Distillers Ask California to Lift Paid Tasting Ban

Take a close look at a cocktail menu these days, and you're likely to spot a lot of local, artisanal producers making everything from herbaceous gins to fruity liqueurs. Californians and tourists alike naturally want to visit the places where the liquor is made, take a tour, and try a tasting -- as they do in many places around the world. But state law isn't set up to allow distilleries to meet the demand, and a number of them are banding together to change the rules.