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Read. Follow. Verify.Alabama Senate Bill 217 establishes a new regulatory, tax, and distribution framework for mixed spirit beverages
Last action · January 27, 2026: Pending Committee Action in House of OriginSponsor: Bobby Singleton
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What This Bill Would Do
This bill defines "" as single-serve liquor-based drinks containing up to 7 percent alcohol by volume in cans or containers up to 16 ounces, and creates a wholesale and retail licensing structure for them. It levies a state excise tax of 2.5 cents per ounce and a municipal or county tax of 0.002 cents per ounce, while requiring exclusive sales territories and distribution agreements between suppliers and wholesalers.
Licensed retailers and wholesalers face new licensing fees, age-verification requirements, and tax collection rules for , while consumers will encounter state-regulated pricing and separate retail displays.
- Alcoholic beverage sales and distribution in Alabama are strictly regulated by the state through a three-tier system overseen by the Alabama Alcoholic Beverage Control Board. context
Who It Would Affect
Groups the bill's text would affect if enacted, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
Alcoholic Beverage Control Board
The board is tasked with issuing new licenses, collecting excise taxes, auditing wholesaler records, and enforcing penalties for underage sales.
Wholesalers
Wholesalers must obtain new licenses, file monthly tax returns, collect state and local excise taxes, and operate within exclusive sales territories.
Retailers
Retailers must secure expanded retail licenses, install electronic age-verification systems, display products separately from nonalcoholic items, and adhere to strict penalties for underage sales.
Key Facts
You don't have to trust us. Each fact below is taken straight from the official document - click any one to see the exact passage, highlighted in the original.
Frequently Asked Questions
What qualifies as a mixed spirit beverage under this bill?
What are the penalties for selling mixed spirit beverages to minors?
What else do you want to know?
News Coverage
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Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
Currently in committee. The next step in the legislative lifecycle is Floor Vote.
Procedural history
2 actions- Jan 27, 2026SenateCommitteePending Committee Action in House of Origin
- Jan 27, 2026SenateIntroducedRead for the first time and referred to the Senate Committee on Tourism
Version history
Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.
View official text →Lobbying Activity
No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.
Full breakdown
Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.
Sponsors
Discoveries
Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.
Expansion of Three-Tier Distribution
The legislation establishes a specific statutory pathway for ready-to-drink liquor beverages to bypass exclusive state-store-only distribution channels by incorporating them into the wholesale and retail tier system.
Connected Entities
Sources
alison.legislature.state.al.us
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance80How much this matters to a regular citizen
- Controversy45Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment5Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz30Current news / social attention level
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