A farmer who sells farm products to restaurants can additionally transport NY farm alcoholic beverages from farm alcohol producers to these restaurants. As long as he is only delivering the product and not taking orders or selling, he will only require a transportation permit from the State Liquor Authority. A transport permit generally an investment of around $500 for up to 3 years. This can be a great way to benefit the farmer and the craft beverage producer. The key is that transportation must be charged as a service so there is no revenue sharing or commission from the alcoholic beverage sales. This is an easy online permit application on the Liquor Authority website.

Warning! Sharing transportation services is not allowed by farm beverage producers.

If a farm brewery uses its own vehicle to transport its product for self-distribution, it unfortunately cannot transport farm alcoholic beverage products of neighboring farm breweries to the same customers (shared delivery for two or more craft producers for example, from the Finger Lakes to NYC). If the farm brewery is transporting under a vehicle that is registered by the licensee brewery, then it may only transport its own product under that license. It may only share delivery with another brewery if the transportation permit is in a third party name carrying the products of both breweries.