Red Tape from State and Feds Delay, Complicate In'Finiti Booze Production

Breaking from the beer-centric focus of his What Ales You column momentarily, Tom Atwell provides an update on why In'Finiti Fermentation and Distillation's lovely copper still hasn't yet cranked out any house spirits. In'Finiti has been open a couple months and its house beers are already very popular, but everyone is still waiting on the booze. Owner Eric Michaud says it's a case of regulatory red tape. He says he just received his state distilling license and is waiting for the feds to approve his bottle labels. It will be another month or so before In'Finiti is pouring its own spirits. But it's not as simple as producing the liquor, bottling it and moving it behind the bar:

Even though In'finiti will be distilling its own liquors for sale at its own restaurant, the liquor will have to be bottled and trucked to Augusta, where it will be sold to the state. Michaud will then have to write a check to the state for the price of the liquor and appropriate taxes, and haul it back to the restaurant to sell.