Beer Law Center

Beer Law Center Beer Law Center is dedicated to helping breweries, wineries, and distilleries navigate the complex wo We focus our practice exclusively on this niche industry.

Beer Law Center is a focus area of the our practice at Matheson & Associates PLLC. Our office is located in Raleigh, and we have clients in other areas of business besides Craft Beer, but Craft Beer and artisanal alcohol is our passion. Understanding the laws, the concerns, and the needs of this highly regulated and highly passionate industry is critical to the success of your alcohol business. Le

t us help. John Szymankiewicz is a licensed Professional Engineer and Attorney in North Carolina. Embarking on a second career, John went to law school at night while juggling a demanding full time job, a family, and teaching at a local martial arts school. While launching his Raleigh law practice, John saw the need for trained, understanding attorneys focused on their clients needs in some key areas. Most importantly, this means developing an ongoing relationship, becoming a business partner, with clients instead of being merely a supplier of services. As such, in this law office, we strive to find the right solution for the client now and in the future. We look for opportunities to work collaboratively and keep costs down for our clients, principally individuals and small businesses. In addition to being a lawyer, John is an avid homebrewer who got bit by the brewing bug shortly after he discovered that beer need not be yellow fizzy stuff. John believes in continuous, life-long learning and is passionate about the Craft Beer industry. Part of that industry passion includes adopting the spirit that that giving back to the community and supporting the local, independent business person is part of our responsibility as good Beer Citizens.

Seeing more and more like this. But, keep in mind that depending on what circuit you're in, it's still federally legal u...
09/01/2026

Seeing more and more like this. But, keep in mind that depending on what circuit you're in, it's still federally legal until SCOTUS weighs in on the circuit court split. https://zurl.co/lrocG

Rep. Harshbarger introduced the Freedom to Home Distill Act, citing laws that already allow homebrewing beer and wine and Tennessee's longstanding distilling and moonshine tradition.

Cool little read (at a high level) about how SCOTUS has dealt with alcohol over the years. https://zurl.co/LXdwi
08/28/2026

Cool little read (at a high level) about how SCOTUS has dealt with alcohol over the years. https://zurl.co/LXdwi

(Jeffrey Greenberg/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)During the 2025-26 term, the justices pondered the Founding Fathers’ drinking habits as they considered a law barring habitual drug users from possessing guns. In the term ahead, they may return to the topic of alcohol in early America if ...

If I didn't post this before, this is a really good read and lays out (in basic terms) why this isn't a simple "yes" or ...
08/26/2026

If I didn't post this before, this is a really good read and lays out (in basic terms) why this isn't a simple "yes" or "no." https://zurl.co/w1d1l

Make bourbon in your own garage, and you could be committing a federal felony, punishable by up to five years in prison and a $10,000 fine for every batch. That has been the law for roughly 150 years, buried in the tax provisions of the Internal Revenue Code. It has now triggered a federal court fig...

FFS.https://zurl.co/Fxw60
08/24/2026

FFS.https://zurl.co/Fxw60

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- In Greensboro, a display at the Guilford Courthouse National Military Park explains that North Carolina women submitted to their husbands and observed a "monastic seclusion" before the American Revolution.

My advice? DON'T make health claims. https://zurl.co/9iCMn
08/20/2026

My advice? DON'T make health claims. https://zurl.co/9iCMn

The rapidly expanding “functional beverage” market has potential for brewers looking to expand. But there are some important restrictions to be aware of when marketing these products—including the Jelly Bean Rule.

If your bar or brewery does online alcohol sales, you should read this article. https://zurl.co/jValV
08/14/2026

If your bar or brewery does online alcohol sales, you should read this article. https://zurl.co/jValV

Connecting the premium drinks trade

It's time again for the Virginia Brewers Conference! Make sure you reserve your space & I'll see you in Richmond!
08/13/2026

It's time again for the Virginia Brewers Conference! Make sure you reserve your space & I'll see you in Richmond!

That's because it's really complicated and expensive to ship (relative to the cost of the product). Until we can send vi...
08/07/2026

That's because it's really complicated and expensive to ship (relative to the cost of the product). Until we can send via USPS and the rules get "national" this will probably always be lopsided. https://zurl.co/yNj9j

A new industry study says 78% of regular craft beer drinkers would likely buy direct from breweries if more states permitted it.

Strong article about the shift in drinking habits with some actual actionable suggestions about what to do about it. htt...
08/06/2026

Strong article about the shift in drinking habits with some actual actionable suggestions about what to do about it. https://zurl.co/bLLmD

The biggest disruption facing the alcohol industry may have less to do with Gen Z drinking less, and more to do with alcohol no longer being the default way people connect, celebrate, and unwind. Companies that continue thinking like alcohol producers risk losing relevance over time. The winners wil...

Interesting read on where we've been and (maybe) where we're going. https://zurl.co/ojVgP
08/05/2026

Interesting read on where we've been and (maybe) where we're going. https://zurl.co/ojVgP

Aug 04, 2026 Washington, D.C. After more than two years of persistent declines, the latest SipSource® data suggests the beverage alcohol industry may finally be approaching a point of stabilization. While it is too early to declare a turnaround, several leading indicators point to a market that is ...

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127 W Hargett Street, Suite 100
Raleigh, NC
27601

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Wednesday 9am - 5pm
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