SENATE BILL 618 POURS NEW FLEXIBILITY AND ADDED RESPONSIBILITY INTO COMMUNITY EVENTS: Legislation opens the tap for Illinois craft spirits producers and important considerations for local officials.

On October 29, 2025, the Illinois General Assembly passed Senate Bill 618, a measure that, while billed as an update for the craft spirits industry, has broad implications for municipalities and townships that host or support community markets and festivals.

The bill revises the Liquor Control Act of 1934 to create a new Class 3 Craft Distiller License and a Spirits Showcase Permit, offering small producers greater flexibility and a clearer framework to participate in local events. For communities like Park Ridge, which lies within Maine Township, and where the Park Ridge Chamber of Commerce’s Market After Dark has become a showcase of local cooperation, this change opens both opportunity and responsibility, a win for local business and civic partnership alike.

From the Distillery to the Event: A New Legal Pathway

Before SB 618, Illinois craft distilleries could participate in festivals and special events only under tightly limited sampling guidelines or special-use permits. Those rules allowed only limited tastings, not true retail sales or consistent participation at community events. SB 618 modernizes that system by giving licensed producers a defined path to sell directly to consumers at temporary event sites, transforming the occasional sampling table into a legitimate event presence.

Under the new law, a Class 3 Craft Distiller producing up to 100,000 gallons annually can self-distribute limited quantities and sell directly to consumers. The real innovation, however, is the Spirits Showcase Permit, which allows distillers to sell their spirits at temporary, approved locations such as community markets and local festivals.

The law allows a licensed producer to transfer its own spirits from its distillery to a designated event site, the “premises specified” in the permit, where it may sell directly to customers. Sales are permitted both for on-premises consumption (when authorized locally) and for sealed, take-home (“off-premises”) purchases, subject to a 156-fluid-ounce per-person limit and strict non-resale rules.

As the new statute provides, a spirits showcase permit allows a distiller “to sell or offer for sale at retail, only in the premises specified in the spirits showcase permit license, the transferred or delivered spirits for on-premises or off-premises consumption, but not for resale in any form.” (SB 618, amending 235 ILCS 5/1-3.48, 2025 Session)

This streamlined framework makes it far easier for local producers to participate in community events without wading through a patchwork of distributor agreements or special-use permits.

Municipal Control With Township Collaboration

Although the benefits reach across township lines, the authority over alcohol licensing remains squarely municipal.

Under the Liquor Control Act, the local liquor control commissioner, typically a city mayor, has exclusive jurisdiction to approve or deny alcohol sales within municipal boundaries. The state’s Illinois Liquor Control Commission (ILCC) will not issue a Spirits Showcase Permit without that local authorization.

For Maine Township, this means that while the Park Ridge Market After Dark benefits from the strong support of the Township Highway Commissioner and his crew, the ultimate authority for liquor sales lies with the City of Park Ridge. The Township’s role is operational and collaborative: setting up infrastructure, assisting with logistics, and partnering with the municipality to make the event successful.

It’s a textbook example of how townships and municipalities can share responsibility: municipalities handling the licensing and regulatory framework, townships managing the physical work and community engagement.

The Liability Lens: Managing Risk in Shared Spaces

From a defense standpoint, SB 618 doesn’t upend township or municipal immunities under the Tort Immunity Act, but it creates new intersections of liability that deserve attention.

1.     Control and ResponsibilityOnce the event space is designated as a licensed premises, the vendor, not the township or municipal government, is responsible for alcohol-service compliance. Agreements drafted by experienced local government legal counsel should make that clear.

2.     Insurance and IndemnificationBoth the municipality and township should continue requiring liquor-liability insurance from participating distilleries, naming both entities as additional insureds.

3.     Event CoordinationThe Liquor Commissioner must sign off on each permit, and the ILCC must approve it. The township’s operational involvement should be formally documented to ensure its work crews are covered under municipal and event insurance.

4.     Consumption Boundaries and EnforcementThe 156-ounce limit and “not for resale” restriction demand vendor vigilance. Signage, ID checks, and controlled-service zones protect both the vendor and the public sponsors.

5.     Planning = ProtectionImmunity under the Tort Immunity Act remains strong for discretionary acts, but proactive risk management (permits, policies, and documentation) remains the best defense.

A Win for Local Flavor and Community Collaboration

SB 618 modernizes how municipalities within townships can partner with local producers. It empowers municipalities to invite distilleries into public spaces under a clear, regulated structure, while allowing townships to continue doing what they do best: facilitating safe, well-run community events.

For townships and municipalities alike, the takeaway is simple: flexibility has arrived, and with clear coordination, it can strengthen both community life and local economies. With sound agreements and shared oversight, township and municipal partnerships can thrive under this new legal landscape.

As events like the Park Ridge Market After Dark come to life under the lights, local officials can raise a glass to progress, knowing that behind each pour is a well-drafted permit, a cooperative spirit, and a community that knows how to do things the right way: together.