Everything’s bigger in Texas — even the hypocrisy. Did you know that in the great State of Texas, you can buy wine to-go while at a winery and buy spirits to take home directly from a distillery, but you can’t buy beer for off-site consumption from a manufacturing brewery? To-go sales is only one thing the Texas Craft Brewers Guild wants to change in Texas. Here are some other hot button issues for Texas’ craft beer guild: House Bill 3287, Senate Bill 639, restrictions for on-premise sales, who should control distribution rights and millions of dollars in influential lobbying. That’s also a story we’re currently working on: A summary of the Lone Star State’s contentious beer codes.
Until then, take a look at this video. It’s an argument for the brewers, and it’s a pretty good one. The Texas Craft Brewers Guild created CraftPAC — a Texas-based general purpose Political Action Committee (PAC). Its explicit purpose is to protect the rights of Texas breweries and to make legislative reform happen. They need money to do that, which is why they created the video above. Watch it and consider donating for a good cause.
Keep a look out for our deep dive into Texas beer laws, coming soon.
I have always wondered about this. Why can’t I get some 8th Wonder Dome Feaux’m anywhere BUT the brewery? And only for on-site premise consumption? I’ve considered pulling a Smokie and the Bandit and filling up an 18-wheeler of the stuff to take to Illinois… but I couldn’t even buy the cases at the brewery!