Bill 16: An Act to Amend the Liquor Control Act

This bill primarily affects small-scale craft brewers and distillers in New Brunswick who want to sell their products directly to customers at farmers' markets. If you run a small brewery or distillery in New Brunswick — whether it's a one- or two-person operation or a modest-sized craft producer — you could now apply to sell your beer or spirits in sealed containers at a Corporation-approved farmers' market, acting as an agent of the NB Liquor Corporation. On the flip side, anyone currently operating under an in-house brewery licence will need to transition, as that licence category is being eliminated entirely. Distillers seeking a new licence will also have an added compliance step: they must obtain a fire marshal's statement confirming their premises meets fire safety standards before a licence can be issued.