Tasting of alcoholic beverages and preparations

Described here are the rules for obtaining a permit to organise the tasting of alcoholic beverages and preparations. The information is primarily aimed at those who are the business operator or those who wish to arrange a tasting.

In order to organise a tasting of alcoholic beverages or non beverage alcoholic preparations, you must have either a permanent licence to serve alcohol or a special licence for tasting. Tasting refers to only small quantities of different products, equivalent to one tablespoon or less. There is no requirement for food to be served at a tasting. You apply for a tasting permit in the municipality where the tasting is to be carried out.

What do alcoholic beverages and preparations mean?

In this text, alcoholic beverages mean for instance spirituous liquors, wine, strong beer and other fermented alcoholic beverages. Non beverage alcoholic preparations are not alcoholic beverages within the meaning of the Alcohol Act. It is an alcoholic preparation that is, from the point of view of consumption, equivalent to alcoholic beverages or otherwise can be assumed to be used as an intoxicant.

Questions and answers about non beverage alcoholic preparations

For those who have a permanent permit to serve alcohol

If you have a permanent licence to serve alcohol, you may also offer a tasting. The tasting may only be:

of the same types of beverages and preparations as are shown in the licence to serve alcohol
on licensed premises.

If you have a permanent licence to serve alcohol, you do not need to apply for a special tasting licence. However, before each tasting event you need to notify this to the municipality where the licensed premises are located. The Public Health Authority´s regulation on tasting describes what is to be included in the notification.

The Public Health Authority’s regulations and general advice (FoHMFS 2014:8) on the notification of premises for catering, seasoning of spirit drinks for serving schnapps and tasting (in Swedish)

If you are a wholesaler

If you are a wholesaler, you can apply individually or together with other wholesalers for a temporary licence for a tasting in the municipality where you wish the tasting to be carried out. In order to engage in wholesale trade in alcoholic beverages or non beverage alcoholic preparations, it is a requirement that the Swedish Tax Agency has approved the person who is to conduct the wholesale trade as a warehouse keeper or registered consignee of goods.

If you are a manufacturer

If you manufacture alcoholic beverages or non beverage alcoholic preparations from raw materials produced on your own farm and have a permanent licence to serve alcohol, you may offer a tasting of the self-produced beverages or preparations. You can do this after you have notified it to the municipality. You must hold the tasting at the place of manufacture and the licence to serve alcohol must refer to these premises.

If you manufacture alcoholic beverages or non beverage alcoholic preparations and do not have a permanent licence to serve alcohol, you can apply for a special tasting licence. This permit means that you can offer a tasting of the self-produced alcoholic beverages or the self-produced non beverage alcoholic preparations at the place of manufacture.

The provisions on which this information is based

The information on this website is intended solely to help you, and does not replace what is written in the Alcohol Act and the Alcohol Tax Act. There may also be other laws or regulations from other authorities that you need to be aware of.

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Updated: 20 February 2023