The Division of Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco responded to a Tampa-area company’s request for guidance related to whether is is exempt from state licensure requirements. Per its petition for a declaratory statement, the company produces salted cooking wine with an alcohol content less than 21% and salted at least 105 grams per 100ml of wine. The stated intended use of the product is industrial, but the company was not eligible for a manufacturer of wine license nor a rectifier/ blender license.

Section 561.02 of the Florida Statutes specifically provides that none of the provisions of the beverage law shall apply to ethyl alcohol intended for use or used for scientific, chemical, mechanical, industrial, or medicinal purposes. Accordingly, the Division issued a declaratory statement concluding that the company’s product is not an alcoholic beverage for purposes of beverage law, therefore, the company is not required to obtain a license from the Division.

The full declaratory statement can be viewed below.

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