Good News for Montana Brews

[Ozwald]

Representatives from the three tiers of Montana's alcohol distribution system have finally reached a compromise in a battle that's been going on for 15 years & was an especially heated topic in the 2013 legislative session.

A little backstory: As it stands a business can only hold one type of license - a bar can't brew, a brewery can't sell liquor or beer brewed off premise. Additionally brewers, since 1999, can only operate an on-premise taproom that can be open from noon until no later than 8pm & serve no more than 48oz (3 pints) to a given customer. Before 1999, they were only allowed to sell to distributors & give out small free samples. This made brewpubs & the sort illegal by definition. Additionally when the MBA (Montana Brewer's Assn) tried to get the laws changed, the MTA (Montana Tavern Owners Assn) who is in bed with our crooked distributors, fought back. The MBA tried just extending the taproom hours to be open until 10pm, a mere 2 hours. The MTA responded by pulling Montana made beer off their taps. It's been going on like this for a while.

This past Monday 16 representatives from the MTA, MBA, brewers not represented by the MBA, the Distributors Assn, the Gaming Industry Assn (many bars have video poker/keno here) and the Restaurant Assn reached a compromise & agreed on framework that would allow brewers to hold a liquor license (by default extending their hours & removing the 48oz pouring limit) as well as allowing bars/restaurants to hold a brewing license. The group is scheduled to reconvene in August to hash out details & start assembling a bill for the 2015 Legislature (there is no Legislative session this year).

Liquor licenses are still relatively difficult & expensive to get, but at least the groups have dropped their feud & opened the door for this to happen. A bar that wants to brew less than 20,000 bbl/year can apply for the much cheaper & easy to get brewery licenses. The brewery licenses are $600 to purchase & $200 to renew. The most recent liquor license that sold in our county went for $135,000.

[BDawg]

That's great news.

I think it really, really sucks when the government picks sides in commercial operations.

[adamK]

That is a good lifting of a foot before making the first step. Let's hope there is enough momentum to follow through in 2015!

[Ozwald]

That is a good lifting of a foot before making the first step. Let's hope their is enough momentum to follow through in 2015!

I'd say just getting those douchebags at the MTA to put on their big boy pants was a step all by itself. As long as they stay not fighting, I'd bet it'll get through the legislature pretty easy.

[adamK]

I have so little respect and trust for the MTA, I have this feeling in the back of my head that this is somehow a ploy for them to grab something else...

[Ozwald]

I have so little respect and trust for the MTA, I have this feeling in the back of my head that this is somehow a ploy for them to grab something else...

They get the right to have a brewery license. Because small scale brewing equipment is so cheap & how hard could it be? Fuck the MBA, we'll make all our own beer & corner the market!

The saddest part, for me, about the MTA... I haven't had the shark & chips from the Pour House in years. So delicious, but the owner of that place is or used to be one of the main people in the MTA. Even after they started pouring Montana beer again, he'll never get another cent out of my pocket. He owns that place just down from Storm Castle too, but I never had any reason or desire to go there.