An Act To Facilitate Consumer Taste Testings
Maine Legislature, Session 126, LD 0649
Committee: Veterans and Legal Affairs
Sponsors: TUTTLE, LUCHINI, MASON
Amends: 28-A MRSA §460, 28-A MRSA §1205, 28-A MRSA §1207

Legislative Document 
No. 649 
S.P. 240 
In Senate, February 26, 2013 
An Act To Facilitate Consumer Taste Testings 
Reference to the Committee on Veterans and Legal Affairs suggested and ordered printed. 
DAREK M. GRANT 
Secretary of the Senate 
Presented by Senator TUTTLE of York. 
Cosponsored by Representative LUCHINI of Ellsworth and 
Representative: MASON of Topsham. 
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
Sec. 1.  28-A MRSA §460, sub-§2, ¶M, as enacted by PL 2009, c. 459, §1, is 
amended to read: 
M.  The agency liquor store must purchase all distilled spirits served at a taste testing 
from the wholesale liquor provider as defined in section 501 unless the distilled 
spirits are purchased from the agency liquor store's existing stock by a licensed 
distiller, a licensed manufacturer of distilled spirits, a sales representative licensed 
under chapter 59 or the State's wholesale liquor provider participating in the 
taste-testing event at the agency liquor store.  Products purchased from the agency 
liquor store's existing stock to be used for consumer taste testing must be labeled by 
the agency liquor store with a sticker reading "for sampling purposes only, not for 
resale."  Partially consumed bottles of products used for taste testing must be 
removed by the agency liquor store from the licensed premises following the 
taste-testing event. 
Sec. 2.  28-A MRSA §1205, sub-§2, ¶K, as corrected by RR 2009, c. 2, §79, is 
amended to read: 
K.  The retail licensee must purchase all wine served at a taste testing from a 
wholesale licensee unless the wine is purchased from the retail licensee's existing 
stock by a licensed winery, a certificate of approval holder, a wholesale licensee or a 
sales representative licensed under chapter 59 participating in the taste-testing event 
at the retail licensee's premises. Products purchased from the retail licensee's existing 
stock to be used for consumer taste testing must be labeled by the retail licensee with 
a sticker reading "for sampling purposes only, not for resale."  Partially consumed 
bottles of products used for taste testing must be removed by the retail licensee from 
the licensed premises following the taste-testing event;  
Sec. 3.  28-A MRSA §1207, sub-§2, ¶K, as enacted by PL 2009, c. 459, §4, is 
amended to read: 
K.  The retail licensee must purchase all malt liquor served at a taste testing from a 
wholesale licensee unless the malt liquor is purchased from the retail licensee's 
existing stock by a licensed brewer, a certificate of approval holder, a wholesale 
licensee or a sales representative licensed under chapter 59 participating in the 
taste-testing event at the retail licensee's premises.  Products purchased from the retail 
licensee's existing stock to be used for consumer taste testing must be labeled by the 
retail licensee with a sticker reading "for sampling purposes only, not for resale."  
Partially consumed bottles of products used for taste testing must be removed by the 
retail licensee from the licensed premises following the taste-testing event. 
SUMMARY 
This bill allows manufacturers and suppliers of alcoholic beverages and certain 
licensed sales representatives to purchase alcoholic beverages from a retail licensee's 
existing stock for use exclusively in a consumer taste-testing event held at the retail 
licensee's premises.  The bill requires the retail licensee to apply a sticker to the product 
to be used for the taste-testing event stating that the product is for sampling purposes and 
not for resale.  The bill requires the removal of the remainder of the sampled products 
from the retail licensee's premises following the taste-testing event.