Licenses: sale of soju or shochu.

The Alcoholic Beverage Control Act provides for the issuance of various categories of alcoholic beverage licenses, including the imposition of fees, conditions, and restrictions in connection with the issuance of those licenses. The act provides that any on-sale licensee authorized to sell wine may also sell soju, an imported Korean alcoholic beverage that contains not more than 24% of alcohol by volume and is derived from agricultural products. This bill would provide that any on-sale licensee authorized to sell wine may also sell shochu that contains not more than 24% alcohol by volume. The bill would define soju and shochu as distilled spirits produced from agricultural products that are traditionally associated with Korea and Japan, respectively, but would not require that soju or shochu be produced in Korea, Japan, or any other specified location.