Existing law, the Alcoholic Beverage Control Act, which is administered by the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control, regulates the application for, and issuance and suspension of, alcoholic beverage licenses. The Alcoholic Beverage Control Act prohibits a licensee from giving a premium, gift, or free goods in connection with the sale and distribution of any alcoholic beverage, except as provided.

This bill would authorize a licensed winegrower, licensed beer manufacturer, licensed distilled spirits manufacturer, licensed craft distiller, licensed brandy manufacturer, licensed rectifier, or licensed wine rectifier to furnish tastes of alcoholic beverages as part of a bona fide market research study undertaken by or for the licensee for the sole purpose of measuring consumer perceptions with respect to the sensory characteristics of the alcoholic beverages. The bill would authorize the taste testing to be conducted in the state, subject to specified conditions, including that a taste testing participant is, among other things, encouraged to taste only enough alcoholic beverage product to formulate an opinion.