Amidst business boost, local breweries fight regulation
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Beer connoisseurs are enjoying the boost in locally made microbrews, but the business boom has come with unexpected speed bumps.
"Austin is quickly becoming one of the hubs nationally for craft beer," Jeff Stuffings with Jester King Brewery said.
Owners and managers of Jester King Craft Brewery in Southwest Austin have made it their mission to challenge regulatory laws which Stuffings calls antiquated.
"Some of the biggest success stories start out when one little pub starts brewing some beer at the restaurants. People really like it so they start selling that beer in grocery stores and it really grows from there,” he said. “That story can't be told in Texas because it is illegal."
In December, Stuffings and the brewery won a portion of a lawsuit against the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission. They can now tell his customers where they can purchase their beer and the can use the term “beer” to describe their product. Before the lawsuit, they were required to call their beer “ale” or “malt liquor.”
Despite the victory, challenges remain for small breweries in the Lone Star State.
Black Star Co-op has been brewing and selling beer in Central Austin since the summer of 2010.
The beer they brew can be served to patrons, but the brewery cooperative is not legally allowed to sell it anywhere but their bar.
"We can sell you a pint we can sell you a growler full we could sell you a keg even. We could bottle and sell it here even, but you can't find it anywhere else," Chris Pooth with Black Star Co-op said.
Pooth says the law is keeping business like theirs from getting their product to a wider audience, but for Stuffings, December’s success in court is a step in the right direction.
"It seems like they are starting to be aware that there is a thriving local beer business here that laws are holding back,” Stuffings said. “Maybe, just maybe, they will start passing some laws that support their local businesses."
When the Legislature comes back into session, brewers hope to address the issue again and be able to sell beer in stores. The Texas Craft Brewers Guild met this past week to formulate a plan to change the laws.