One item lost in the shuffle following the Authentic Beverage v. TABC ruling is a telling statement from Senator John Carona, Chairman of the Senate Business and Commerce Committee, which hears alcohol-related bills. “A Federal Court has ruled that Texas’ laws regarding the advertising and labeling of beer are flawed. In the case of Authentic … Continued
And now for the lighter side. As I alluded to previously, Judge Sparks’ judgement is full of all kinds of funny lines. If this whole judging thing ever gets old to him, he’s got a career in comedy. Judge Sparks wastes no time getting into the humor (and a little jab), and offers this in … Continued
If you heard my testimony before the Licensing and Administrative Procedures Committee back on March 22, 2011 (or if you’ve been a regular reader of this blog), you might recall me talking about how the 3-Tier System is really the 5-Tier System. The beer industry in Texas isn’t just brewer, wholesaler, retailer and it is an … Continued
Long time, no write. unfortunately, I have nothing to report on HB 660. I’ll let you figure out the rest there. I do, however, have great news on HB 2436 and its companion bill, SB 1575. If you remember, this is a microbrewery direct sales bill that would allow you to buy pints at places like … Continued
On this day in 1933, the first brews were legally sold following prohibition – a movement that, at its end, saw even its original proponents lobbying to repeal it. As it turned out, Prohibition did more damage than good – creating the niche for highly organized crime and spawning some of the most notorious criminal masterminds in American … Continued
Congrats to Brock Wagner, the folks at St. Arnold, and all the other Texas brewers, distributors and retailers supporting HB 602 which today passed the House Licensing and Administrative Procedures Committee by a vote of 6-0. Next up is the Local & Consent Calendar Committee, which will place the bill on the Calendar for a … Continued
HB 2436 was filed yesterday by Rep. Eddie Rodriguez. You can read the text of the bill here. This bill essentially accomplished what HB 660 tries to, except for production breweries and not brewpubs. HB 2436 would allow Texas microbreweries to sell to consumers at the brewery for either on or off-premise consumption. HB 2436 … Continued
