Can California’s new spirits shipping law reshape the national landscape?

California is preparing to test a new era in direct-to-consumer spirits sales.

A program created under Assembly Bill 1246, signed Oct. 4 and set to begin Jan. 1, 2026, will allow licensed out-of-state craft distillers to ship spirits directly to California consumers under some of the same tightly regulated conditions Golden State producers have benefitted from since the pandemic.

Industry observers say this pilot program in the nation’s biggest market could become a turning point...