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| Image credit: Texas Craft Brewers Guild. |
Ahead of the 86th legislative session, bipartisan bills (SB 312, HB 672) proposing the legalization of beer-to-go sales from Texas craft breweries have been introduced by State Senator Dawn Buckingham (R-Lakeway) and State Representative Eddie Rodriguez (D-Austin).
The Texas Craft Brewers Guild and its political action committee arm, CraftPAC, have strongly advocated for off-premise sales as a means of supporting small businesses, increasing consumer choice, and creating more quality manufacturing jobs for Texans.
Currently, Texas is the only state in America that doesn't allow beer-to-go sales. The move by Senator Buckingham and Representative Rodriguez looks to bring Texas into line with the rest of the nation by setting craft brewers on a more equal playing field with the state's other alcoholic beverage producers.
“HB 672 corrects a glaring disparity in the state’s alcohol laws and gives Texans the freedom to purchase beer-to-go when they visit a local brewery…just like they can when they visit a Texas winery, distillery, or brewpub,” says Rep. Rodriguez. “The fact is, 49 other states already allow consumers to purchase beer-to-go when they visit a local brewery…Texas should be a leader when it comes to supporting small businesses, not the last horse to cross the finish line.”
Current law states that Texas manufacturing brewers who produce less than 225,000 barrels of beer annually can sell up to 5,000 barrels of that beer to tasting room visitors for on-premises consumption. The proposed bills would amend the current law to allow for on-premises “or for off-premises consumption” of these products. This change would not impact the overall quantity of beer brewers can sell from their tasting rooms, but would give patrons more freedom to enjoy that beer either in the tasting room setting or back at their homes.
"As a promoter of a fiscally responsibly limited government, I believe Texas craft brewers should have the right to sell beer and ale to consumers for off-premise consumption — a privilege the state already provides to wineries, distilleries and brewpubs in Texas,” says Sen. Buckingham. "Senate District 24 is home to many craft breweries, and with Texas being the only state in the country that does not permit off-premise sales at production breweries, I have filed SB 312 to encourage further economic development in my Senate District and to eliminate this unnecessary government overreach."
Click here to support the efforts of the Texas Craft Brewers Guild and CraftPAC by making a contribution or signing the Beer-to-go Sales Petition.
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