Vote on brewery sales cap will come later by legislators

Jeff Janosko, operations manager, fills a growler of beer at Veracious Brewing in Monroe on Thursday. Jeff Janosko, operations manager, fills a growler of beer at Veracious Brewing in Monroe on Thursday. Photo: Ned Gerard / Hearst Connecticut Media Buy photo Photo: Ned Gerard / Hearst Connecticut Media Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close Vote on brewery sales cap will come later by legislators 1 / 1 Back to Gallery

HARTFORD — The General Law Committee will not vote directly on a proposal to raise a 9-liter cap that now limits how much beer brewers can sell directly to consumers for off-premises consumption.

Instead, the language of the proposal will later be folded into a larger bill on alcohol regulations, said Sen. Carlo Leone, D-Stamford, chair of the committee, Tuesday morning. He predicted that move would make passage in House and Senate more efficient.

Raising the 9-liter limit is supported by many in the state’s burgeoning craft beer industry. The limit allows the sale of a case of 12-ounce beers, but is less than a case of 16-ounce brews — a more popular container size for craft brewers.

Around holidays, Veracious Brewing in Monroe turns away people every week who want to purchase more than the four growlers permitted by the current limit, said owner Mark Szamatulski.

“There is more money to be made in the tap room,” said Michael Bushnell, co-owner of Lock City Brewery in Stamford. “The distributor takes about 30 percent of your money when they control product.”

Connecticut beer distributors oppose the change, however, saying it could turn breweries into monopolies, armed with the power to manufacture, serve and sell more of their beer.

“It is dangerous to go down that road,” said Jude Malone, executive director of the Connecticut Beer Wholesalers Association, which represents six major distributors around the state, in an interview earlier this month. “This really concerns us - how big they want to be.”

Maine, Vermont, Massachusetts and New York have no limits on how much breweries can sell out of their taprooms.

In Rhode Island, sales are held at 288 ounces, the equivalent of one case of 12-ounce beers or about 8.5 liters. New Hampshire also limits sales by breweries or other liquor manufacturers to a 15.5 gallon keg or a case of 12-ounce containers per person.