But the distributor took us to court, saying the state’s franchise law, which sets a high standard for showing cause, trumped whatever my contract said. Two State Supreme Court rulings upheld my position, but, fearing a further appeal, I settled out of court. I was freed from the contract, but the legal fees and settlement cost Brooklyn Brewery more than $300,000.

Stories like this abound: My fellow craft brewers at Dogfish Head, in Delaware, faced a half-decade-long, six-figure legal dispute with a distributor just to terminate their contract.

Even worse, some small brewers refuse to enter certain markets because of the local distributors’ reputation. That’s bad for these businesses, and bad for the economy, but particularly bad for consumers, who would love to try the latest popular craft beers but can’t find them in their state.

Some states have remedied the distribution inequities. In 2012 Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo of New York and the State Legislature created a “carve out” from the state’s beer franchise law for the smallest brewers: If your brewery represents less than 3 percent of a distributor’s business, and you produce fewer than 300,000 barrels of beer a year (which covers all but the largest craft breweries), you can switch distributors by paying for the “fair market value” of the distribution rights, as negotiated by the brewer and distributor — still an expensive proposition, but easier than going to court.

North Carolina has a similar law, while in Washington State, small brewers are excluded from the state’s franchise laws completely. Just last week Michigan enacted a law allowing very small brewers to self-distribute. And several other states, including Massachusetts and Pennsylvania, are considering revising their beer laws to allow small brewers to do the same.

As the craft-beer sector expands, states are waking up to the economic benefits it offers — in jobs, tourism and taxes. Many states now offer subsidies and regulatory assistance for new breweries. But too few states have taken on the tougher job of pushing against distributors and their lobbyists.

For small brewers, the flexibility to change distributors or distribute their own products is essential to gain access to markets, increase consumer choice, grow and pour money back into the economy. The success or failure of a beer should depend on whether consumers like it — not on whether archaic distribution laws prevent them from finding it in the first place.