Help out our IL Beer Friends.
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SENATE REVENUE COMMITTEE ‘WATERS DOWN’ CRAFT BREWER BILL
Production caps are too low and brewpub provisions too cumbersome to be
helpful
The *Illinois Craft Brewers Guild (ICBG) stands in opposition to a recent
amendment* adopted on Wednesday by the Illinois Senate Revenue
committee to Senate
Bill 754<http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/BillStatus.asp?DocNum=754&GAID=11&DocTypeID=SB&LegId=55583&SessionID=84&GA=97>that
hurts the state’s small brewers. The amendment, which was supported
by
beer distributors, places small caps on craft brewers ability to self
distribute their beer, which was *previously unlimited* before a recent
Anheuser Busch lawsuit. The beer distributors’ organization, *Associated
Beer Distributors of Illinois is the second largest donor to state
legislative campaigns* according to a report last week by the Illinois
Campaign for Political
Reform<http://blog.ilcampaign.org/2011/04/ameren-and-others-giving-to-legislators.html>.
“”Instead of passing a consumer-friendly bill to support small businesses,
the distributors passed a distributor-friendly bill to protect their
interests. The craft beer industry is growing in response to consumer demand
and the right kind of legislation will respond to that – this bill ignores
that.” commented Josh Deth, owner of Revolution Brewing in Chicago.
The amended bill only provides for 7,500 barrels of self distribution for
craft brewers making less than 15,000 barrels a year. By comparison, Goose
Island who was just purchased by Anheuser Busch made 130,000 barrels of beer
last year, over 8 times the proposed definition of a craft brewer. ICBG
calls for a cap of 60,000 barrels of beer to allow for the state’s small
brewers to grow their businesses through self-distribution.
The amended bill also strips out valuable language allowing brewpubs to self
distribute a small amount of beer (up to 50,000 gallons). *The bill now
requires brewpubs to open a second facility in order to self distribute*,
which is not economically feasible. ”We just want to sell a small amount of
the beer we already make at our brewpubs to local establishments and promote
our locally made product” said Pete Crowley, Brewmaster at Haymarket Brewing
in Chicago’s West Loop. ”We can’t afford to build a whole new brewery to do
that and we shouldn’t have to.”
Following the Anheuser Busch vs. Illinois Liquor Control Commission
decision, the Illinois General Assembly faces at a court ordered deadline of
May 31st to revise the Illinois Liquor Control Act or brewers of all sizes
will lose their right to self distribute their beer. There are currently 40
small brewers in Illinois and approximately 5 new brewers opening each
year. *Nationally in an uncertain economy, growth of the craft brewing
industry in 2010 was 11% by volume* compared to growth in 2009 of 7.2% by
volume. Overall, U.S. beer sales were down an estimated 1.0% by volume in
2010.
If you want more beer choices in Illinois, please take these three steps
TODAY:
1. Call your State Senator (look up who represents you
here<http://www.elections.il.gov/districtlocator/districtofficialsearchbyaddress.aspx>
2. Ask them to oppose Senate Bill 754 as amended
3. Tell them you want more choices and better laws for craft brewers in
Illinois
Thank you!
Illinois Craft Brewers Guild
illinoisbeer.com