STATE OF NEW JERSEY
222nd LEGISLATURE
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2026 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Assemblyman ALEX SAUICKIE
District 12 (Burlington, Middlesex, Monmouth and Ocean)
Assemblywoman HEATHER SIMMONS
District 3 (Cumberland, Gloucester and Salem)
Co-Sponsored by:
Assemblyman Scharfenberger
SYNOPSIS
Establishes "Jersey Spirits Program" in Department of Agriculture.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel.
An Act concerning the promotion of spirits produced in New Jersey, and supplementing Title 4 of the Revised Statutes.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. a. The Secretary of Agriculture, in conjunction with the State Board of Agriculture, shall develop and implement a “Jersey Spirits Program” to encourage, advertise, and promote the sale of liquors produced in the State by various ingredients grown in the State.
b. The Jersey Spirits Program shall:
(1) increase consumer awareness of the New Jersey spirits industry;
(2) organize advertising campaigns and create marketing programs that promote spirits produced in the State;
(3) disseminate information about the variety and availability of distilled alcoholic beverages produced in the State; and
(4) distribute information about distilleries in the State that distill spirits, prepare mash, or refine the grains, vegetables, herbs, fruits, and other ingredients grown in New Jersey used in spirits produced in the State; and
(5) create a labeling program, similar to the “Jersey Fresh” labeling program, to identify spirits produced in the State as a “Jersey Spirits” distillation.
c. The Department of Agriculture shall adopt, pursuant to the "Administrative Procedure Act," P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.), rules and regulations to implement the provisions of this section.
2. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill directs the Secretary of Agriculture, in conjunction with the State Board of Agriculture, to develop and implement a “Jersey Spirits Program” to encourage, advertise, and promote the sale of spirits produced in the State.
Spirits or liquors are produced through a distillation process in which grains, vegetables, fruits, herbs, and other ingredients are concentrated by heating fermented liquid to increase alcohol content. Unlike other alcoholic beverages, liquors include ethanol.
The “Jersey Spirits Program” would increase consumer awareness of the New Jersey liquor industry. The program would organize advertising campaigns and create marketing programs to promote spirits produced in the State, and disseminate information about the variety and availability of liquors distilled in the State. The program is also required to distribute information about certain distilleries, and liquor-producing products cultivated in the State, and create a labeling program (similar to the “Jersey Fresh” program) to identify spirits produced in the State as “Jersey Spirits” liquors.