True beer and wine bottle shops will be allowed in Montana for the first time if House Bill 204 finds favor with the 63rd Montana Legislature. The bill, sponsored by Representative Christy Clark, would create a new license category for retail sales and also permit limited tasting events for such shops. Presently, only “bona fide”…
Look out. The 63rd Session of the Montana Legislature convenes Monday, January 7, 2013. What it holds for the future of Montana is anyone’s guess. The Montana Legislature meets every other year and only for 90 days. While the short, biennial sessions helps maintain a “citizen legislature,” it also guarantees a whirlwind of frenzied action…
In the “how do your beer laws stack up department” comes news from Arizona about a growler fill law which took effect in early August. You’ll recall the 2011 Montana legislature passed a bill clarifying that any establishment with an on-premise consumption license can fill growlers for off-premise consumption. It was considered a “clarification” because…
Did that headline make you do a double take? Did it pique your interest? Why? Because you’ve never seen that word used here before? Because it’s edgy? Designed to grab your attention? Pushes the envelope? Intentionally provocative? In one form or another, those questions are at the core of a fight between Flying Dog Brewery…
Continuing with our examination of Montana’s beer laws,* today we take a look at § 16-1-106, MCA, the definition of “beer.” Why? Because an important change to this definition took effect in October 2009** after the Legislature approved an increase in the legal percentage of alcohol. The legislation introduced to make that change was known…
You probably don’t think about it much when enjoying the hops in your favorite IPA or the roasted malts of a robust stout, but there’s a lot of intellectual property* in beer. It’s the curse nature of my day job that often leads me to such thoughts even when I should be blissfully kicking back…
A beer blogger, an industry rep and a U.S. Senator walk into a brewery. Stop me if you’ve heard this one . . . . Such was the scene last Wednesday evening at Draught Works Brewery, Missoula’s newest brewery and one of it’s hottest social spots. Rather than being a joke, however, it was the…
Today, Growler Fills welcomes guest writer Eric Cioe* for his take on the 10,000 barrel limitation recently highlighted by Kettlehouse Brewing Co.’s decision to pull out of three Montana markets. BY ERIC CIOE – Kettlehouse Brewing has unfortunately been forced to make a tough decision: either pull out of some of their markets, or shut…
Montana, we have a problem. Back in January we highlighted an issue mentioned in a Missoulian article that featured a recent expansion at Kettlehouse Brewing Company’s northside location. Local brewery expansions are always worth celebrating, but this one came with a troubling quirk. Montana law allows breweries to sell pints for on-premise consumption within a…
This morning’s Missoulian newspaper has a story about Kettlehouse Brewing Co.’s expansion, but also contains a couple of nuggets detailing the problems with Montana’s brewery laws. On Monday, Kettlehouse swapped out two 40 barrel fermentation and bright tanks for two 90 barrel ones to increase capacity. With the switch, Kettlehouse now has the capacity to…