The Senate Business, Labor and Economic Affairs Committee finally took action on HB541 Tuesday morning. The proposal to raise beer production limits on Montana brewers has been one of the more politically charged bills in recent weeks. Approved overwhelmingly by the House of Representatives, HB 541 would raise the current 10,000 bbl production limit to…
HB 541 is a simple bill. It would raise the production limits to allow Montana’s breweries that produce up to 60,000 bbl/year to sell beer in an on-premise taproom. The cutoff is currently 10,000 bbl. The net effect? Big Sky Brewing Co., Montana’s largest and most recognized, could finally sell beer for consumption in its…
For the second year in a row, Missoula’s The Dram Shop, has been named Montana’s best beer bar in voting conducted by readers of the Brewers Association’s website, CraftBeer.com. It is an impressive feat for an establishment that hasn’t been open a full two years. But step inside the warm, friendly, popular haven of frequently…
Founders Brewing Co., the Grand Rapids, MI, brewer of KBS barrel-aged stout, All Day IPA, Backwoods Bastard barrel-aged scotch ale, and many other well-regarded beers, announced today it will begin distribution to Montana on April 1 (no fooling). Founders’ Co-Founder and CEO Mike Stevens enjoys an annual trout-fishing trip to Montana. “Having been a two-bit…
If you missed the big news yesterday, the House Business and Labor Committee approved HB 541 on a 15-4 vote. The bill would increase the beer production limits on taprooms from 10,000 bbl to 60,000 bbl, an important change for the Montana brewing industry. The bill is scheduled for its first vote before the full…
Presenting a united front that was missing in 2015, brewers from across Montana poured into the House Business and Labor Committee Thursday morning to support HB 541, a bill to raise production caps on Montana breweries. Those efforts were rewarded Friday when the Committee passed the bill on a 15-4 vote with no discussion. The…
There is a big hearing tomorrow at 8:00 a.m. in the House Business and Labor Committee at the State Capitol building in Helena. Big for beer, anyway. HB 541 would raise the 10k bbl production limit for taprooms to 60k bbl. Presently, Montana breweries can only sell beer for on-premise consumption if their annual production…
Should Montana’s colleges and universities be allowed to build a brewery and operate a taproom? That was the question presented to the House Business and Labor Committee at a hearing Tuesday morning. HB 462, sponsored by Rep. Frank Garner (R), Kalispell, would allow Montana’s colleges and universities to hold a license to operate a brewery…
The 2017 Montana Legislative session has reached the point where people begin to get antsy. The transmittal date, the date by which most bills must be approved in order to send them to the other chamber, looms. It is not so close for full panic mode, but close enough that the process kicks into a…
Missoula’s Draught Works Brewery has begun its long-awaited expansion in to the space next door to its current location at 915 Toole Avenue. The expansion project will allow the brewery to more than double its current production capacity as well as add a canning line. The space was most recently used as a climbing facility,…