Regulations for beverage alcohol shipping and distribution continue to evolve, and the busy January reporting period tends to raise questions that are easier to work through before the rush than during it. This annual session is a chance to step back, review what changed in 2026, and get ready for 2027.
Join members of the Sovos ShipCompliant team for a regulatory recap, ShipCompliant product updates, and a reporting best practices refresher.
Attendees will hear:
- A recap of what unfolded in 2026 on the regulatory front, within the direct-to-consumer shipping channel and in wholesale distribution, and a look at what’s on the horizon for 2027.
- A review of the updates that rolled out in the ShipCompliant product in 2026 and what’s on the roadmap for 2027.
- A reporting best practices refresher: a look at common scenarios and questions that come up during the busy January reporting period and how to address them within ShipCompliant.
This webinar will cover topics of interest to producers that ship DtC and those that distribute through the three-tier system. The regulatory and industry update will be of broad interest, while current ShipCompliant customers will find the product updates and reporting tips and tricks especially useful.
Can’t attend the live webinar? Register anyway and we’ll send you a link to the recording afterward.
 |  |  |
|---|---|---|
| DATE | TIME | DURATION |
| December 17, 2026 | 11:00 am MT | 1 hr |
Speakers
Alex Koral
Regulatory General Counsel, Sovos ShipCompliant
Based in Boulder, Colorado, Alex serves as lead legal researcher for beverage alcohol regulation at Sovos ShipCompliant and has become a leading expert on interstate distribution of alcohol. He has spoken on the topic at many industry events including DTC Wine Symposium, Oregon Wine Symposium, CiderCon, Craft Brewers Conference, American Craft Spirits Association Convention as well as meetings of the National Council of State Liquor Administrators and the National Liquor Law Enforcement Association. Alex received a 2026 WineBusiness Monthly Wine Industry Leader award for his contributions as an industry advocate. He has been in the beverage alcohol arena since 2015, after receiving his J.D. from the University of Colorado Law School.
Austin Hrudka
Technical Account Manager, Sovos ShipCompliant
Austin Hrudka is a Technical Account Manager at Sovos ShipCompliant with more than seven years of experience supporting customers across the ShipCompliant and Product Registration Online (PRO) platforms. Based in Minnesota, Austin spent the majority of his tenure on the Support team, where he developed deep product expertise and a strong understanding of the day‑to‑day compliance challenges faced by beverage alcohol producers, retailers, and distributors. In his current role, Austin partners closely with clients to align technical solutions with business and compliance needs, helping them mitigate risk, resolve complex issues, and maximize the value of ShipCompliant solutions in an evolving regulatory landscape.
Ben Miller-Schmidt
Product Owner, Sovos ShipCompliant
Ben Miller-Schmidt is a product manager at Sovos ShipCompliant, where he leads product development for the ShipCompliant platform. With more than six years of experience at Sovos, Ben worked across the sales and use tax business, including tax determination, enterprise tax, and small business filing solutions, before joining the ShipCompliant team in May 2026. In his current role, he collaborates with the engineering, support, sales, customer success, and regulatory teams to drive product enhancements, improve customer workflows, and help beverage alcohol businesses navigate an evolving regulatory landscape.