Q&A: 'Craft beer is good for Texas'

Ryan Robertson works at the Buffalo Bayou Brewing Co., one of the growing number of small Texas breweries. Ryan Robertson works at the Buffalo Bayou Brewing Co., one of the growing number of small Texas breweries. Photo: Brett Coomer, Houston Chronicle Photo: Brett Coomer, Houston Chronicle Image 1 of / 15 Caption Close Q&A: 'Craft beer is good for Texas' 1 / 15 Back to Gallery

Charles Vallhonrat takes his homebrewing hobby seriously. Earlier this year, one of his award-winning recipes was brewed commercially and then entered in the pro-am competition at the Great American Beer Festival.

But until recently, his professional career was in marketing and business development for the high-tech industry.

Now Vallhonrat is putting his beer knowledge to work professionally, as the Texas Craft Brewers Guild's new executive director. He takes the position just as lawmakers gear up for their 2013 session, which will again include proposals for easing some of the restrictions on the state's rapidly growing number of small, independently owned craft breweries.

"Craft brewing is thriving in Texas," he says. "Most existing breweries are growing and contemplating expansion plans. Additionally, there are a lot of breweries and brew pubs that are just opening or are in planning."

Vallhonrat recently answered a few questions by email. Edited excerpts follow.

Q: Tell us about the Texas Craft Brewers Guild.

A: The Texas Craft Brewers Guild started a little over two years ago with the goal of advocating and furthering the interest of Texas craft beer for Texans. The guild is managed by a board of directors that represents breweries and brewpubs throughout Texas. Additionally, we have allied trade members, like distributors, homebrew supply stores, and other groups or individuals who work with the craft beer industry.

And, there are enthusiast members, who are people like homebrewers and craft beer fans. Being a member of the guild is a great way for them to support craft beer in Texas and to get a chance to hang out with professionals in Texas craft beer.

Q: What are your goals for the 2013 legislative session, and how do you plan to get lawmakers on board?

A: There are two primary goals we are driving with respect to legislation. One is legislation that will allow package breweries - breweries that today keg, cask, bottle or can their beer for sales into the distribution tier - to sell a limited amount of beer at their breweries directly to their patrons. This would mean selling beers in a tap room setting for enjoyment while on premises.

Additionally, this change would also allow the brewery to sell their packaged beer to visitors to be enjoyed at home. By taking advantage of the opportunity of having craft beer fans on site, craft brewers would be able to make the most of the marketing opportunity this creates and build greater demand for their product in the traditional three-tier system of distribution.

Another legislative goal is to allow brewpubs to sell their beer into the wholesale tier.

Today, brewpubs can sell their beer on premise, including packaged beer that usually goes out in things like growlers. But, fans of a certain brewpub cannot find that brewpub's beer at a local liquor or grocery store.

We are advocating statutory changes that would allow brewpubs to package and sell their beer through the three-tier distribution system here in Texas.

Q: You just returned from the beer festival in Denver, which has at least 24 breweries in the city proper. Do you think Houston, or any other Texas city, could support a craft-brewing industry that size?

A: Yes, I really do. Texas has four of the top 15 largest cities in the U.S. and three of those are in the top 10. With the legislative changes that the guild is driving, we could really position Texas as one of the leading craft beer states in America, and see things like beer tourism, more beer festivals and events, and brewery growth, which of course leads to job growth.

A great thing about craft beer is the breweries and brewpubs are small, independent businesses who put their heart and soul into making quality beer. There is not a lot of automation, especially in the smallest breweries. So, growth really means more jobs and a tremendous economic multiplier across the whole spectrum of businesses that interact with craft beer. Craft beer is good for Texas.