Craft brewers have 'good day' in Texas Senate

Brock Wagner, owner of Houston's Saint Arnold Brewing, called Monday's action a critical step in helping the state's craft brewers and brewpubs. Brock Wagner, owner of Houston's Saint Arnold Brewing, called Monday's action a critical step in helping the state's craft brewers and brewpubs. Photo: Julio Cortez, HC Staff Photo: Julio Cortez, HC Staff Image 1 of / 6 Caption Close Craft brewers have 'good day' in Texas Senate 1 / 6 Back to Gallery

The Texas Senate voted Monday to give craft brewers and brewpubs new opportunities to sell their beer.

"To see that happen was amazing," said Scott Metzger, a San Antonio brewpub owner who worked with other brewers, legislators and wholesalers in negotiating a compromise.

Brock Wagner, owner of Houston's Saint Arnold Brewing, called it a critical step toward passage of the state's most significant beer-related legislation in 20 years.

"We still have a path to follow," he said.

Metzger watched via his office computer at Freetail Brewing as the Senate voted 31-0 to approve two bills promoted by the Texas Craft Brewers Guild. An economic impact study Metzger prepared for the guild predicts the measures will spark even stronger growth for the state's burgeoning craft beer industry.

Senate Bill 515 would allow brewpubs like Freetail to package some beer for sale by outside retailers. SB 518 would allow production breweries like Saint Arnold to sell some beer directly to consumers for consumption at the brewery.

The latter falls short of the brewers' goal of selling a limited amount of beer that could be taken home, but the compromise package was able to secure support from brewers and areas of the industry that had resisted past efforts to loosen restrictions on small brewers.

Rick Donley, president of the Beer Alliance of Texas distributors group, which supported SB 515 and 518 from the beginning, called it "a good day for the craft-brewing industry," including manufacturers and wholesalers.

Senators also voted 30-1 to approve a third bill that would regulate the interaction between brewers and distributors that was supported by the Wholesale Beer Distributors of Texas, another distributors group.

The Senate is expected to vote Tuesday or Wednesday on two other beer-related bills.

"I'd be surprised if it weren't another 31-to-nothing vote," Donley said.

The bills then head to the House, where a committee took positive testimony last week on all five measures before placing the bills on hold to await the legislation from the Senate.

"We need to get this to the governor as quickly as possible," Donley added.