OT: Craft Beer and the 2011 Legislative Session

[MaverickAG]

The 2011 MS Legislative Session recently began and Raise Your Pints is once again spearheading the effort to bring more beer choices to MS. RYP has been hitting the media hard to raise awareness of the four bills presented to both the House and Senate. Articles have appeared in several local newspapers as well as a number of radio interviews on shows such as Out of Bounds and on MPB. The goals this year are to 1) Raise the ABW from 5% to 8% (about 10% ABV) and 2) to legalize homebrewing, which is legal federally and in 48 states (MS and AL).<div>
</div><div>Each bill has been posted below if you are interested in reading. This being an election year in MS, it may be difficult to convince lawmakers to vote favorably to such a polarizing piece of legislation as many lawmakers still represent dry counties. This issue is all about politics which is unfortunate. Nevertheless, contact your representatives and make your stance known.</div><div>
</div><div>http://billstatus.ls.state.ms.us/2011/pdf/history/SB/SB2064.xml</div><div>http://billstatus.ls.state.ms.us/2011/pdf/history/HB/HB0744.xml</div><div>http://billstatus.ls.state.ms.us/2011/pdf/history/SB/SB2117.xml</div><div>http://billstatus.ls.state.ms.us/2011/pdf/history/HB/HB0401.xml</div>

 

[MaverickAG]

The 2011 MS Legislative Session recently began and Raise Your Pints is once again spearheading the effort to bring more beer choices to MS. RYP has been hitting the media hard to raise awareness of the four bills presented to both the House and Senate. Articles have appeared in several local newspapers as well as a number of radio interviews on shows such as Out of Bounds and on MPB. The goals this year are to 1) Raise the ABW from 5% to 8% (about 10% ABV) and 2) to legalize homebrewing, which is legal federally and in 48 states (MS and AL).<div>
</div><div>Each bill has been posted below if you are interested in reading. This being an election year in MS, it may be difficult to convince lawmakers to vote favorably to such a polarizing piece of legislation as many lawmakers still represent dry counties. This issue is all about politics which is unfortunate. Nevertheless, contact your representatives and make your stance known.</div><div>
</div><div>http://billstatus.ls.state.ms.us/2011/pdf/history/SB/SB2064.xml</div><div>http://billstatus.ls.state.ms.us/2011/pdf/history/HB/HB0744.xml</div><div>http://billstatus.ls.state.ms.us/2011/pdf/history/SB/SB2117.xml</div><div>http://billstatus.ls.state.ms.us/2011/pdf/history/HB/HB0401.xml</div>

 

[MaverickAG]

The 2011 MS Legislative Session recently began and Raise Your Pints is once again spearheading the effort to bring more beer choices to MS. RYP has been hitting the media hard to raise awareness of the four bills presented to both the House and Senate. Articles have appeared in several local newspapers as well as a number of radio interviews on shows such as Out of Bounds and on MPB. The goals this year are to 1) Raise the ABW from 5% to 8% (about 10% ABV) and 2) to legalize homebrewing, which is legal federally and in 48 states (MS and AL).<div>
</div><div>Each bill has been posted below if you are interested in reading. This being an election year in MS, it may be difficult to convince lawmakers to vote favorably to such a polarizing piece of legislation as many lawmakers still represent dry counties. This issue is all about politics which is unfortunate. Nevertheless, contact your representatives and make your stance known.</div><div>
</div><div>http://billstatus.ls.state.ms.us/2011/pdf/history/SB/SB2064.xml</div><div>http://billstatus.ls.state.ms.us/2011/pdf/history/HB/HB0744.xml</div><div>http://billstatus.ls.state.ms.us/2011/pdf/history/SB/SB2117.xml</div><div>http://billstatus.ls.state.ms.us/2011/pdf/history/HB/HB0401.xml</div>

 

[SanfordRJones]

As a homebrewing craft beer drinker, I second this. Please call your congressman. Even if you don't like craft beer, you will benefit from all of these bills.

 

[coursesuper]

I really hope this can get passed this year I'm tired of driving for decent beer.

 

[LTblows]

[No message]

 

[fishwater99]

They do not want to have to spend more money to stock the smaller breweries. It would mean additional space for beer storage and extra workers and trucks. Also, they make a larger profit by selling their Budweiser, Miller & Coors. I think it sucks, but it's the truth.

 

[davatron]

Just from reading this board it seems there are a lot of people in MS that are ready to spend plenty of money on new beers. It seems like distributors would be foolish not to stock them.

 

[coursesuper]

but they can't get their best beers. Sierra Nevada, Rouge, Red Brick, Yazoo, Abita and so on. If the distributors Al, TN and LA have jumped on board with Stone, Bells, New Belgium, North Coast, Russian River, Harpoon and others its a no brainer for MS. I think the biggest obstacle for this is the Baptist church in MS.

 

[MaverickAG]

It won'tnecessarilylead to a windfall after it isinevitably passed, but the potential for growth as both new beers are brought into the state and new breweries/brewpubs open across the state can help drive MS economic development. Don't get me wrong, this won't be like when the casinos moved into the Coast, but for a state with such a small population and small tax base, we can't afford to make a stand based on outdated laws from a by-goneera.<div>
</div><div>Here is some food for thought. Michigan, a state that has one of the worst economies (and bowl-eligible football teams) in the US; has been declining in population for the last five years; and, outside of Detroit, is quite rural; supports 70+ breweries - some of which are popular national and regional brands. By population alone, MS should have at least 21 breweries. In my opinion, that may be a bit too optimistic for our state but we can certainly support more than just one. The law change is only the first step in what needs to be done to get MS to a respectable level. It will take agenuine effort by MS's beer distributors to bring more options to the people in order to educate the market on what is available to the rest of the US. For those that think our state is just too damn redneck and set in their Bud Light ways, look no further than Alabama who operated only a single brewery before popping their cap three years ago to around nine currently.</div>

 

[Sarc Dawg]

I think it turned out that although it did require them to stock more varietyand have less shelf space for the light yellow fizzy swill, they more then made it up by the markup and demand of the "new" craft beer. </p>

 

[MSU Moral Victory]

He objects to the bills because of religion. He also has no problem taking money from Bud.

 

[MaverickAG]

If you're a beer distributor, why would you want to take on many more UPCs at lower margins and higher costs when the ones you have are doing you just fine.<div>
</div><div>If you're a lawmaker representing one of MS's approx. 40 dry counties, why would you want to provide political ammunition for your opponent,particularlyin an election year.</div><div>
</div><div>If you're represented and/or are a representative of the wine lobby, why would you want another beverage to compete with for market shares.</div><div>
</div><div>If you're the average Mississippian, why should you care since, in the words of Alabama representative Alvin Holmes "What's wrong wit de beer we got? It drink pretty good, don't it?"</div><div>
</div><div>Nevertheless, this will all pass, eventually. Mississippi will be dragged kicking and screaming into the 21st century.</div>

 

[Pimp Doggy]

and sent a blast out to everyone I know to do the same.
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</div>

 

[FlabLoser]

There's some respected website somewhere that ranks the world's best 100 beers and something like 98 of them are not available in MS because of the 5% law. What's the scoop on that? It was RYP's website a while back.

 

[FlabLoser]

http://raiseyourpints.com/whats-missing

<span style="font-weight: bold;">More than 90% of the world's beers are illegal in Mississippi.</span>

And
87 of the Top 100 beers at BeerAdvocate.com are not found anywhere in
Mississippi. Many Mississippians (even those who love good beer) have no
idea that the state imposes limits on alcohol by weight for beer. Our
lack of awareness is easy to explain: these beers simply aren't on our
store shelves or on tap. Out of sight, out of mind.

 

[coursesuper]

.

 

[MSU Moral Victory]

<span> <embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/MZoTJzh13n8&hl=en_US&feature=player_embedded&version=3" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowScriptAccess="never" width="640" height="390" ></embed> </span><span> <span id="temp-1"> </span> </span><span id="temp-1"> </span>

 

[FlabLoser]

...I'd think compromise could be to allow the sale of ANY beer over 5% (ie: no cap on alcoholic content) to be classified and sold as liquor. Guess that would make too much sense. If alcohol content is the concern, then treat is like hard liquor make if available everywhere that hard liquor is available.

If that wouldn't pass muster, then alcoholic content is not the issue at all. In that case, its purely a political thing.

 

[MaverickAG]

Their rankings are based on the current rankings on BeerAdvocate.com. I believe if the new proposal passed as-is something like 75% of them would become legal.

 

[MaverickAG]

Butch Bailey recently stated that when you talk to most of the hard-lines one-on-one they agree that the law change makes a lot of sense but they can't get past the political issues involved in changing their vote.

 

[fishwater99]

Maybe it is b/c of Abita's following. I have a buddy who works some in Arkansas that brings my my New Belgium fix, 2 Below(winter seasonal) is my favorite.
Also why can't I buy a six pack of Abita Restoration Ale , but I can buy a pint of draft at Hal & Mals? That makes no sense to me. I have to drive across the MS to Delta Wine and Spirits(owned by the Kitchens form Bovina, good Bulldogs) to buy my Restoration Ale, Jackamo IPA, SOS, and Chimay. Let's hope Abita will decide to sell more of their beers in MS if the law changes. I think it is up to the Brewery as to which beer they sell in MS, and some want come at all unless MS allows all their beer to be sold. I was talking to the local distributor, Drennan, for Capital City Beverages at the Yazoo Brew tasting along with fellow Vicksburg-er Linus Hall about craft beers. Yazoo is responsible for delivering the beer to the local distributor and CCB just passes along any additional costs to the consumer. CCB seemed very interested in having more craft beers in MS, that's a HUGE plus. Budweiser is the main opposition, not Miller/Coors. Why does MS always have to be last in the Nation...

Just look at their beers now.
http://capitalcitybev.com...ges/category/craft-beer/

 

[FlabLoser]

And BTW, find your state senator and representative here: http://www.capitolconnect...c1/legislatorsearch.aspx

As a resident of your district, I would like you to support Senate Bill
2064 to increase the limits on alcohol in beer from 5% to 8%. The
purpose for this is to allow the sale of gourmet beers in our state.
Currently, 87 of the top 100 beers (ranked by BeerAdvocate.com) are not
available in Mississippi due to the 5% law.

These gourmet beers are expensive, premium products desired by people
who are connoisseurs of fine food. This isn't about alcoholics and
drunkenness at all. An 8% beer is only 16 proof, a far cry from 80 proof
hard liquor. A person bent on getting drunk could easily get more
alcohol at less cost by simply consuming 2 Budweisers instead of 1
gourmet beer.

South Carolina, Georgia, and Alabama recently raised their alcoholic
limits on beer, while Mississippi remains one of the few states with a
low cap of 5%. MADD's own statistics show no correlations between
alcohol-related traffic accidents and limits on the alcoholic content of
beer. In fact, MADD remained neutral on the issue of the alcoholic
content of beer during 2004 when North Carolina raised its cap on
alcohol in beer.

Raising the limit from 5% to 8% doesn't mean all of our beer is going to
get more alcoholic. It only means we'll have a much better selection of
beers to choose from, with the ones higher in alcohol being
substantially more expensive and carrying distinct or intense flavors
that are sought by people who are into flavors and the subtleties of
their own palates. It also means more tax revenue that comes from this
new and popular market for premium gourmet beers.

So please support Senate Bill 2064.


Thank you,

 

[davatron]

You guys should check out Beer Wars. The big three (Miller, Bud, Coors) are certainly opposed to little guys breaking into the market so they wield the power of the state on their behalf.

 

[MaverickAG]

The brewers absolutely control which states they are in and which they aren't. Granted, distributors can try to convince them to make products available but they can't force the brewer's hand. Most craft brewers in the country, even big ones like NB, have trouble keeping the markets they are already in supplied. Craft beer is REALLY growing right now and the demand is there. When I live in Maryland, I couldn't get NB. I now live in Florida and I still can't get NB. I had to drive through TN and GA to get some. I have no idea why they aren't in those markets because it is totally up to the brewers. One reason I could see for many brewer's not to supply us with more of their full lineup that meets the ABV requirements is the fact that our market isn't really ready for them. Typically, most beer styles don't travel or age well. Why, if I were a small brewer, would I want to provide something like my IPA or Black Lager only to have them sit on shelves for months on end. Chances are I would be selling out-of-date beer and turning off potential repeat customers.<div>
</div><div>What you'll likely see when the limit is raised is large craft brewers rolling out more of their staples to help educate our market before you start seeing a bunch of Russian Imperial Stouts and Belgian Quads on shelves.</div>

 

[ckDOG]

God Bless the State of Alabama for providing the youtube with an endless amount of hilarity...

 

[ckDOG]

1) I think that's exactly how TN does it. Any beers over 5% is classified and sold as liquor at liquor stores. The supermarkets carry basically the same thing that a MS market would with the exception of a few extra craft-type beers that happen to be less than 5% - I'm sure due simply due to added population and more diverse demands. Seems like the common sense / no-brainer choice - of course, politics will always get in the way of common sense...

2) Who handles the distribution of beers classified as liquors? No clue how that part works. The only reason I ask is I'm curious at how the liquor stores would get their shelves/coolers stocked with craft beer? It seems like, even after an adjustment in the laws, it would take a good while for the craft beers to find their way into the state - there would have to be some question as to what beers will be demanded and whether or not that volume will be big enough for the craft brewers to want their product shipped to MS. Again - not really sure how that part works - but it has to be a concern in a lower population area.

 

[SanfordRJones]

Thank you for sending that e-mail, but the homebrewing bill is just as important. Here are a few reasons:

1. Pretty much every brew master throughout the history of beer making got started by home brewing. This includes the folks at Lazy Magnolia. More people brewing in their kitchen means more people deciding to open brew pubs, etc.
2. It would make beer competitions in the state possible, which would, in turn, enhance the beer culture in MS. For an example of what I'm talking about, check out the Emerald Coast Beer Festival.
3. It would make it possible to provide home brewed beer to the public at events like Top of the Hops. If you've ever had a good home brewed beer, you'll appreciate this. If you haven't, I pity you.
4. Increased tax revenue, if you care about the health of the state.

 

[boomboommsu]

ABC. You probably know that in MS, all liquor to be sold must be bought from the state ABC. I'm assuming that ABC would just become the unneeded middleman for craft beers like they are the unneeded middleman for liquor.

Though I'm not sure how liquor distribution physically works in MS. Does all liquor get delivered to ABC, 'stamped', and then delivered out to stores? Or is ABC the middleman only on paper?

 

[SanfordRJones]

1) I think that's exactly how TN does it. Any beers over 5% is classified and sold as liquor at liquor stores. The supermarkets carry basically the same thing that a MS market would <span style="font-weight: bold;">with the exception of a few extra craft-type beers that happen to be less than 5% - I'm sure due simply due to added population and more diverse demands.</span> Seems like the common sense / no-brainer choice - of course, politics will always get in the way of common sense...

That's not the biggest reason. Dogfish Head isn't going to distribute where the vast majority of its beers aren't legal. The grocery stores in TN carry their low ABV beers like 60-Minute IPA. The liquor stores carry their high ABV beers.

 

[SanfordRJones]

2) Who handles the distribution of beers classified as liquors? No clue how that part works. The only reason I ask is I'm curious at how the liquor stores would get their shelves/coolers stocked with craft beer? <span style="font-weight: bold;"> It seems like, even after an adjustment in the laws, it would take a good while for the craft beers to find their way into the state - there would have to be some question as to what beers will be demanded and whether or not that volume will be big enough for the craft brewers to want their product shipped to MS.</span> Again - not really sure how that part works - but it has to be a concern in a lower population area.

In Alabama, they started getting the InBev stuff right away because of AB. Most of it was Belgian stuff. Other brands started slowly trickling in. Now, the only breweries with national distribution (as far as I know0 who don't ship there are Stone (because of their 16 oz. per bottle cap, which we don't have) and Dogfish Head (I don't know why they haven't made it to AL yet).

 

[ckDOG]

nm

 

[shsdawg]

good luck getting many craft beers on the "list". That thing changes at glacial speed and isn't that inclusive,at least for wine.

 

[captaindawg]

where did you see that he objected due to religion?

 

[FlabLoser]

I got feedback from Mark Baker, who is my state representative. I asked him to support the Senate bill if it passes there and gets to the House. He told me he intends to support the bill if it comes to him without a lot of crazy amendments attached to it.

 

[SanfordRJones]

That's awesome. Check your PM.

 

[Maroon Eagle]

I also belong to Raise Your Pints. I'm not as active as other members but I gave money and have the t-shirt. I'm copying and emailing my state senator and representative.

 

[LTblows]

Keep hitting em up gents.

 

[Ivehadbetter]

nm

 

[DawgX2]

The State does not own the product in the warehouse. The product is held in bailment, as opposed to being sold on consignment. The inventory levels are actually maintained by the brokers and suppliers. The product is not even stamped by the State; it has to be delivered to the warehouse with the State's code for that particular item already on it before it can go out.

While the alcohol level would be fine, the State is not allowed to sell malt-based beverages. This comes from a former deputy director.

As far as availability of anything in this state goes, we can get anything that is generally available. Things can be "special ordered" and shipped if they are available. There are some items that basically never make it out of California, for instance. Some wineries only want their items sold in restaurants. Some items get allocated due to low production, meaning that MS may literally only get 4 or 5 cases based on past demand.