The picture below is a pretty special one to me. Not only was I significantly younger and thinner, but it was taken alongside Texas craft beer lobbyists Jim Dow, Mark Homer and Jason Smith (Jim and Mark still represent Texas craft brewers today, Jason now works for the University of Houston) as we marched to the Capitol … Continued
This will be fairly brief since there isn’t a lot to say that hasn’t been said already. OUR BEER BILLS ARE ON THEIR WAY TO THE GOVERNOR! We aren’t expecting any issues with the Governor, as we have been in close contact with his office throughout the process. Just a few thank yous. First, to … Continued
Figured it was time for an update here, since emails and tweets are starting to trickle in asking about the Texas Craft Beer Bills. After all, seemingly nothing has happened since they were voted out of Licensing & Administrative Procedures and sent to the House Calendars Committee on April 23. Well, I’m here to reassure everyone that … Continued
As has been widely reported, a deal was struck late Monday afternoon between The Texas Craft Brewers Guild, distributor groups, large brewers, and Open The Taps. The final deal includes the following bills, and here is the final version of what they do (items in earlier versions of the bills but not listed below are … Continued
Today, Senator Kevin Eltife (R-District 1) introduced bi-partisan legislation along with Co-Authors, Senators Brian Birdwell (R-District 22), John Carona (R-District 16), Eddie Lucio (D-District 27), Leticia Van de Putte (D-District 26), Kirk Watson (D-District 14), and John Whitmire (D-District 15) to modernize the state’s alcohol regulatory system to make more competitive Texas’s small, craft brewers. Senate Bills … Continued
Great news everyone! Craft beer laws have passed! You can now purchase Freetail Brewing Co. beer at your favorite bar or restaurant! Let’s talk about this Saturday at Saint Arnold over some pints! Just kidding (unfortunately). No Craft Beer bills have been filed yet, but you may recall what I posted here exactly one-month … Continued
A lot gets said, written and flat out complained about regarding the transparency of Government, be it on the local, state or federal levels. We all know I’ve been guilty of it myself. With that said, I thought I’d share my experience in working on beer issues at the Legislature in the interim both as … Continued
Tomorrow begins the 83rd Session of the Texas Legislature, and you can be assured that craft beer will once again be on the agenda. For practical reasons, my updates won’t be as frequent or detailed as they were in 2011, but I will do my best to keep you abreast of what’s happening with beer … Continued
Last week, New Jersey passed a law to help the state’s microbreweries and brewpubs. To quote the South Jersey Times’ Jessica Beym: The law: Permits brew pubs, to increase their annual production to 10,000 barrels a year, up from 3,000. Allows brew pubs to distribute their product to liquor stores and restaurants through the wholesale … Continued
Okay okay, I’ve been slacking… big time. No posts since July? Pathetic. Not to make excuses, but I have been busy with getting a new website up and running (check it out if you haven’t already: www.freetailbrewing.com), starting the long-awaited Online Store, the new beer board, about to unveil an app, insane bottle releases, and … Continued
