[Phil_M]

http://www.bizjournals.com/baltimore/news/2017/03/07/marylandbrewers-association-guinness-come-together.html

Nice to see the big brewers don't always stomp on craft beer's toes.

[smkranz]

Well, the originally-filed bill would have applied only to the proposed new Guinness brewery, which suggests that they chose not to ask the local breweries how that would fly.  No one in the Brewers Association of Maryland objects to them coming in, they just want a level playing field.  So Guinness learned quickly that playing nice with the locals would get them farther than going it alone, particularly with opposition from retailers and distributors.

[Phil_M]

Well, the originally-filed bill would have applied only to the proposed new Guinness brewery, which suggests that they chose not to ask the local breweries how that would fly.  No one in the Brewers Association of Maryland objects to them coming in, they just want a level playing field.  So Guinness learned quickly that playing nice with the locals would get them farther than going it alone, particularly with opposition from retailers and distributors.

True, initially they kinda pissed everyone off. But why not celebrate macrobeer deciding that was the wrong approach?

And I can't speak for the rest of my state, but around here we have a real problem with distributors. Went to one of the local "go-to" places for craft beer, and as normal just about everything was several months past the drink by date. We need something to shake up the industry, because what we have now doesn't work.

[WattsOnTap]

And I can't speak for the rest of my state, but around here we have a real problem with distributors. Went to one of the local "go-to" places for craft beer, and as normal just about everything was several months past the drink by date. We need something to shake up the industry, because what we have now doesn't work.

Phil - only place I've found that doesn't suffer that problem is Perfect Pour in Columbia.  Might be a bit of a hike for you.  Total Wine is decent, but overpopulated with AB-InBev.

Glad Guinness chose to work with their new neighbors.  Definitely looking forward to the taproom opening!

[Phil_M]

Yeah that's an almost 2 hour drive for me. Honestly it's possible it's not their fault, and that the distributors and retailers are just buying too much beer.

I hate to say this, but I've mostly stopped buying craft beer. I'll pick up some European beers now and then, but most of my money goes to Yuengling. I'm hoping Guinness coming to town means that the extra stout (possibly my favorite beer) becomes easy to find fresh.

[smkranz]

Reports have said that the new brewery will produce Blonde American Lager and experimental beers.  Apparently not Guinness Stout, which is also one of my favorites.  Tsk...

[StevieBrewie]

Reports have said that the new brewery will produce Blonde American Lager and experimental beers.  Apparently not Guinness Stout, which is also one of my favorites.  Tsk...

Don't worry - maybe something good will come up from experimenting with new beers you can still buy stout in the stores, cant you ?

[Phil_M]

Well this has gone from bad to worse in a hurry.

http://naptownpint.com/2017/03/house-bill-1283-will-be-devastating-for-maryland-brewers-and-the-senate-needs-to-fix-it/

Basically, of the three bills that were proposed, they went with one that still allows Guinness to come to town, but curtails craft brewing. (This is a completely different bill from the one discussed in my original link.) I realize politics are frowned upon on this board, but if you live in MD please contact you state senator and ask them to amend HB 1283.

[WattsOnTap]

Well this has gone from bad to worse in a hurry.

http://naptownpint.com/2017/03/house-bill-1283-will-be-devastating-for-maryland-brewers-and-the-senate-needs-to-fix-it/

Basically, of the three bills that were proposed, they went with one that still allows Guinness to come to town, but curtails craft brewing. (This is a completely different bill from the one discussed in my original link.) I realize politics are frowned upon on this board, but if you live in MD please contact you state senator and ask them to amend HB 1283.

+1, and done.

I couldn't believe the ridiculous hour restrictions when I saw the notice from BAM.

[Phil_M]

Well this has gone from bad to worse in a hurry.

http://naptownpint.com/2017/03/house-bill-1283-will-be-devastating-for-maryland-brewers-and-the-senate-needs-to-fix-it/

Basically, of the three bills that were proposed, they went with one that still allows Guinness to come to town, but curtails craft brewing. (This is a completely different bill from the one discussed in my original link.) I realize politics are frowned upon on this board, but if you live in MD please contact you state senator and ask them to amend HB 1283.

+1, and done.

I couldn't believe the ridiculous hour restrictions when I saw the notice from BAM.

And no collaborations allowed. That's just plain asinine.

[smkranz]

The House vote was unanimous.  Delegates voted for something they were told was supported by breweries, which was false.  I believe that many of them voted for this thinking they doing something good.  But it seems that they had to pass the bill so they could know what was in it. 

The most disgusting part of the bill as passed is the part that forces breweries which reach the 2,000 barrel sales threshold, to sell the rest of their 3,000 barrel allotment to a wholesaler from whom they have to buy it back in order to sell it to customers in their own tasting room!  This is also evidence that wholesalers and retailers have a much better lobby, and pay more grease money, than brewers.

Our club has raised this to our state senator who has promised that he will review the bill before voting on it, which is unlike his House counterparts.

[hackrsackr]

Not only buy it back from the wholesaler, but at the wholesalers markup price. So the brewery would sell it to the distributor at $x, and have to buy it back at $x + premium. So, not only are distributors getting subsidized with free money from brewers, but then the brewers will have to pass the markup onto the customers for beer that has been schlepped back and forth between brewery and distributor twice.

I liked the part where the house passed it because they were told brewers endorsed it as a compromise. Makes me wonder if they even read the bill, or just blindly passed it on anecdotal evidence from whomever.

Another aspect of this change is the comparative effect it has on the other classes of licenses. The class 8 farm brewery license only allows 2,000 barrels sold on-premise through the tap room, and they have to grow an ingredient and use it, deal with even more oppressive operational hour restrictions (have to stop selling pints at 6pm), maintain a moderately sized farm, and are capped at a 15,000 bbl total limit.

Just goes to show what open for business really means: subsidies for big business, and sore buttholes for small business.



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[Phil_M]

Hey in my county there aren't any breweries for a reason: Calvert has a friendlier environment for breweries than we do.

The way our liquor board has it rigged, anyone making wine, cider, or mead with at least some of their own grown ingredients can sell their product at the farmer's market without a license. (last time I looked.)

That's all well and good, but they forgot beer in that, and I doubt it was an accident. If I wasn't so busy with work/school I'd try and get more involved in the local liquor laws/board.