Will Maryland House Bill 736 (RTD cocktail alcoholic beverage tax) be signed into law before July 1, 2026?
Maryland House Bill 736 establishes a $0.60 per gallon ($0.1585 per liter) alcoholic beverage tax rate specifically for ready-to-drink cocktails. RTD is the fastest-growing beverage alcohol category in the US, and Maryland is the first state to attempt a category-specific tax in the 2026 session. Distributors and brand owners are watching closely because other states are widely expected to copy whatever Maryland does. The 2026 Maryland legislative session adjourns sine die on April 13, 2026, with the governor having until May 28 to act on legislation. This market resolves on whether the bill becomes law (signed, allowed to become law without signature, or veto overridden) before July 1, 2026.
Resolves YES if Maryland HB 736 (or its identical Senate cross-file) is signed into law by the Governor of Maryland, allowed to become law without signature, or enacted via veto override, with the enactment recorded by the Maryland General Assembly before 23:59 ET on June 30, 2026. Resolution sourced from the Maryland General Assembly bill tracker and the Governor's official actions page.
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