Allows for the holder of a manufacturer’s license to be able to sell one one-sixth (1/6) barrel keg of malt beverage, produced on the premises, per day.

Rhode Island Brewery Keg Sales Bill

This bill would allow businesses that hold a manufacturer's license in Rhode Island — such as craft breweries — to sell small kegs of beer directly to customers. Specifically, it would permit these businesses to sell one "sixth-barrel" keg per day, which is a standard small keg holding about 5.2 gallons (roughly 55 twelve-ounce servings). Importantly, the beer sold this way must be made on-site at the licensed location.

Currently, Rhode Island law places restrictions on how manufacturers can sell their products directly to the public. This bill would create a new, limited exception, allowing breweries to offer these small kegs for customers to take home — sometimes called "to-go" keg sales. The one-keg-per-day limit is meant to keep this as a modest, supplemental sales option rather than a large-scale retail operation.

The businesses most directly affected would be craft breweries and other licensed malt beverage manufacturers operating in Rhode Island. Consumers who enjoy purchasing beer directly from local breweries would also benefit, as they would have a new way to buy larger quantities for personal use. Retailers and distributors who currently serve as the main sales channel for beer are less directly impacted, since the bill's limit of one small keg per day keeps the scope relatively narrow. The bill has been introduced and sent to the Senate Special Legislation and Veterans Affairs Committee for review.