Apopka may tweak its ‘outdated’ liquor laws, allow microbreweries

Apopka, among the last Central Florida cities to forbid Sunday sales of alcohol, is poised to tweak its liquor ordinances to permit a microbrewery.

“One could be successful here,” said home-brewer Elliot Meyer, 38, who wants to open a “brewpub” in Orange County’s second-largest city. “I think we’ve got a pretty strong customer base.”

Today, the City Council will consider changes to rules regulating the sale of alcoholic beverages within the city limits, including a provision that would shrink the distance that must separate a bar or other establishment where customers can buy or drink alcohol from a school, church, park or government property.

Some of Apopka’s rules date back to Prohibition, when the production, distribution and sale of alcohol was illegal in the United States.

Jim Hitt, Apopka community development director, said existing rules contain “outdated” restrictions that stand in the way of the city attracting entrepreneurs eager to invest in a microbrewery or wine bar, upward trending businesses which could infuse Apopka’s downtown with new life.

Some of Apopka’s rules date back to Prohibition, an era from 1920 to 1933 when the production, distribution and sale of alcohol was illegal in the U.S.

“The primary thing is to bring us into the 21st century,” Hitt said.

Apopka has several storefront churches scattered along the main road through town.

“Under the current code, and due to the high number of storefront churches in the downtown, Apopka’s downtown will never see a brewpub, like most every thriving downtown has,” Hitt said.

Home-grown beers and businesses that brew and sell them are bubbling up in other Central Florida cities.

“I’ve been to all of them that are open,” homebrewer Meyer said. “I’ll at least stop by to check out the layout, what they’re selling and see how it’s going.”

The proposed ordinance in Apopka also would extend hours that a shop with a liquor permit can sell alcohol and the hours a bar could serve them.

“It will be basically the same [hours] Orange County has,” Hitt said.

If approved, Apopka stores could begin selling beer, wine and spirits from 9 a.m. every day — including Sunday — until 2 a.m.

The current rules cut off beer sales at midnight and prohibit selling booze on Sunday before noon.

Under the new rules, Apopka restaurants could serve alcohol at 7 a.m. daily, two hours earlier than now. Last call would be 2 a.m.

The current rules forbid serving alcoholic drinks before 9 a.m. every day but Sunday, when patrons must wait until noon to order a drink.

Orange County commissioners, nudged by hoteliers who wanted to sell earlymorning mimosas and other cocktails to out-oftown guests, changed rules in May allowing booze to begin flowing in restaurants at 7 a.m. instead of 11 a.m. The West Orange Chamber of Commerce then persuaded Ocoee in October to match the county’s new hours.

Apopka was the last city in Central Florida to scrap so-called Sunday “blue laws,” which were originally designed to boost church attendance by forbidding drinking on the Christian Sabbath. The City Council in 2014 voted to let the taps flow on Sunday.

The proposed changes would eliminate distance requirement between pubs and churches, parks and City Hall, although bars and breweries could not be closer than 500 feet from schools.

“The most important part of these updated regulations is to get Apopka and our downtown poised for economic opportunities that will allow alcoholic beverage sales in a more diversified atmosphere,” Hitt said.

The proposed changes would require a second reading and a council vote, now scheduled for Dec. 20 — which, if approved, would go into effect immediately — in time for New Year’s Eve parties.