The American Craft Beer Quick Hits – June 15, 2015

American Craft Beer|June 15th, 2015|

We blame the industry for this… It used to be that when we wrapped up our Weekend Picks on Friday, we could coast through the weekend. There was little need to check in for updates – things were pretty much done. But clearly all that’s changed.

So here’s some of what’s happened in the world of craft beer while you were off enjoying yourselves.

A Semi-Victory For Georgia Craft Brewers (Atlanta, GA) – In a shocking departure from form Georgia Legislators have actually done a good thing, not the ideal thing, but a good thing none the less. Starting July 1^st breweries will finally be able to sell beer to customers touring their compounds. Fortune describes this contorted kabuki dance this way. “Technically, they’ll sell tours of the brewery – and patrons can then enjoy up to 36 ounces of free beer onsite or take home up to 72 oz. as a souvenir”. Hey we get it….this law is far from perfect…but it’s a start.

New Belgium Not Welcome In This Town (Craig, Colorado) – Just because you’re always winning awards for your ecologically and socially responsible positions, doesn’t mean your beers are welcome in Craig, Colorado. Colorado Peak Politics is reporting that New Belgium was shocked “that an entire town would boycott the brewer after the brewer funded the very organization that is suing to close down a mine in town that employs over 200 people.” Go figure…

West Virginia Opens Up Growler Sales (Charleston, WV) – A lot of start-up breweries in West Virginia aren’t in a position where they can begin bottling or canning their beers. They only ship their products in kegs and as a result, only available in bars until now. With the enactment of Senate Bill 273restaurants that carry craft beers can now sell them in sealed growlers. The Gazette-Mail is reporting that “the new law allows one customer to purchase up to four growlers at a time, for a total of 256 ounces of beer,”

Will Narragansett Become The New PBR? (Brooklyn, NY) – Pabst Blue Ribbon went through a rebirth of sorts when it became the “slacker beer of choice” in hip Brooklyn neighborhoods. Both cheap and inoffensive it was deemed an alternative to craft beer by a faux-boho community that’s also “cheap and inoffensive.” But now DNAinfo is reporting that PBR is losing market share to Rhode Island’s revitalized Narragansett which is also cheap, and less watered down – so there’s that.

Babies On Beer Fight Not Over (Concord, NH) – Last week we reported on babies on Beer labels fight up in New Hampshire. State Representative Keith Murphy, who also runs a popular tavern, sponsored the bill allowing for images of minors to grace beer labels because he wanted to be able to buy Founders Breakfast Stout. That Law passed only to be voted by Governor Maggie Hassan – but evidently this fight is far from over. Food and Wine is now reporting that last Thursday, “the legislation was brought before members of the New Hampshire House again, where it received the two-thirds vote it needed to override the governor’s veto. Now it goes to the state Senate, where a similar vote could officially bypass Gov. Hassan’s ax.”