(a) Each manufacturer, importer, and wholesaler of beer shall file and thereafter maintain on file with the department, in such form as the department may provide, a written schedule of selling prices charged by the licensee for beer sold and distributed by the licensee to customers in California, except that the transfer, including the sale, of beer between wholesalers who sell the same brand in package is permitted without filing the schedule of selling prices, and the transfer, including the sale, of beer made under contract from a contract beer manufacturer making the beer to a beer manufacturer receiving the beer is permitted without filing the schedule of selling prices. All prices filed shall be for immediate delivery. Each manufacturer, importer, and wholesaler of beer shall file a price schedule for each county in which his or her customers have their premises, whether the price that is posted is f.o.b. or delivered, or both. Different prices for different trading areas within a county shall be based upon natural geographical differences justifying the different prices, and shall not be established for special customers. This section shall not affect or alter any provisions of law concerning quantity discounts on beer.
(b) For purposes of this section, a “contract beer manufacturer” is a beer manufacturer that does all of the following:
(1) Makes beer pursuant to a written contract with another beer manufacturer, and neither entity has a controlling interest in the other entity.
(2) Makes beer in accordance with a recipe that is a trade secret of the beer manufacturer having its beer made under contract.
(3) Has no right to sell the beer to any other beer manufacturer, importer, or wholesaler other than the beer manufacturer who contracted for the beer.
(c) For purposes of this section, “beer manufacturer” includes any holder of a beer manufacturer’s license, any holder of an out-of-state beer manufacturer’s certificate, or any holder of a beer and wine importer’s general license.
(Amended by Stats. 2001, Ch. 567, Sec. 3. Effective October 7, 2001.)