• 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

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

North Carolina breweries looking to lift 25,000-bbl microbrewery cap

March 17, 2016Chris Crowell

Some of the most absurd local regulations breweries deal with involve arbitrary production caps. These are the ones where some people in a room, years ago, made up a category, like microbrewery, stated what production level qualifies (like 25,000 bbls) and then put restrictions on what that company is able to do once it goes past said threshold, essentially encouraging a growing business to intentionally limit itself or drastically change its operations in some way.

The good brewers of North Carolina are hoping to see their production limit lifted. I used their situation for my rant above. Produce over 25,000 bbls, and you are no longer a microbrewery, which means you now must use a distributor.

From the Fox affiliate in Flair Country (Charlotte):

“That means more and more beer would be produced outside the state, said John Marrino, co-founder of Olde Mecklenburg Brewery. “[That] means we’ll be sending our money to breweries in other parts of the country as opposed to sending money to local breweries where it is invested into the local economy.”

Marrino and the founders of various other local breweries are leading the charge in the fight against this law. NODA Brewing Company co-founder Todd Ford says they and Olde Meck are two of 50 breweries participating in the fight statewide. Their opponents are macro brewers, like Budweiser, companies Ford says they can’t compete with.

If NODA were to produce more than 25,000 barrels, the 11 people working in the breweries sales and distribution department would have to be laid off. Ford says that’s not an option for him or Marrino. Instead, they want to see more tap in not out of the city’s craft beer scene.

In the meantime, North Carolina microbreweries, if you need some help with your distribution contracts, this feature ” Distribution contracts: What to know before you sign,” may help.

North Carolina flag cbb crop
North Carolina legislators vote tomorrow on expanded 200,000-bbl production cap for self-distribution
Charlotte beer laws
Charlotte eases craft brewing zoning restrictions to encourage growth
Florida Growler Laws
North Carolina makes way for growlers, pending sanitation rules
CCBA California Craft Beer Summit
State of California Craft Beer: Covid recovery challenged by competition, consolidation

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Bill Barnwell says

    March 18, 2016 at 3:21 pm

    Bill Barnwell liked this on Facebook.

    Log in to Reply
  2. Brian Burke says

    March 18, 2016 at 3:21 am

    Brian Burke liked this on Facebook.

    Log in to Reply
  3. Lynn Johnson says

    March 17, 2016 at 12:21 pm

    Lynn Johnson liked this on Facebook.

    Log in to Reply
  4. crsimp01 says

    March 17, 2016 at 10:37 am

    North Carolina breweries looking to lift 25,000-bbl microbrewery cap https://t.co/3eLZNqdi4l via @craftbrewingbiz

    Log in to Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

Primary Sidebar

Latest News

  • Boston’s Dorchester Brewing and Yakima Chief Hops team up to offer contract breweries discounts on hops
  • Montucky Cold Snacks offers hilarious prizes to winner of Mascot Contest
  • Root Shoot Malting, Blue Ox Malthouse highlight Malt Cup Award winners
  • 805 Beer debuts trailer for documentary “Inverted Perspective,” focused on freestyle motocross champion Vicki Golden

Sign up for our newsletter

unsubscribe from list

Most Popular Today

Recent Features

  • Boston’s Dorchester Brewing and Yakima Chief Hops team up to offer contract breweries discounts on hops
    March 28, 2023
  • 10 craft beer variety packs that have us excited to try new beer
    March 27, 2023
  • Take a look at Jack’s Abby’s renovated Beer Hall and its sweet new Tradition Meets Tech pilot system
    March 27, 2023
  • CCBA California Craft Beer SummitState of California Craft Beer: Covid recovery challenged by competition, consolidation
    March 23, 2023
  • Koga-brothers-karben4Karben4 Brewing to relaunch Ale Asylum brand
    March 20, 2023
  • 4 steps to understanding the filtration process in craft beer
    March 20, 2023

Footer

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

© 2023 · CBB Media LLC