• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Advertise
  • About Craft Brewing Business

Craft Brewing Business

Professional Insight, Unfiltered

  • News
  • Business & Marketing
  • Ingredients & Supplies
  • Packaging & Distribution
  • Equipment
  • Webinars & White Papers
  • COVID-19

Missouri, AB InBev push bill to allow growler sales, but also leasing of refrigeration units to stores

March 14, 2016Keith Gribbins

Heineken beer cooler fridge
Do we want Big Beer leasing fridges to stores? We’re gunna say no.

Clever companies have a bevy of innovative ways to physically brand items to customers. In the world of beer, bottles, cans, growlers, signage and promotional items like coasters and stickers are no-brainers, but what about keg wraps and keg collars, shelf talkers and refrigeration units? In fact, what if you could lease a refrigeration unit to a grocery story? You could put your branding all over it, and you know what, you could probably ensure you beer gets in that cooler too. Sound like a great idea?

Anheuser-Busch InBev (a.k.a. Beer Voltron) and some folks in Missouri think so too. Currently, there’s a proposed law before the Missouri General Assembly. The bill will allow growler sales in the state, and that’s cool, but there’s something else tucked in there. From the Columbia Daily Tribune:

If the legislature passes the bill strongly supported by Anheuser-Busch InBev, stores will be able to sell beer in reusable containers known as growlers. Craft breweries have lobbied extensively to get growler legislation on the books, but there’s a catch in this particular bill that some members of the craft brewing community find so abhorrent that they are calling it a “poison pill.”

The same bill contains a provision that would allow breweries to lease portable refrigeration units to convenience and grocery stores. Think of the coolers you see for soda, branded by Coke, and full of Coke products. Now, imagine that cooler but with Anheuser-Busch brands. According to AB InBev, it’ll be great for everyone:

“This legislation would help the entire beer community in Missouri,” Anheuser-Busch InBev Region Vice President Marcelo Abud wrote in an email. “In fact, similar laws are in place in states with booming craft beer segments, including Wisconsin and Colorado.”

Well, there you go. If Beer Voltron says it’s cool, it’s probably not cool. According to the article, the Missouri Senate passed the bill March 3, and the legislation is now making its way through the House.

wicked weed Brewing
Beer Voltron grows fatter: AB InBev aims to purchase Asheville’s Wicked Weed
Golden Road Brewing adds VP
AB InBev’s plans to expand Golden Road illustrate its long-term craft beer domination strategy
Long Goose Island Logo
World of Beer Craft: AB InBev plans Goose Island pubs around Europe
English London beer thames big ben
Will the devalued pound affect the sale of SABMiller to AB InBev?

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. danielagates says

    March 16, 2016 at 5:08 pm

    RT @KCHopTalk: Missouri, AB InBev push bill to allow growler sales, but also leasing of refrigeration units to stores https://t.co/BdMgBrCc…

    Log in to Reply
  2. John Paul says

    March 15, 2016 at 8:07 pm

    John Paul liked this on Facebook.

    Log in to Reply
  3. Jerry Elliott says

    March 15, 2016 at 8:06 am

    Jerry Elliott liked this on Facebook.

    Log in to Reply
  4. crsimp01 says

    March 14, 2016 at 3:23 pm

    Missouri bill to allow portable refrigeration units in stores https://t.co/64YJJEqMIZ via @craftbrewingbiz

    Log in to Reply
  5. Laura Bruns says

    March 14, 2016 at 2:44 pm

    Christopher David Kim Collins Dev Adams

    Log in to Reply
    • Kim Collins says

      March 14, 2016 at 2:54 pm

      wow. sneaky.

      Log in to Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

Primary Sidebar

Latest News

  • Resplendent Oregon hop farm has ultimate beer garden (TopWire Hop Project) reopening April 30 (enjoy some images)
  • This Get Your Drink On app gifts beer money to a phone’s digital wallet, so please send me some
  • New Yuengling limited-edition desert camo Lager cans honor vets and allow drinkers to engage with a Snapchat Yuengling eagle
  • Arryved debuts OpenTab to change the on-premise POS game

Sign up for our newsletter

unsubscribe from list

Most Popular Today

Recent Features

  • Crosby Farm TopWire Hop Project 12Resplendent Oregon hop farm has ultimate beer garden (TopWire Hop Project) reopening April 30 (enjoy some images)
    April 15, 2021
  • Get Your Drink On app people cheers drinksThis Get Your Drink On app gifts beer money to a phone’s digital wallet, so please send me some
    April 15, 2021
  • GEA-InsightPartner-ProduktbildInside the real-time process control of GEA’s InsightPartner software
    April 14, 2021
  • roughhouse brewing cave aged beersCave-aged beer finally excavated by Roughhouse and other beers to know this week
    April 13, 2021
  • Distribution update: 21st Amendment heads to Hawaii, Upland Brewing to Chicago, Ceria Brewing to Texas/Puerto Rico and lots more news
    April 13, 2021
  • CODO Can design backgroundExploring canning trends and the can shortage with CanSource
    April 12, 2021

Footer

  • Email Newsletter Sign Up
  • About Craft Brewing Business
  • Contact Us
  • Advertise on Craft Brewing Business
  • Media Kit Download
  • Privacy and Terms

© 2021 · CBB Media LLC

Continue ...

sponsored by