“This is a freedom reform,” Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson told a press conference, alongside Social Minister Jakob Forssmed and Liberal group leader Lina Nordquist. “Sweden will become slightly more like the rest of Europe.”

Under current rules, alcohol producers are allowed to sell their products for consumption on site, but anyone wishing to buy alcohol over 4.5 percent ABV to take home with them can only do so via the state-owned alcohol monopoly, Systembolaget.

Now, the government is planning to allow some producers, such as vineyards and microbreweries, to sell their products on-site for consumption elsewhere, in what is known in Swedish as gårdsförsäljning, literally “farm sale”.

It will only apply to producers who make a maximum of 75,000 litres of spirits, 400,000 litres of fermented drinks up to 10 percent ABV or up to 200,000 litres of fermented drinks over 10 percent ABV.

The proposal includes all types of alcohol and will not require that drinks’ ingredients are produced on-site, with the exception of grapes for wine.

Eligible producers will be able to sell their drinks on-site between 10am and 8pm to visitors who have paid for a guided tour, lecture or similar. Visitors will be allowed to buy up to 3 litres of wine, beer or cider, and 700ml of spirits.

Small-scale cider producer John Taylor, from Dryg Cider, described the proposal as “a joke”.

“The idea that you’re allowed to buy three litres of an alcoholic drink but only as part of a guided tour or lecture is a kind of Kafka-esque joke. What other products do you have to do that for?” he told The Local.

Despite this, he said there were some positives.

“For people who do have farms, it will make a big difference. Because everyone in our industry – small scale drinks producers – struggles to make any money at all. So this will really change things for anyone with a farm shop, which is really good.”

Dryg rent their land, so they will not benefit from the new law, Taylor said.

“It makes no difference for small-scale producers in cities and those of us who rent land and have to sell via the alcohol monopoly.”

He welcomed the move as a step in the right direction, but would like to see the government do more.

“We really want to just be able to sell our product just like any other craft producer in Europe. Which means the abolition of the state monopoly and a free market.”

The proposal is set to come into effect in the first half of 2025 and is expected to benefit around 600 small-scale producers.