Here we go again.... :-\
(http://photos.metrojacksonville.com/Other/Green-Lion-Festival-2013/i-SPXC3Qj/0/L/P1660841-L.jpg)
QuoteTALLAHASSEE — Florida liquor stores and beer distributors are teaming up to challenge the way the state is issuing licenses that let craft breweries sell their products in tasting rooms.
The Florida Retail Federation is suing the Department of Business and Professional Regulation and is being joined by the associations that represent Anheuser-Busch and MillerCoors distributors. Separately the Florida Independent Spirits Association filed a challenge with the agency.
The groups say they are only trying to clarify rules regarding licenses to sell beer at breweries, but brewers see the action as an attempt to stifle the industry's growth.
The retailers and distributors are asking the state to stop issuing new licenses to breweries allowing on-site sales.
Full article: http://www.orlandosentinel.com/business/os-ap-florida-craftbeer-20150112-story.html
From Twitter:
QuoteIntuition Ale Works @IntuitionAle
This will be an issue for our Downtown location if the state stops issuing taproom permits during the suit #frustrating #floridabeerwars
Maybe Busch should just come to term with the fact that they make shitty beer!!!
Craft brewers don't have the money to win this fight. It's sad.
http://jacksonville.com/breaking-news/2015-01-12/story/abc-liquor-stores-b-and-millercoors-beer-distributors-challenge-craft
(http://jacksonville.com/breaking-news/2015-01-12/story/abc-liquor-stores-b-and-millercoors-beer-distributors-challenge-craft)
QuoteEric Criss, president of the Beer Industry of Florida, which represents MillerCoors distributors, said he supports the idea of tasting- room sales for breweries, but the licensing process needs significant clarification.
"It is our belief that such clarification will benefit brewers, retailers and distributors," he said.
Especially the really big ones. Who cares about benefiting the consumers, right?
Good to know that my money's not welcome at ABC stores.
Always wary of vague words like "clarifications". What exactly do they want to clarify?
"Who cares about benefiting the consumers, right?"
Our elected representatives care about consumers who vote reliably. In other words, they care about re-election.
Quote from: Bridges on January 13, 2015, 09:47:36 AM
Always wary of vague words like "clarifications". What exactly do they want to clarify?
If the legislature needs to allow tap room and growler sales at any brewery of any size in order to make this suit moot, they should do that
I'm sure someone will correct me, and I'm probably wrong, but isn't the way around this by NOT selling beer in the taproom?
Before you explode at that last statement...
If memory serves correct, (it's been quite a few years since) the last time that I was in Atlanta, I stopped by Sweetwater Brewery. I went to buy a pint and was told that they're not allowed to sell beer there, but if I go to the girl at the table and buy some raffle tickets, that I could exchange them for pints if I chose. Lo and behold, I bought $20 worth of tickets and was free to exchange them for pints...
This was a weeknight around 6pm, so I don't know the exact reason that they couldn't sell directly, but obviously they weren't letting some little requirement prevent them from getting as many pints served as possible.
^That's Sweetwater's way around Georgia's silly brewery laws, which are even worse than Florida's. In all cases, they're just a ridiculous way for vested interests to use the government to hurt competitors offering better products.
Quote from: Tacachale on January 13, 2015, 11:26:32 AM
^That's Sweetwater's way around Georgia's silly brewery laws, which are even worse than Florida's.
Well as assinine as it may seem, wouldn't something similar be an easy way to massage the rules while waiting on all the litigation to finish up?
I don't know the feasibility or legality of it, but if it works there, why wouldn't something work here if needed?
Quote from: Non-RedNeck Westsider on January 13, 2015, 12:06:30 PM
Quote from: Tacachale on January 13, 2015, 11:26:32 AM
^That's Sweetwater's way around Georgia's silly brewery laws, which are even worse than Florida's.
Well as assinine as it may seem, wouldn't something similar be an easy way to massage the rules while waiting on all the litigation to finish up?
I don't know the feasibility or legality of it, but if it works there, why wouldn't something work here if needed?
If I was the owner of Intuition, for example, I'm not sure I would be thrilled about the prospect of spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on my new location if I knew that the business model would, in part rely on a flimsy loophole that could be closed at the request of some well-connected beer distributors. The lawmakers need to get this right so businesses can move forward.
The resolution to this issue is a legislative fix that enables craft breweries to sell their beers out of the taproom for consumption off premises. I have little doubt that such a legislative fix will be proffered. We need to pay close attention as to which legislators support it.
Quote from: jcjohnpaint on January 13, 2015, 08:55:19 AM
Maybe Busch should just come to term with the fact that they make shitty beer!!!
They have. Why else would they want to restrict craft beer?
The problem is they might define anybody making more thann 100 bottle NOT a craft brewer, then you must go through a distributor. Follow the money. This is not to help the craft brewers. I always thought it was pretty lame to define legal and illegal container sizes. 22oz bottles were illegal not too long ago. Also, the bottles sent to Florida had to have FL on the caps. Always something more restrictive. It was illegal to ship bottles of wine to Florida.
They need some politicians that love Craft Brews to fight this.
Florida should just abandon the 3 tier alcohol system most states adopted after prohibition. That's brewing, distribution and retail must be done by different companies. Brewers can't distribute or sell.
They have set up a indiegogo legal fund to raise money for the fight. They estimate it will take $100,000.
http://igg.me/p/save-florida-s-craft-breweries/x/9619168 (http://igg.me/p/save-florida-s-craft-breweries/x/9619168)