Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission

New Deal Distillery by Christie Scott Forty six distillers in Oregon generated $53.3 million in annual liquor sales in the state. That is almost 12 percent of Oregon’s total liquor sales for 2011. This trend echoes Oregon’s DIY spirit seen in the past with Oregon wineries in the 70’s and Oregon micro-brews in the 90’s. Now Oregon Distilleries are on the rise. Oregon’s unique marketplace promotes a positive environment for local distilleries. To help improve selection to customers, the OLCC can ship a partial case or just a few bottles to retail liquor stores across the state. This encourages the liquor store owners to feature new and local products because they can order just one or two bottles at a time to monitor how well it sells. OLCC's Executive Director, Steve Pharo takes pride in providing a level playing field for small manufacturers, which helps them compete with the big national brands. Distillers in Oregon do not have to ‘buy shelf space’ to get their pro...

by Christie Scott You may have heard some say that liquor is cheaper in California. The facts are that only a handful of products are significantly lower, while most products are very competitive. In fact, after you’ve added in the California sales tax, many popular products in Oregon are actually less expensive. Many retail stores in states like California use a sales tactic called “loss leaders.” This is the practice of drastically marking down a few popular, fast-moving products to entice customers into coming into the store and purchasing other products. But then other products are likely marked higher to make up the cost difference. The OLCC does not use these techniques to entice people into liquor stores. For public safety reasons, the state does not try to encourage alcohol sales or try to entice people into the stores. The most common size bottle sold in Oregon is 750 ml also known as "fifths." Most people who purchase alcohol purchase this size - a...

Remember the 70’s when Oregon wineries were just getting their foothold in the market?  And do you recall the boom of the Oregon brewers back in the 90’s? Now, the prosperity of Oregon entrepreneurs is shining on the distillery industry.                                            OLCC has licensed more than 40 Oregon distilleries and the number is growing. Our unique Oregon culture promotes a positive environment for craft distilleries. For example, a distillery license in Oregon costs only $100. Another benefit is that distillers do not have to "buy shelf space" to get their product into stores. Because the OLCC treats all products equally – there are no extra fees that local distillers have to pay to get their products on the shelves of liquor stores. The OLCC w...

by Joy Spencer Recent media attention has raised questions by many about a booth operated by the Oregon Bartenders’ Guild that is selling hard liquor.  Hopefully we can clear up some of the confusion as to how allowing this booth to temporarily sell alcohol is different than issuing an annual license to a food cart.    For years, OLCC has allowed food carts or “open-air booths” to have temporary sales licenses.  What we believe caught the attention of the news media is that this particular temporary sales license is positioned in a popular food cart area in Southeast Portland. Given the timing of the OLCC’s current discussion of what legal options are available in regard to issuing annual licenses to food carts - we can understand the reporters’ confusion.  There will be an informational presentation on the topic of issuing an annual license (like that issued to a bar or restaurant) to a food cart during the Commission this month in Bend. ...

by Joy Spencer As college classes are starting and students are moving in to their apartments, dorms, and fraternity/sorority houses for the fall semester, the OLCC wants to remind students about the dangers of binge drinking.   “Binge drinking is a problem that affects a variety of age groups and can be very, very dangerous,” says Rudy Williams, OLCC director of the Public Safety program. “Whether you are celebrating a friend’s 21st birthday, your football team’s victories, or a great score on a test, make sure you are aware of the dangers of binge drinking and the effects that it has on the body.”   A few helpful tips for preventing binge drinking: Start the night with a non-alcoholic drink or soda Limit the amount of money you have with you, and leave your credit card at home Drink slowly - try to limit yourself to 1 drink per hour so that you can tell how you feel after every drink Don’t drink on an empty stomach. Fill up on food and water before and during t...

by Joy Spencer OLCC has launched a new website, www.oregon.gov/OLCC/LIC , to help businesses who have liquor licenses, and those who are applying for a liquor license. The site was designed to provide more convenient and efficient service for license applicants and licensed businesses. In addition to overseeing the sale of distilled spirits at Oregon liquor stores and its public safety role for businesses that sell alcohol, the OLCC issues and renews more than 14,000 annual liquor licenses, and over 5,000 temporary special event licenses each year. “The new Liquor Licensing Website is something we’ve worked on very diligently to provide the extra level of service for liquor license holders and license applicants. We hope it will be a great resource for our customers,” said Farshad Allahdadi, OLCC Director of License Services. “It is our division's mission to issue licenses and permits quickly, accurately, and consistently to businesses and employees across the state. By lice...

by Joy Spencer Cassandra SkinnerLopata has been named Chair of the Oregon Liquor Control Commission’s board of commissioners. She was recently appointed by Gov. John Kitzhaber on July 5. SkinnerLopata has been a member of the OLCC’s board of commissioners since June 2009, representing the 4th Congressional District. Chair SkinnerLopata has brought a tremendous amount of insight to the Commission from her rich background in public health and law. Her experience with children and families brings an important perspective to the board. She is a graduate of the University of Oregon School of Law and is currently General Counsel and Medicaid Program Director for Agate Healthcare, the parent company of Lipa (Lane Individual Practice Association) and Trillium Community Health Plan, all located in Eugene. She has held positions on the Governor’s Council on Domestic Violence, the Lane County Human Rights Advisory Committee, and the board of directors for Breaking Free, a non-profit organi...