A bill allowing Iowa's craft liquor distillers to mix cocktails at their manufacturing facilities gained final legislative approval Monday, with both Democrats and Republicans praising the bill as a good step for economic development.

The issue has been under discussion in the Legislature for years as distillers tried and failed to advance legislation they say puts them on a level playing field with Iowa's craft breweries and wineries, which already are able to open lounges and tasting rooms where patrons can buy a glass of beer or wine made on-site.

"We are so pleased that the Legislature was able to reach across the aisle and put together a solution that everyone could come together on," Garrett Burchett, owner and distiller at Mississippi River Distilling Co., a family-owned small batch distillery in Le Claire, Iowa, said in a statement.

Read the full article on the Des Moines Register website.