HB1283

Maryland House Bill 1283 was passed, increasing the amount of beer sold in tasting rooms from 500 barrels per year to 2000. A provision allows a brewery to request to increase the amount up to 3000 barrels, but the additional 1000 barrels have to be sold to the distributor, then bought back. In return for increasing the barrel limit, any new brewery must restrict their hours, closing before 9:00 PM on Sunday through Thursday and 10:00 PM  on Friday and Saturday. Finally, beer served at the brewery must be brewed and fermented at the brewery. 

Maryland Senate President, Mike Miller, when talking about  HB1283 on the Kojo Nnamdi Show Podcast – The Politics Hour (April 14th) said:

“98% of the brewers, 98% of the wholesalers, 98% of the distributors love this bill. It was a great bill. It was a consensus bill. Plus it brought whole new industry to Baltimore County. It brought Guinness – Guinness Light, Guinness Stout – to Diageo for tasting rooms and tourism. Everybody loves this bill except Peter Franchot because he felt shut out; like I said, he’s like a voice wailing in the wilderness.”

In response to this legislation, Peter Franchot, the Maryland Comptroller established the “Reform on Tap” Task Force. Forty people have been selected for that task force, representing stakeholders from all of Maryland and include the brewing, distribution, and retail industry as well as consumers and politicians. Their first meeting will be held on May 24th on the Johns Hopkins University Campus. All meetings are open to the public and meeting notes will be available on-line. As the Comptrollers webpage notes: “Marylanders are encouraged to submit comments, questions, and feedback to ReformOnTap@comp.state.md.us and follow the “Reform On Tap” Facebook page for updates.”

HB 1283, in my opinion, just piles on more legislation and restrictions to the brewing industry. To paraphrase a friend referring to the brewery “buy back” requirement, “Any law that fails the stupid test can’t survive.” HB 1283’s message to the rest of the nation is, “Maryland doesn’t want more breweries.” As Randy Marriner of Manor Hill states,

“It’s time we got beyond the point that whoever has the best lobbyist wins in Annapolis. We are talking about losing real jobs and opportunities Statewide.

As Manor Hill Brewing looks to the future, it’s pretty sad that we may have to move out of state to grow.”

I believe the craft beer revolution is the gold rush of our time. According to the Brewers  Association (BA), there were 89 breweries in the U.S. in 1978, the nadir of recent U.S. brewing. Last year there were 5,301. That is an astounding 154% growth of breweries per year. Despite a very slight slowing in new craft breweries since 2014, the number of breweries in America continues to increase at an astonishing rate, as these BA graphs show.

Maryland should welcome not hinder new breweries. They are small business manufacturers using agricultural products. They are taxpayers and employers. They bring economic vitality and a sense of belonging back to their communities. Breweries invest in their communities, providing more than just beer, like yoga classes at Independent, Flying Dog and Key Brewing, music at Milkhouse and Red Shedman, artwork at Independent, and horseback riding at Waredaca. Let’s support Maryland breweries.

Cheers!

Warren