HJ 18 Alcohol Study Bill Passed / HB 616 Delayed by Committee

The Montana House Business and Labor Committee approved HJ 18 this morning by unanimous vote during executive action on the bill.  HJ 18, a proposal originating from the Montana Brewers Association, would create an interim study committee to conduct a thorough examination of Montana’s alcohol laws.  The study’s purpose would be to “identify recommendations to…

Competing Craft Beer Bills Get Hearing At Montana Legislature

Two very different ideas were presented to the Montana House Business and Labor Committee this morning in a lengthy, civil hearing that drew tavern owners, brewers, barley growers, consumers and other industry members from around the state. The hearing on HB 616, the so-called “brewery killing bill,” sponsored by Rep. Roger Hagen, started out with…

And Then There Was One: Mississippi Legalizes Homebrewing

Thanks to a grass roots efforts from savvy beer lovers, a lot of hard work, and a sympathetic Governor, Mississippi joined 48 other states in legalizing homebrewing with the stroke of the Governor’s pen on March 19.  Alabama remains the lone holdout. In Montana we’ve long taken homebrewing for granted.  It’s one of the few…

Montana Craft Beer At A Crossroads: Which Path Do We Take?

Consider this, if you will:  “Once considered nuisances, sources of noxious emissions and debasers of public morals, breweries now are being actively courted. Last May, Virginia Gov. Robert F. McDonnell (R) signed into law a measure that allows breweries to retail beer by the pint or growler in their tasting rooms instead of merely giving…

First Look at Flathead Lake Brewing Co.’s New Facility

Mid summer.  That’s the target date for Flathead Lake Brewing Company’s move to an expansive new facility in Bigfork, MT.  Construction is underway and tanks are being custom made by W.M. Sprinkman Corp. in Wisconsin.  If all goes according to plan, beer should be flowing from the facility this fall. The new facility will have…