SACRAMENTO, CA – Senator Angelique V. Ashby (D-Sacramento) released the following statement after her bill SB 788—Parity in Cider and Perry Manufacturing—passed the Assembly Governmental Organization Committee with bipartisan support.  SB 788 creates parity in the production of beer, cider, and perry across both large and small manufacturers by allowing craft brewers to produce cider and perry with just their beer license.

“There are more than 1,000 craft breweries across California losing out on the growing cider market,” said Senator Ashby. “By allowing small craft breweries to produce cider and perry under their current licenses, we are supporting small businesses, helping them prosper, and continue to produce beverages consumers’ enjoy.”

Cider is a beverage primarily made from apples, while perry is a beverage primarily derived from pears. Both beverages are brewed in similar ways to beer—through fermentation, over varying periods of time.

Under current law, larger licensed beer manufacturers are able to manufacture beer and cider or perry concurrently at their premises, and are able to save time and money while producing more of their product faster by holding just one license. However, smaller manufacturers, including over a thousand craft breweries, are forced to operate under a different set of rules, hindering their business opportunities.

SB 788 creates uniformity in current law for both smaller and larger licensed beer manufacturers by removing the 60,000 barrel threshold to allow small manufacturers to also produce cider and perry with their beer license. This will allow craft brewers to produce beer and cider or perry concurrently, in the same way that large beer manufacturers are able to.

The bill will next head to the Assembly Floor for approval.

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About Senator Angelique V. Ashby

Senator Angelique V. Ashby represents Sacramento County. She is the first woman elected to represent the metropolitan area of Sacramento in the State Senate in more than 20 years. She was elected to the Sacramento City Council in 2010. She was the sole woman for more than half of her 12 year tenure and the only member in city history to serve as Vice Mayor or Mayor pro Tem for 8 years. She is a graduate of McGeorge School of Law, and earned her baccalaureate at the University of California at Davis. She and her husband Zac have three children and live in the City of Sacramento.

For more information, visit Senator Ashby’s Website here or find her on Twitter at @SenatorAshby