Branford Brewery Says Bill Would “Crush” Craft Beer Business

BRANFORD, CT - A proposed bill being pushed by the lobbyists for the liquor industry has caught the attention of one the popular breweries in Branford - Duvig - which is asking its customers and all fans of craft breweries in the state to push back.

The bill, "An Act Concerning Brewery Sales for On-Premise Or Off-Premise Consumption" would require breweries to either sell their product on premises or for off premises purposes - but not both.

This is what Duvig has to say on its Facebook page about the bill:

"This is the bill that is trying to crush CT breweries.

"It says that a brewery has to choose between selling their beer to be consumed inside the brewery or carry out only like a liquor store.

"No longer will they be able to do both!! This will close down many of us!!! Call your local reps and say no."

The bill is here: https://www.cga.ct.gov/2019/TO...

Legislation has also been submitted on behalf of craft brewers to ask legislators to lift the limit on how much beer they can sell from the state’s increasingly popularity brewery industry.

Currently, craft brewers in the state are limited to selling only 9 liters of beer per customer transaction from their breweries — which translates into “about 21, 16-ounce cans.”

Nearby states don’t have such limits. Again it is the powerful liquor industry lobby fighting to keep the limits in place.

Photo by Jack Kramer