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Yikes, 2018 already…and clearly the craft beer biz is just getting hotter. But no worries, Rumor Mill is always on the case, keeping you plugged in into all the beer news and lifestyle that matters. Plus we’ve an all-important update on what we’ve been drinking lately and you don’t want to miss that.
New Beer Law Now A Priority In South Dakota (Pierre, SD) – In hopes of making his state competitive with neighbors like North Dakota, Wyoming and Montana, Gov. Dennis Daugaard is reportedly making South Dakota’s craft beer industry a priority in this year’s upcoming legislative session.
Governor Daugaard
Governor Daugaard is publically pushing for legislation that would raise the annual production cap for craft brewers who want to hold retail licenses and run taprooms from 5,000 barrels to 30,000 per year.
South Dakota’s current law caps small breweries at 5,000 barrels per year, which severely limits the breweries ability to grow without losing their right to operate taprooms.
North Dakota’s beer law currently allows for a 25,000 barrel cap, Montana’s cap is 60,000, and in Wyoming the cap is 50,000. So in an effort to at least get his state competitive, Gov. Daugaard is proposing that a 30,000 barrel cap be added to upcoming legislation that will also allow the state’s small breweries to sell their beer directly to restaurants, bars and stores without a distributor.
Words To Drink By (Pierre, SD) – “It’s not just a business that makes beer…It’s a tourist attraction. It’s not just something the locals go to…it’s a destination.” SD Gov. Dennis Daugaard on craft breweries
Beer Hara-Kiri In Japan (Tokyo) – Shipments of beer and beer-like drinks in Japan fell for the 13th straight year in 2017, hitting a concerning new record low. Beer shipments fell 2.9 percent, low-malt beer (think light beer) dropped 4 percent, and beer-flavored alcoholic drinks (we’re not even sure what those are) were down 1.5 percent. Just as in the states, Japan’s brewers blame the shifting tastes of younger consumers along with revised law that bans excessive discounting for the ongoing decline in the once beer-crazed nation.
What We’ve Been Drinking Lately (Boulder, CO) – We recently tapped a new seasonal from SweetWater Brewing that was bright, uber-hoppy and sessionable at the same time. Fueled primarily on Lemondrop hops that brighten its taste and blast its aromatics, SweetWater Grass Monkey is a 5.4% ABV refresher which take the traditional Wheat Ale to a much hoppier place.
