Minnesota lawmakers consider loosening state’s liquor laws

ST. PAUL, Minn. — Minnesota lawmakers are contemplating a lifting a cap on growler gross sales, a excessive precedence for the state’s craft brewers, and letting native distilleries promote normal-sized bottles of their spirits direct to drinkers.

The invoice slated for debate within the Home on Wednesday would additional chip away at a system that lengthy required most beer, wine and spirit gross sales in Minnesota to go from producers to wholesalers to retailers, with little room for direct gross sales to customers. That system began eroding in 2011 when the state first allowed brewers to function taprooms; extra cracks developed in 2017 when the state allowed Sunday liquor retailer gross sales.

The invoice was written to learn the state’s 5 largest breweries: Summit in St. Paul, August Schell in New Ulm, Surly and Fulton in Minneapolis, and Fortress Hazard in Two Harbors. They’ve grown in reputation amid the craft beer growth to the purpose that they’ll not promote growlers — half-gallon jugs to go — from their taprooms.

That is as a result of the state legislation that allowed growlers within the first place limits the privilege to breweries that produce underneath 20,000 barrels a yr. The proposal would increase that cap to 150,000 barrels, permitting room for all of them. It will additionally let sure small brewers promote cans to go.

“This invoice has been long-sought and is far wanted for the survival of craft beer on this state,” Robert Galligan, a lobbyist for the Minnesota Craft Brewers Guild, stated in a letter to lawmakers final month. “For too lengthy, the brewers of Minnesota have been restricted of their rights as American entrepreneurs, and though this invoice wouldn’t equal the taking part in subject with most each different state within the nation, it does convey us nearer.”

Round two dozen Minnesota distilleries would get to promote one normal 750 milliliter bottle to a buyer per day at their cocktail rooms, up from the present 375 milliliter restrict.

And wine lovers would get extra probabilities to purchase direct from their favourite vineyards out of state. It will permit wineries to ship as much as 12 circumstances of wine per yr to a person, up from the present two circumstances, if the producers get licensed and pay the relevant taxes.

However grocery store gross sales of wine, spirits and robust beer would stay restricted to retailers that function separate liquor shops. Minnesota would stay the final state limiting common grocery and comfort shops to low-alcohol 3.2 beer.

Although there’s solely every week and half left within the legislative session, looser liquor legal guidelines could stand an opportunity of passage within the Senate, the place the important thing committee chairman, Republican Sen. Gary Dahms, of Redwood Falls, has lengthy been reluctant to tamper with the state’s liquor legal guidelines with out the settlement of all competing stakeholders.

“These conversations are ongoing. … There is perhaps some alternative there to seek out some widespread floor,” Republican Senate Majority Chief Jeremy Miller, of Winona, instructed reporters Tuesday.