Early in the pandemic, both the District of Columbia and Maryland saw an increase in the number of breweries shipping to (and in the case of Virginia, within) these jurisdictions. We at DC Beer have compiled a list of breweries shipping to the area, and Maryland, which tends to lag with regards to the easing of regulations around alcohol, is set to join its counterparts in the area.
When Massachusetts’ Trillium Brewing announced plans to ship beer to Pennsylvania, some jaded beerspotters noted that DC could be next, and lo, last month Trillium added DC, with a catch.
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Trillium will ship twelve cans, three four-packs of beer, per person, per month to DC consumers. This is based on an interpretation of DC law that is incorrect. Section 25-772, Part B of DC Law limits residents to one case of beer, per person, per month, from breweries that will ship to the District. That is twenty-four cans, or six four-packs, double what Trillium claims. Note that this is per person, not per household, for those of you who are 21+ and cohabitate. Staff writer and lawyer Greg Parnas hypothesizes that Trillium’s interpretation is based off of a case of spirits or wine, which are both twelve bottles as opposed to twenty-four cans. We’ve asked Trillium to comment on this, but have not heard back. We do not expect a reply.
On a recent episode of the DC Beer Show, I noted Trillium’s strange interpretation of the District’s laws, but did not mention Section 25 above. Please take this post as a corrective to that. We at DC Beer strive for a level playing field for all breweries in local markets, be it through three tiers or direct-to-consumer shipping and delivery. Want more Trillium? Please let them know, as we have, about DC’s importation and DTC shipping regulations.
