s skippy the bush kangaroo: in the land of beer lovers

skippy the bush kangaroo



Friday, June 10, 2011

in the land of beer lovers

the governor wages war on beer. yeah...that's going to go over real well. love the corporate mega beer makers...hate the small indy craft brewers.
tucked into wisconsin gov. scott walker’s (r) much-discussed budget was a little-noticed provision to overhaul the state’s regulation of the beer industry. in a state long associated with beer, the provision will make it much more difficult for the wisconsin’s burgeoning craft breweries to operate and expand their business by barring them from selling directly to restaurants and liquor stores, and preventing them from selling their own product onsite.

the new provision treats craft brewers — the 60 of whom make up just 5 percent of the beer market in wisconsin — like corporate mega-brewers, forcing them to use a wholesale distributor to market their product. under the provision, it would be illegal, for instance, for a small brewer located near a restaurant to walk next door to deliver a case of beer. they’ll have to hire a middle man to do it instead. 

but more noteworthy than the provision itself is how it was enacted. the provision was quietly slipped in the massive budget legislation without any consultation from independent craft brewers, who are justifiably outraged by it. one group that clearly did have input, however, is one of the world’s largest beer makers — millercoors: - think progress
and what would walker-era legislation be if it didn't offer more power to state government? the legislation also takes the power of licensing of wholesalers away from municipalities and puts them under the control of the state department of revenue.- the daily page
to the craft brewers and brewpubs of wisconsin...we here at skippy international salute you!

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posted by Cookie Jill at 10:37 PM |

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