The American Craft Beer Rumor Mill – March 18, 2015

American Craft Beer|March 18th, 2015|

It’s been a tumultuous start to the year for the craft beer biz and it doesn’t appear that things are going to slowing down any time soon. But no worries – Rumor Mill is on the case, keeping you plugged in to all the craft beer news that matters. Plus we’ve an all-important update on what we’ve been drinking lately and you absolutely don’t want to miss that.

What, She Doesn’t Want To Be Re-elected? (Austin, TX) – The Dallas Morning News is reporting that Houston legislator, Senfronia Thompson filed a bill aimed at limiting direct distribution from state breweries. Texas law now allows small breweries to sell an already low 40,000 barrels directly. But Democrat Thompson, who clearly has no problem doing the bidding of Big Beer, seeks to limit those sales to a meaningless 5,000 barrels. Is this woman completely clueless? In the words of the famed truth-teller Forrest Gump, “Stupid is What Stupid Does.”

Cascade Brewing Expands Its Sour Operations (Portland, OR) – Cascade Brewing will be moving their uber-successful Sours program to a warehouse property it currently owns in Beaverton, Oregon. OregonLive is reporting that “1,200 barrels fill the center of the warehouse and other areas with room to spare,” and that they are planning to house as many as 2,000 barrels there in the future.

Never On Sunday? (Minnesota) – In yet another reminder, that archaic liquor regulations still exist, Minnesota lawmakers and business owners staged an act of civil disobedience last Sunday – an organized beer run to purchase beer in neighboring Wisconsin. Proponents of the current posit the dubious argument that it “helps small businesses by limiting the amount of hours stores need to be open and staffed. “The law is supported by Teamsters who say lifting the ban would reopen labor contracts,” according to a report that surfaced in MPRnews. Minnesota is one of a dozen states that prohibit Sunday liquor sales.

One in Ten a Crafted (Everywhere, USA) – Roughly one in 10 beers sold in the U.S. are from American craft brewers, according to a new report that the Brewers Association released on Monday. Last year, craft brewers produced 22.2 million barrels of beer, an amazing 18 percent increase in craft beer volume.

What We’ve Been Drinking Lately (Washington, DC) – We’d like to thank all of the breweries who ship us beer from time to time. It’s always great to sample the brews that we write about and helps to give us have a better feel for what’s happening out there. Last night we hit up a very special limited edition release that we just received from Heavy Seas Beer. Part of their popular Uncharted Waters Series, Heavy Seas 2015 Phantom Ship is a 10% ABV Bourbon Barrel-aged Belgian Tripel that’s rich, well-toned and worthy.