Bill Introduced to Extend Brewery Taproom Hours

Montanans love their brewery taprooms and with 85 of them now dotting the state, they’ve become ubiquitous, unpretentious community centers where all walks of life gather to unwind in a celebration of small business, daily life, and tasty beverages. One thing Montanans have not loved about their brewery taprooms is the limitations imposed by the…

Compromise in Hand, Senate Approves HB 541

HB 541 may soon be headed for the Governor’s signature after the Montana Brewers Association, Montana Tavern Association, and Montana Beer and Wine Distributors Association agreed to a compromise Thursday morning. As proposed, HB 541 was intended to raise beer production limits from 10,000 bbl to 60,000 bbl to allow for on-premise sales of beer…

Senate Committee Approves HB 541; Guts it With Amendments

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…

Montana Beer Legislation Update for Saturday, February 25

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…

Montana Beer Legislation Update for Wednesday, February 22

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…