How Michigan’s Control State Model Helps Craft Distillers Grow

How Michigan’s Control State Model Helps Craft Distillers Grow

We recorded this episode on location at the Michigan Craft Beverage Summit in Muskegon, bringing in three voices who live this every day: Richard Anderson (Iron Fish Distillery), Jon O’Connor (Long Road Distillers and president of the Michigan Craft Distillers Association), and Larry Cekola (Imperial Beverage, one of Michigan’s Authorized Distribution Agents). Together, we unpack how the MLCC’s control state structure intersects with the three-tier system, why listing and access-to-market matter, and what equal access looks like for retailers across the state. We also get practical about distribution reality: delivering spirits across two peninsulas, through snowstorms, and into remote communities, with a requirement to serve all 83 counties every week. Then we zoom out to the business side, including self-distribution as a learning tool, the tasting room license as an entry point, and how the Qualified Distiller Program changes the economics for producers who use Michigan grain. If you care about craft spirits, alcohol regulation, or how supply chains shape what ends up in your glass, this conversation connects the dots. Subscribe for more MLCC On the Road, share this with someone in the industry, and leave a review with your biggest question about Michigan’s spirits system. The MLCC On The Road podcast is brought to you by the Michigan Liquor Control Commission (MLCC).  For more information on the MLCC, please visit our website at www.michigan.gov/lcc [https://www.michigan.gov/lcc].  To submit a question or idea for a podcast topic, please email mlccinfo2@michigan.gov [mlccinfo2@michigan.gov]. The mission of the Michigan Liquor Control Commission is to make alcoholic beverages available for consumption while protecting the consumer and the general public through regulation of those involved in the sale and distribution of these alcohol beverage products.

Death & Taxes

As the old saying goes, nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.  In this episode we unpack how estates, probate, and taxes intersect with liquor licensing and what steps keep a business compliant when an owner dies or owes back taxes. MLCC Licensing Deputy Director Jackie Anthony joins us to explain documents, approvals, levies, seizures, and the practical paths forward. • Difference between active operation and escrow authority • Documents MLCC needs after a death • Approvals, denials, escrow-only decisions and appeals • Trusts, transfer-on-death and ownership transfers • Letters of authority timing and follow ups • License holds, renewals and enforcement checks • How a personal representative transfers interest to self • Spouse ownership structures and survivorship • What a Treasury levy triggers and how to resolve it • Seizures, tax warrants, auctions and license value For more information on the Michigan Liquor Control Commission, please visit our website at www.michigan.gov/lcc The MLCC On The Road podcast is brought to you by the Michigan Liquor Control Commission (MLCC).  For more information on the MLCC, please visit our website at www.michigan.gov/lcc [https://www.michigan.gov/lcc].  To submit a question or idea for a podcast topic, please email mlccinfo2@michigan.gov [mlccinfo2@michigan.gov]. The mission of the Michigan Liquor Control Commission is to make alcoholic beverages available for consumption while protecting the consumer and the general public through regulation of those involved in the sale and distribution of these alcohol beverage products.

What To Expect When You Are Expecting... A Liquor License!

Paperwork doesn’t sell your first drink, but it absolutely decides when you can. We take you behind the scenes of Michigan’s liquor licensing process with Sherry Ashton, a supervisor who’s guided thousands of files from first submission to final issuance. Together we unpack the checkpoints that matter most—what “complete application” truly means, why fingerprinting now triggers later by staff request, and how one missing lease clause can stall an entire timeline. From there, we map the enforcement investigation: the records investigators request, what they look for on site, and how your communication sets the tempo. We get candid about violations—often sitting with the seller—that can freeze a buyer’s file until fines or escrow terms resolve. Then we shift to administration review and show how analysts move files to consent agendas or build detailed syllabi for commissioner decisions. We highlight the small details that protect your timeline: reading commission orders line by line, responding to deficiency notices, understanding added fees when permits change, and notifying staff immediately when financing shifts. Finally, we demystify denials and appeals. Most denials that reach appeal are remanded for more information or reversed when applicants show clear funding, a practical operating plan, and strong compliance steps. Hearings happen over WebEx, making it easy to present your case. If your goal is a smooth opening, this guide offers the steps to get there: complete documentation, honest disclosures, tight coordination with investigators, and disciplined follow‑through on orders and fees. If this helped you plan your path to a Michigan liquor license, subscribe, share with a colleague, and leave a quick review to help others find the show. The MLCC On The Road podcast is brought to you by the Michigan Liquor Control Commission (MLCC).  For more information on the MLCC, please visit our website at www.michigan.gov/lcc [https://www.michigan.gov/lcc].  To submit a question or idea for a podcast topic, please email mlccinfo2@michigan.gov [mlccinfo2@michigan.gov]. The mission of the Michigan Liquor Control Commission is to make alcoholic beverages available for consumption while protecting the consumer and the general public through regulation of those involved in the sale and distribution of these alcohol beverage products.

Getting Ready For The 2026 License Renewal

In this episode, we break down how to renew your Michigan liquor license in the upcoming liquor license renewal period that starts on March 1, 2026.  We discuss club certifications and brewer barrel counts, MILogin pitfalls, payment timing, escrow rules, triennial renewals for Salesperson licenses, and the new tools that make printing licenses faster. Links Discussed In This Episode: 1. MLCC Renewal Portal Link: https://www.michigan.gov/lara/bureau-list/lcc/renewal [https://www.michigan.gov/lara/bureau-list/lcc/renewal] 2. For more information on or to register for the Michigan Craft Beverage Summit, please visit the Craft Beverage Council's website at MichiganCraftBeverage.com [https://MichiganCraftBeverage.com] 3. Commission Approved Salesperson Accreditation Programs: * Michigan Salesperson License Accreditation Program - mbwwasaleslicense.org [https://mbwwasaleslicense.org/] Program managed by Michigan Beer & Wine Wholesalers Association [https://mbwwa.org/] - Phone: 517-482-5555 ext. 215 * Michigan Brewers Guild’s Michigan Salesperson License Accreditation Program - https://www.mibeer.com/Training/Home [https://www.mibeer.com/Training/Home] Program managed by Michigan Brewers Guild [http://www.mibeer.com/] - Phone: 517-327-5004 The MLCC On The Road podcast is brought to you by the Michigan Liquor Control Commission (MLCC).  For more information on the MLCC, please visit our website at www.michigan.gov/lcc [https://www.michigan.gov/lcc].  To submit a question or idea for a podcast topic, please email mlccinfo2@michigan.gov [mlccinfo2@michigan.gov]. The mission of the Michigan Liquor Control Commission is to make alcoholic beverages available for consumption while protecting the consumer and the general public through regulation of those involved in the sale and distribution of these alcohol beverage products.

What Endures When Laws Change: Tracing Michigan’s Alcohol Policy From 1774 To Now

We trace Michigan’s liquor laws from 1774 merchant rules to modern regulation, showing how taverns, quotas, Sunday bans, and “forever” prohibition shaped today’s safeguards. The throughline is simple: protect public welfare while supporting responsible commerce. • 1770s Detroit merchant rules and self-imposed fines • Early territorial licenses, fees, and local enforcement • 1838 reforms on credit, intoxication, Sunday sales • Location-specific premises and the meaning of “tavern” • Restrictions near churches and the short-lived on-premises ban • Township welfare protections and spendthrift limits • Local option, dry counties, and failed early prohibition • Oddities: cemetery buffers, crackers and pretzels, ad bans with ex-presidents • Quotas tied to population and standard hours • 1916 “forever” prohibition and 1932 repeal • Birth of the Liquor Control Commission and control-state model The MLCC On The Road podcast is brought to you by the Michigan Liquor Control Commission (MLCC).  For more information on the MLCC, please visit our website at www.michigan.gov/lcc [https://www.michigan.gov/lcc].  To submit a question or idea for a podcast topic, please email mlccinfo2@michigan.gov [mlccinfo2@michigan.gov]. The mission of the Michigan Liquor Control Commission is to make alcoholic beverages available for consumption while protecting the consumer and the general public through regulation of those involved in the sale and distribution of these alcohol beverage products.