Remember when arguing over extending the hours of operation for Montana breweries was the biggest issue facing the industry? Today Governor Bullock issued a Directive closing all taprooms, bars and restaurants throughout the state effective 8:00 p.m. tonight, Friday, March 20. The order remains in effect until 11:59 p.m. on March 27, though also notes…
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…
Governor Steve Bullock paid a visit to Missoula’s Bayern Brewing Co. Monday afternoon for a ceremonial signing of House Bill 541. Approved by the 2017 Montana Legislature, the bill raises the production cap on Montana breweries who wish to sell beer for on-premise consumption from 10,000 bbls to 60,000 bbls of annual production. Governor Bullock…
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…
When it finally came to a vote Tuesday morning, the Senate Business, Labor, and Economic Affairs Committee wasted no time gutting the purpose of HB 541 with three amendments. Those amendments could have a disastrous effect on Missoula’s Kettlehouse Brewing Co. With HB 541, Montana’s brewers sought to raise production limits from 10,000 bbl to…
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…
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…