Outlook brightens for limited to-go sales at Texas breweries
Texans may soon be able to purchase to-go beer directly from craft breweries after the state’s brewers and wholesalers reached a long-sought compromise on a measure that has failed multiple times over the past decade.
The proposal would allow production breweries such as Saint Arnold Brewing Co. in Houston to sell up to two cases of 12-ounce packaged beers per day to an individual at the brewery. Currently, state law allows to-go sales only through retailers that have purchased the beer from a distributor.
“I am proud to be part of a winwin agreement for every level of the three-tier system,” state Sen. Dawn Buckingham, R-Lakeway, said in a statement. “This is a big step forward for small Texas breweries and the consumers who enjoy their products.”
Buckingham and Rep. Eddie Rodriguez, D-Austin, are sponsoring the legislation in the House and Senate.
On Wednesday, they were joined by the Texas Craft Brewers Guild, which represents nearly 300 breweries, and the Beer Alliance of Texas, one of two major wholesalers groups here, in announcing the stakeholders’ compromise.
“Like any compromise or negotiation, you have to give a little to get a little,” Beer Alliance president Rick Donley said. “There has been some strong rhetoric in the media that we don’t think was good for the industry. (Both sides)
need to calm down and promote and sell beer.”
Brewers have long complained the prohibition on to-go sales is unfair, not least because the 49 other states allow it. Wineries also are allowed to sell their product directly to consumers and Texas brewpubs also can sell some beer for off-premise consumption, usually through growlers filled on site.
Brewers say on-site sales can provide important revenue to young businesses and help market their products.
“I think It will complete the brewery experience for our guests and fans that will be able to take a six-pack home after their visit,” said Lennie Ambrose, Saint Arnold events and marketing director. “We in no way want to go around our accounts or distributors, and I think they in some way agree with why this is important.”
Ambrose said the legislation would help breweries such as Saint Arnold grow while also giving him an answer to a request from guests he hears multiple times a day.
Past efforts to allow to-go sales included offering souvenir beer at the end of brewery tours that would cost varying amounts.
The measures were always defeated.
In 2013, after several hardfought battles, breweries were givn the right to sell some beer on site — but it had to be consumed there. Although to-go sales remained illegal, the change was followed by a rapid growth in the number of craft breweries.
More than 12,000 people have signed an online petition by the Brewers Guild asking the Legislature to pass a to-go sale bill.
The Texas craft brewing industry generates a $5.28 billion dollar economic impact to the state economy and has created around 30,000 jobs, the guild says.
The Brewers Association, the nonprofit national trade association for the brewing industry, estimates Texas craft breweries produce 1.2 million barrels annually, or almost 2 gallons of beer for every drinking-age Texan.