Store
Virginia's distillery industry has seen significant growth over the past decade or so and Virginians are excited to see spirits produced right here in the Commonwealth. Interested in opening a distillery store at your distillery? Here is some important information for those looking to sell spirits on site and gain helpful insights and information from Virginia ABC.
Net Pay Program
The Net Pay Program allows distillers to net out commission, inventory and case handling fee refund before paying ABC, remitting only taxes and markup. This allows distillers to pay a smaller amount and eliminates wait time for commission payment. Under Net Pay, ABC takes ownership of bottles at the point of sale rather than when bottles are moved to the sales floor from bond. This means there is no limit put on bottles moved to the sales floor under Net Pay. To join Net Pay, distillers must have six months of on-time and error-free reporting and deposits. For more information, please contact [email protected].
Proof of Deposit
Proof of deposit must legibly show the amount of the deposit and the date of the deposit. Your proof of deposit is due to [email protected] by the 5th of the month, or the next business day if the 5th falls on a holiday or weekend. ABC prefers to have the deposit ticket number to better track the deposit. ABC does NOT need a photo of your check, and requests for security purposes that you obscure the bank routing and account number on any photos you send. A deposit ticket carbon copy, or a bank receipt are acceptable proofs of deposit. ACH payments do not require proof but are still required to hit the Virginia Treasury account by the 5th of the month.
Electronic Payments
Commission and Inventory Payment for Standard-Pay distillery stores is paid 15 business days from the receipt of proof of deposit, unless there are reporting errors that need to be corrected. To expedite your payment, you can sign up to receive your payment electronically. Payment is distributed through the Virginia Department of Accounts and does not come directly from ABC Headquarters. To set up electronic payments with DOA, submit a request form.
Updates to Distillery Manual
As the number of distilleries and distillery stores continue to grow, ABC continues to make changes to the distillery manual. Topics that may change includes opening a second location, closing your distillery store, moving locations, shipping and more. Virginia ABC will alert distillers when there is a new version of the manual. Please contact [email protected] with any questions or feedback for the next manual. Last updated manual: December 2023
Gift Cards
Distillers may offer gift cards or certificates to their customers for use in purchasing alcohol at their distillery store. However, you must advise customers that they will not be able to use these certificates at regular ABC stores. You may not put the ABC logo on your gift cards or certificates. Gift card bottle purchases should be treated like normal sales and go through your POS system.
Special Orders
ABC has received reports that stores have been denying customers requesting Special Order products. ABC encourages distillers who are experiencing this issue to email the Distillery Liaison so that the incident can be investigated and addressed. As there are various reasons why a store may have an issue ordering a specific product, please provide the store number and/or product code when possible.
Advertising with Virginia ABC's Logo
Distillers may use Virginia ABC’s logo in their advertising but must receive ad approval from ABC’s Communications Division. Please contact Melissa Bruster with inquiries and for approval at [email protected].
Local Sales Tax
Local sales tax can change from year to year. Please remember to check and charge the correct local sales tax when attending remote events and report those sales on the corresponding line on your sales template. Please visit tax.virginia.gov to learn more on tax rates in Virginia counties and cities.
Distillery Store Guides
- Distillery Manual (2023)
- Distillery Store Manual Addendum (April 2024)
- Use of Distillery Store Premises for Private Events (Circular Letter 16-01)
- Bonded Space and Separation of Legal Entities Guide
- MIPS Pricing Guide
- Opening a Distillery Store Guide
- Soliciting Mixed Beverage Licensees Guide
- In-Store Tastings Event Procedures Guide
- Distillery Stores to Mixed Beverage Retail Licensees Guidelines
Distillery Store Forms and Resources
Contact Information
General Distillery Store Questions
[email protected]
Proof of Deposit/ACH Electronic Deposits
[email protected]
Virginia Department of Accounts
[email protected]
Virginia ABC Logos
[email protected]
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