Legislative events and news relevant to Minnesota liquor, wine, and beer consumers
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!
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.
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.
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.
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
Lucid Brewing won approval to sell 64 oz “growlers” and 750ml bottles earlier this week via unanimous vote from the Minnetonka city Council. The license allows Lucid to sell directly to its consumers at the Lucid Brewey located at 6020 Culligan Way, Minnetonka MN 55345.
The west metro brewers are expected to begin growler sales in early January. The brewery is intent on “flexing its creative muscles” with some new recipes and “brewery-only” special releases. The first two special release beers available in growlers will be “DUCE”; a 7.5% ABV malt-forward imperial red ale, and “CRAIG’S ALE”: a 7.5% ABV chocolate rye, brown ale brewed in honor of a brewery supporter. Brewer Paul Johnson says, “Foto, Dyno, and Air in growlers. Special projects in 750’s. Look for lots of 750’s…”
Four Firkins will be hosting Roger Reinert, DFL Senator from Duluth in the store from 5-8pm. Roger is partnering with Minnesota Beer Activists and a coalition of liquor stores to help promote and discuss the issue of Sunday Sales in Minnesota. He will ultimately author the bill to propose sales for liquor stores on Sunday. Join us for a night to meet Roger and ask questions about the proposal for opening up Sunday sales.
See the event links below.
