All posts by Andrew Schmitt

Andrew is just a guy that likes beer. You can usually find him on the twitters or spending time with his family.
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Sunday Liquor Sales Meets Opposition in Senate Committee

IMG_20130225_120850Consumers and store owners took to the Capitol today to fight for Sunday liquor sales. Supporters were lined up by the dozen, decked out with T-shirts and signs. The opposition and their lobbyists showed up in suits and ties.

Edward Reynoso, political director of the Teamsters Joint Council 32 and a representative of South Lyndale Liquor spoke in opposition. “Our customers have never asked us for Sunday sales,” Lobbyist Maryann Campo stated. “Our members have made it very clear, they do not want to work on Sunday,’ said Reynoso.

Four Firkins store owner Jason Alvey testified in support of the bill. Alvey expressed his frustration as a business owner, stating that he is unable to meet the needs of his customers and is forced to pay rent on Sundays without be able to generate revenue.

imageSenator Paul Gazelka (R-Nisswa) expressed one of the few concerns from the committee. Senator Gazelka expressed concerns about small stores in the middle of the state having to open on Sundays.  Reinert replied, “There is no have to.”

Reinert told MinnPost that if consumers want the longstanding law to change, they have to do something to combat the powerful interests pushing for the status quo.

“You have a powerful lobby in the liquor stores. You have a powerful union with the Teamsters, and those two pair up, and they’re here every day talking to legislators,” Reinert said.

“Everybody always asks me, ‘Who’s asking for this?’ People. Remember those folks out there that we’re supposed to represent that shouldn’t have to have a lobbyist and an organization to make something happen? That’s who’s in favor of it.”

The bill was not held over for inclusion into the liquor omnibus bill. The proposed measure will have to stand on its own, making its way through the Senate and the House. It still stands a chance if enough consumers call their representatives.

Sources: Minnpost, Senate Media Services

Legislative Events, Newsfeed

Video: Sunday Sales at the Capitol

It isn’t just consumers that want Sunday liquor sales.

The Minnesota Licensed Beverage Association, along with other liquor store owners, say opening on Sundays would simply pull sales from other days and increase operating costs.

Alvey disagrees and says those who oppose Sunday sales don’t have to open seven days a week if a bill, sponsored by Senator Jeremy Miller, becomes law and repeals the ban. Instead, Alvey says liquor store owners could open on Sundays, reap financial rewards, and close on Mondays when he says sales are generally much slower.

Via KSTP TV

Legislative Events, Newsfeed

Sunday Liquor Sales Hearing – Senate Commerce Committee

Date/Time:

02/25/2013
12:00 pm

Location:
Minnesota State Capitol – Room 112

We need your help to repeal the ban on Sunday liquor sales!  Come to the Senate Commerce Committee hearing and make your voice heard!  The meeting will begin at 12pm, and will be held at the Capitol building in room 112.

Let us know you’re going at the Facebook event page here:http://www.facebook.com/events/297683660357246/

If you can’t make it, be sure to call your reps and tell them you support SF 0225!

rep button

Legislative Events

Save the Growler?

A growler is a 64oz or 750ml container of beer. In most cases growlers are sold directly from the brewery to the consumer. They are a great way to bring home a taste of local beer in an easily transportable container. Growlers are vital to the income of small local breweries, especially those that do not have bottling or canning facilities.

save the growler

The ability to sell growlers directly to consumers enables Minnesota brewers to have a direct line of revenue from their beer. When a brewery sells growlers they don’t have the added expense of transporting the beer to market and from the retailer, or worry about the additional investment in kegs.

Growlers are all the rage with Minnesota beer fans. Growlers are a great way to bring home a bit of your experience at the brewery. Once you see the fermenters, the bright tanks, and meet the guys and gals making your beer you’ll want to take a jug of it to go. Growlers are great for trips like canoeing or picnics, or even bringing one to a party.

Growlers sound great, right? So why can’t you get one at every brewery? Size. Growlers are limited to Minnesota breweries that produce less than 3,500bbls of beer annually. The breweries that can sell growlers are limited to 500bbls in growler sales. Once a brewery passes that magic 3.500bbls number the right to sell growlers is forever gone. The growlers you bought are about as useful as flower pots.

Why is 3,500bbls the magic number? The number is based on the production limit for brewpubs. Last year, I spoke to a brewery owner about the limit, he told me it was a terrible place to have the limit, saying most breweries don’t even start breaking even until they reach 3,500bbls. Why would you punish a local business for being successful?

Brittany Krekelberg, Badger Hill Brewing Co-Founder says, “Part of the expanding American palate, not only includes craft beer, but also the experience of visiting a local brewery and being able to purchase a growler to take home.”

Shouldn’t you be able to enjoy a growler from every brewery in Minnesota, regardless of production size? That is the argument being put forth by the Minnesota Brewers Association (different from the Minnesota Craft Brewer’s Guild) a group of about a dozen Minnesota packaging breweries. The association is behind the “Save the Growler” movement. An initiative that would allow all Minnesota breweries the right to sell growlers, regardless of size. The group isn’t trying to change the limit on growler sales, 500bbls a year seems to be enough.

“We’re all doing this because our customers and locals have built a phenomenal community centered around our beers,” says Excelsior Brewery’s Ben Flattum. “Part of our responsibility, in return, is to ensure that everyone is up to date on legislation and circumstances that could limit their choices going forward.”

There isn’t any proposed legislation yet, but I was assured that it is being worked on.  In the meantime, if you want to “Save the Growler” check them out on facebook, twitter, and sign up for their mailing list at SaveTheGrowler.org.

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Minnesota Growler Swapping?

canal park growlers
Canal Park Growlers (Via Instagram)

News is coming in from the west coast that California breweries are going to be able to fill ANY growler as long as it is properly labeled. This is a revelation to many as it was just assumed that breweries could only fill/sell their own growlers.  The language of the CA code merely speaks to proper labeling, not the origination of the growler.  As long as the label says where the beer came from, what is in it, it is properly sealed, and a few other requirements, the 64oz containers are good to go.  Literally.  Proper labeling will likely be achieved through the use of stickers specific to each brewery’s beer.

Is this a viable option here in MN? Proper cleaning and sanitizing of growlers could be potential hangups for MN brewers.  There is no point in putting your beer in a growler if you don’t know that it is clean.  The variety of growler containers could pose problems as well.  Are brewers interested slapping stickers all over their brethren’s containers?

Any craft beer fan in Minnesota will tell you that investing in growlers for every brewery you want to visit can be a bit daunting, and leave you with empty containers taking up real estate in the cupboard.

A quick look at MN Statute 430.301 says it might be viable option for the land of 10,000 beers: ” The containers or bottles shall be identified as malt liquor, contain the name of the malt liquor, bear the name and address of the brewer selling the malt liquor, and shall be considered intoxicating liquor unless the alcoholic content is labeled as otherwise in accordance with the provisions of Minnesota Rules….”

With the number of Minnesota breweries increasing every month, it is not likely that local brewers would ever reach a consensus on the issue.  But, growler swapping sure is worth considering.

 

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Steel Toe Brewing Taproom Opens

Jason Shoneman
Jason Schoneman, he’s ready to pour you beer.

Steel Toe Brewer Jason Schoneman is done (pretty much) putting his taproom together. A man that truly does it all, Jason had a vision of what he wanted his taproom to be and created it with his own two hands.

The new taproom spans the length of the brewery’s front room. The walls are slate gray. The bar and counters are stained hardwood trimmed with dark steel. The taps hang from the ceiling and and there is a plasma tv behind the bar.

“It is a little dark,” says Jason, “but I like it that way.”

The taproom will be open at 3pm on Saturday. Stop in and them break it in proper. Just be sure to get there early, it will definitely be crowded.

Come on it, the beer is cold.
Click to enlarge the panoramic.
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BBS University Opens Spring Enrollment

Better Beer Society UniversityRob, Jake & the folks behind Better Beer Society have announced enrollment for the upcoming spring semester of BBSU (Better Beer Society University).

Campus will once again be located at Republic (West Bank location).

This semester they have added an additional class to meet demand.  Beer education will occur in of form of  two sessions (first session is at 6pm, second session is at 7:30p). Both will be one-hour long courses.

Tickets can be purchased here: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/329360

Your tuition costs will go to education on all aspects of the beer industry (breweries, retail, hop farming, distribution, maltsters, and so forth). BBSU will also teach you how to explore your palate, cook w/ beer and create pairings.

BSU in session w/ (Todd Haug, Pete Rifakes, Chip Walton):

Tuition cost for BBSU spring semester will be $75 (which equates to $6 / class, or roughly the cost of a beer). New students are encouraged to enroll early for their preferred time slot, as space is extremely limited, and last semester sold out very quickly.

For more info checkout Better Beer Society online.

Legislative Events, Newsfeed

Sunday Sales Bill SF 0225 Introduced to Minnesota Senate

DFL Senator Roger Reinert and GOP Senator Jeremy Miller crossed party lines to author SF 0225, a bill to finally ease the prohibition on Sunday off-sale liquor purchases in Minnesota.

The bill would allow off-sale establishments to operate on Sundays if they choose to be open. In addition to Sundays, the bill would allow sales on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

“We are a free market society, consumers can make choices and people of faith who don’t want to shop on Sunday can make that choice, others who want to can,” said Sen. Reinert. “We just really don’t need the government telling a business when it can be open and when it can’t be.”

Sen. Reinert said it is all about giving the consumers what they want and giving businesses options. Sunday sales could generate anywhere between $15 million to $150 million in tax revenue.

Senator James P. Metzen
Senator James P. Metzen

After the initial reading the bill was referred to the Senate Commerce Committee.  If the Senate Commerce Committee Chair James P. Metzen (52, DFL) decides to hear the bill it will continue to move along in the political process; if not, the bill is likely to die before making it to the floor for discussion.

 

 

 

 

Source: WDIO – Duluth