Brewing Up A Storm
Wheeling and dealing is to be expected in politics. A healthy debate about a controversial topic is at the foundation of a democracy and a necessary step in the creation of thoughtful laws.
But sometimes, the wheels of government turn in quite inefficient ways.
That was clearly evident in a recent ruling by the state Alcoholic Beverages Control Commission that would have severely disrupted local beer breweries. While the out-of-left-field decision was overturned just days after it was issued, the tempest in a beer mug that it created is a classic example of how government can so often get it wrong.
Controversy On Tap
The state ABCC, which is a three-member body that regulates breweries and liquor stores across the commonwealth, recently ruled that all breweries with a farmer-brewer license (which includes many local breweries) would be required to purchase at least half of the products used in their beer from Massachusetts sources.
The mandate is a ridiculous one, according to local brewers, who said there is no way they would have been able to comply with it.
Apparently at least one high-ranking state official agreed. Just days after the ABCC issued the ruling — which caused quite a stir in the brewing community — Steven Grossman, the state treasurer, announced that he would stay the ABCC’s decision.
While the final result may be one that resolves the situation for now, it was quite messy getting there.
Many of these brewers — there are about 25 of them with a farmer-brewer license in the Bay State — don’t even want a farmer-brewer license. But the alternate license for a brewery is a manufacturer’s permit, which is 10 times more expensive and is more limiting in terms of what the brewers are allowed to do on site.
If the ABCC wanted to change the farmer-brewer rules — which is a good idea — it should have discussed the issue with the brewers before the ruling, publicly debated the potential rule changes and allowed for input on the decision.
The really frustrating part about this ruling is that there is a common-sense solution: Create another type of brewery license that is somewhere in between a manufacturer’s and farmer-brewer license.
According to the American Homebrewers Association, the State of New Hampshire began to offer what is known as a nano-brewing license in June, which costs more than a farmer-brewer license but less than a manufacturer’s license. It also frees breweries up to sell beer directly to consumers, without having to use third-party distributors.
The business community of Massachusetts needs the support and understanding from government now more than ever. The Bay State economy has managed to do better than many others, and to keep it that way we’ll need our lawmakers to be both good listeners and communicators. We hope the ABCC keeps that in mind in its future decisions.
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