It would completely bypass Minnesota’s regulatory system and taxes, giving an advantage to out-of-state breweries and possibly putting beer in the hands of people under 21, said Brandt Erwin, an attorney representing the association. The Minnesota Beer Wholesalers Association, meanwhile, is opposing the proposal to let people ship beer from craft breweries in other states into Minnesota. “This is a significant departure from current law,” he said. Allowing brewpubs to open in the airport is far different from just the 12 days of the State Fair, Joe Bagnoli, a lobbyist representing the group, said in committee last week. The Minnesota Licensed Beverage Association (MLBA), which has long been the main opponent to the Sunday liquor sales bill, is also opposing several other changes to the state’s liquor laws. Two years later, distilleries were allowed to offer visitors half-ounce samples of their products, and by 2014, distilleries were allowed open craft cocktail rooms.Īnd yet, there remains plenty of opposition to many of the proposed changes in Minnesota, both from legislators and outside groups. Since then, more than 100 taprooms have opened in every corner of the state.Ī lesser-known change in the bill also lowered the fee to start a distillery in Minnesota from $30,000 to just more than $1,000. In 2011, lawmakers passed the so-called “Surly bill,” which spurred a taproom boom by allowing breweries to sell pints of their own product onsite. Steady change, diligent oppositionĬhanges to the state’s alcohol regulations have been slow and steady over the last decade. All of these proposals, including Sunday liquor sales, have the chance to be wrapped into a larger, omnibus liquor bill. Sarah Anderson, R-Plymouth, would allow Minnesotans to ship a bottle of beer from a craft brewery from another state, much like they can ship wine from an out of state winery. Joe Hoppe, R-Chaska, would allow brewpubs to have a presence in the Minneapolis-St. Lawmakers are proposing other, smaller tweaks to state law that would make the craft beer culture more pervasive in Minnesota. jugs of beer - directly from the location every day of the week.īut even breweries are bumping up against state regulations. The idea is to level the playing field with breweries, which can be open on Sundays and sell growlers - 64 oz.
“The bill basically opens everything up for us,” Montana said. They could also sell larger bottles under the new law.
Under current law, distilleries are limited to selling a single, 375-milliliter bottle (which is about half the size of bottles typically found in a liquor store) per person per day.
If the distillery bill passes, not only would it allow craft cocktail rooms to be open on Sundays, but it would allow them to sell bottles of their product, as long as the area’s local governmental body approves. From allowing brewpubs at the airport and permitting craft beer shipments into the state to letting breweries in Minnesota sell nearly unlimited growlers, dozens of bills introduced this session are hoping to make Minnesota much friendlier to its booming booze industry. When it comes to liquor laws in Minnesota, that’s just the tip of the artisanal ice cube.Įven as the state Legislature moves toward allowing Sunday sales, advocates of loosening up some of Minnesota’s other longstanding alcohol regulations are gearing up for a broader push. We are asking the state to help us foster this growing industry.” And now they are starting to know that Minnesota spirits are available. “They know that Minnesota wine is available, and they know that Minnesota beer is available, and that obviously exploded. “Customers are getting more savvy,” Montana said. It also operates a craft cocktail room, and Montana wants legislators to allow the cocktail room to be open on Sundays, when they could also sell bottles of their product, as breweries now can. Du Nord Craft Spirits produces small batches of artisan gin, vodka, and whiskeys.
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