantities are also used in equipment cleaning and other processes. Once the cleaning, bottle washing etc. is done, the now “dirty” water has to be managed and disposed. Typically the disposal is accomplished through […]
As a craft brewer, you cannot escape the stark reality that your product is alcohol. Beyond what is needed for purposes of quality control, many employees may be tempted to indulge (or over-indulge) in your product during working hours. While you certainly do not want to restrict an employee’s ability to enjoy the fruit of […]
With over 200 breweries in operation accounting for more than 11,000 jobs, craft beer in New York is approaching a $4 billion enterprise – New York State Assemblyman Kevin Cahill On August 14, 2015 New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo signed three bills into law, which amend the New York State Tax Law and New […]