Our guest this week Ashley Brandt – a partner at the law firm Tucker Ellis – counsels alcoholic beverage clients across the tiers including breweries, distilleries, wholesalers, retailers, and restaurants. He also represents dispensaries and growers in the evolving cannabis and hemp field. Ashley is an important figure in the Chicago beverage world, and also keeps the Libation Law Blog.
Ashley takes us on a dive into the legal history of alcohol sale in America including an in depth look at the three tier system and franchise rights. More than ever consumers are turning to the internet for  beer, wine and spirits, meriting a discussion about direct to consumer distribution and sale, and how our legal structure can support breweries and retailers efforts to connect more consumers within and across state lines. We also discuss intellectual property, IP theft in product artwork and originality in marketing/branding. Breweries such as Pipeworks and Phrase Three have successfully teamed up with business large and small to back a release, while other smaller breweries have brushed with larger firms, eliciting interesting responses. Here is a full list of Trademarks and Pattens Stone Brewing is currently defending (it’s lengthy). We wrap up with a conversation about the distribution and sale landscape of marijuana post federal legalization.
Beers Enjoyed:
Leffe Brune
Metropolitan/Scorched Tundra Humbucker
Anchorage Anadromous
Find Ashley:
Tucker Ellis LLP
Libation Law Blog
Twitter
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Episode Art and HH Logo By: Bryn Gleason
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