Categorized under: beer laws

Medley of Beer Law articles

Supermarket wine bill defeated

By Jessica FenderThe Denver Post

Hundreds of liquor-store owners flooded the Capitol on Wednesday and defeated a bill that would have expanded shoppers’ access to beer and wine and recast the fortunes of thousands of Colorado businesses.

The proposal to allow supermarkets, convenience stores and big-box retailers to sell wine and full-strength beer died on a 5-1 vote Wednesday evening after more than two hours of emotional testimony from small-business owners.

At least one lawmaker cautioned the liquor-store owners — who erupted into applause at the death of Senate Bill 149 — that booze in grocery stores is inevitable and they should start planning for the extra competition.

“I believe this concept is one whose time is coming,” said Sen. Betty Boyd, D-Lakewood. She wants to “give independent small businesses ways to think ahead.”

The defeat puts new pressure on groceries and convenience stores to kill another bill that would allow liquor stores to open on Sundays and compete with grocers for beer buyers. That proposal cleared its first hurdle Wednesday and heads to the Senate Finance Committee.

Consumers have signaled they want the convenience of buying a bottle of wine with their groceries, backers of the defeated bill said.

But their pleas were no match for passionate testimony from liquor-store owners such as Jeanne McEvoy of Loveland, who said a nearby grocery store would put her out of business with nearly $1 million in debt over her head.
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Convenience stores, which can only sell less-potent 3.2 percent alcohol beer. They fear that the bill allowing liquor stores to open and sell full-alcohol beer on Sundays would eat up their Sunday profits.

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Utah laws

Homemade craft brews could become legal

Published: Thursday, Feb. 21, 2008

Utah home-brewers will no longer have to operate “under the radar” with provisions proposed in HB425, presented Thursday before the House Government Operations standing committee.

The bill, sponsored by Rep. Christine Johnson, D-Salt Lake City, carves out an exemption in Utah law which currently requires any person who manufactures an alcoholic beverage to obtain a license to do so from the state, including a requisite $10,000 bond.

Johnson’s bill will allow the home manufacture of “fermented beverages” up to a limit of 100 gallons a year per person, with a 200 gallons a year limit, per household.

Johnson noted that home brewing has been recognized as a legal activity by the federal government since 1978 and over 40 states have legislation sanctioning the practice.

Mark Alston, owner of the Salt Lake City home brewing store, The Beer Nut, testified on behalf of HB425.

“People who are doing it are an amazing cross-section of Utah culture,” Alston said.

Alston also noted that home brewed beer is not a “binge drinking product” since brewers devote too much time, energy and care to brewing a batch, which is typically about five gallons.

HB425 was passed out favorably by the committee and now moves to the House for further action.

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Aspen Brewing Co. Battling the 1 Pint law which effects their tasting room

Reasons to repeal the one-pint rule
Brad Veltman
Aspen, CO Colorado
March 24, 2008

As one of the owners of the Aspen Brewing Co., I have spoken to locals and tourists alike regarding the brew­ery and how we plan to operate our business. Tonight, March 24, the Aspen City Council will address amendments to the municipal code regarding Ser­vice/ Commercial/Industrial zoning and hopefully reconsider the one-pint limitation that the Community Devel­opment Department has imposed. I would like to clear up a few miscon­ceptions that affect the way people per­ceive our business. There are four fre­quently asked questions:

1) If I can walk in to the brewery, sit down and drink beer, why is the brewery not a bar?
2) If most of the production is being sold in kegs to vendors, bars and restaurants, why is the brewery worried about being able to sell more than one pint to the public?
3) Why no liquor license?
4) Will Aspen Brewing be a brewpub?

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