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There’s a battle brewing over beer in Florida, and in this fight, size does matter… growler size, that is.
On February 12, 2013, HB 715 was introduced in the Florida House of Representatives by Rep. Katie Edwards. This bill will correct a longtime oversight that banned 64 oz growlers from being sold by breweries to consumers.
Currently, the Sunshine State’s law allows consumers to legally purchase beer in 32 oz growlers, or in any quantity 1 gallon or above. But the nationally standard 64 oz growler has been left in the lurch. Tampa Bay’s Cigar City, arguably one of the most highly regarded breweries in Florida, highlights the absurdity of this antiquated law on a sign prominently placed on the taproom’s wall.
“We sell growlers in two sizes: 32 oz and 128 oz (gallon). The industry standard in most states is the 64 oz. (half-gallon) growler but Florida law has a wacky, nonsensical law that prohibits us from selling them. Ridiculous, isn’t it?”
Yes, introducing 64 oz growlers might strike most as a no-brainer. But we’re talking about Florida here and just 3 short years ago, a similar bill was shot down in the Senate that would do just that. Ridiculous, isn’t it?
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uckily, this time around, the bill is being met with much less opposition and more industry support. It is widely believed that “a rising tide lifts all boats,” said Josh Aubuchon, lobbyist and Executive Director of the Florida Brewers Guild. The industry support on both the wholesale and retail side is there and although there is some (not surprising) opposition from the Florida Beer Wholesalers Association (the largest Anheuser Busch distributor in the state), they are working towards a compromise.
While the economic impact studies are ongoing, the financial positives are pretty obvious. The growlers that are being sold by breweries throughout the country are generally 64 oz. Since this is the most prevalent size, it is much cheaper and easier for the breweries to obtain them and pass those savings on to the consumer. Not to mention the marketing aspects. Many tourists want to purchase Florida beer growlers to use in their home states – and that’s not just free advertising, that’s like someone paying you to advertise your brand.
Hopefully, by the time this article is published, the sister bill will have made its way to the Senate. But the battle is not over yet. Beer laws are notoriously tough to change and Tallahassee doesn’t have the best track record in the “sound decision making” department.
Our Florida-based readers might want to make their voices heard (and we suggest that you do) by linking to your local representatives and letting them know that you are in support of the growler bill….The size of the support may very well affect the size of our growlers.
