Stakeholders reach agreement on beer-to-go

Image credit: Texas Craft Brewers Guild.

A landmark agreement has been reached between the Texas Craft Brewers Guild (TCBG) and the Beer Alliance of Texas (BAT) on SB 312 and HB 672, the bipartisan beer-to-go bills currently filed in the Texas Legislature.

Soon-to-be-filed committee substitutes of both bills, authored by State Senator Dawn Buckingham (R-Lakeway) and State Representative Eddie Rodriguez (D-Austin), would give craft brewers rights they have sought during legislative sessions dating back to 2007. If passed, the resolutions will allow patrons to purchase up to 576 ounces (two cases) of beer per calendar day from a craft brewery tasting room for take-home consumption. This would impact over 30 production breweries currently operating in North Texas.

“I am proud to be part of a win-win agreement for every level of the three-tier system,” says Sen. Buckingham. “This is a big step forward for small Texas breweries and the consumers who enjoy their products. I am grateful to both the Beer Alliance of Texas and the Texas Craft Brewers Guild for their willingness to reach a fair agreement for both sides of this important issue.”

Brewer-wholesaler unity on the bill is bolstered by support from both sides of the aisle. At their 2018 conventions, both Texas Republicans and Democrats included support for Beer-To-Go in their respective party platforms.

"Allowing ‘beer-to-go’ sales is a common-sense issue that both Republicans and Democrats agree on because it’s good for small business and has come to be expected by consumers,” says Rep. Rodriguez. “Texans are incredibly excited about ‘beer-to-go’ as the public support for HB 672/SB 312 has shown, and I am glad that the Texas Craft Brewers Guild and the Beer Alliance of Texas have come to the table.”

Seeking to foster regulatory stability for the industry, the TCBG and the BAT have also agreed to refrain from lobbying to raise or lower allowable Texas malt beverage barrelage caps for a period of 12 years.

“The Beer Alliance of Texas has always worked to ensure a strong malt beverage market in Texas,” says Rick Donley, president of the BAT. “We have committed to working with our friends in the craft-manufacturing segment on sensible regulations that provide for a stable and predictable three tier market in Texas that continues to be recognized as the gold standard for regulatory structures across the country.”

In a press release announcing the news, the TCBG and BAT applauded Sen. Buckingham and Rep. Rodriguez’s commitment to setting craft brewers on a more equal playing field with Texas wineries, distilleries, and brewpubs which are all permitted to engage in to-go sales as a brand-building, tourism-boosting opportunity.

"The Texas Craft Brewers Guild is proud to promote a sensible alcohol regulatory framework that encourages competition, consumer choice and access to market for brewers in our great state,” says Josh Hare, board chair for the TCBG. “We are excited to be working with the Beer Alliance of Texas to promote common sense regulations that ensure the beer industry in Texas will continue to thrive. We look forward to the opportunity to provide consumers with greater access to Texas made beer while ensuring a predictable and effective three-tier system.”