North Carolina breweries look for more distribution freedom

Regulations on craft beer differ across the industry, but one thing you’ll see pretty much everywhere are different rules governing different size distinctions. Usually these definitions are in place for distribution purposes. Breweries producing under XX bbls of beer will be labeled “micro breweries” and will be allowed to self-distribute, while those over that line cannot.

In North Carolina, the XX is 25,000 bbls. Over that line and a distributor must handle distribution. That number is now starting to annoy some of the growing breweries in the state. From this local CBS affiliate news report:

“It does hurt the brewery,” said Trent Mooring, president, Mother Earth Brewing & Spirits. “Like some breweries have actually gone to an area and had to pull out because they’re like, ‘We feel like we’re getting ready to reach the cap and we don’t want to reach the cap because we don’t want to then not be able to service our home area.’”

The debate could head to the General Assembly this session as some breweries have teamed up with lobbyists to raise the cap to 200,000 barrels.