New Growler Law

So I was pretty pissed off, I got up to Fitger's and they said some employee is sharing misinformation about the growlers and that I had to buy their growlers.

According to the girl working the shop, they actually do not take other breweries' glass.

I was much less pissed off when I found out it was only $3 for a Fitger's growler itself, but still, get it together!

 

Weak, I used to have 2 such growlers until I found out leave it at room temp a bit to long and you have a super sweet mess to clean up. Now stainless is all I do.

 

I didn't realize any breweries still engaged in the refusing to fill other breweries growlers crap. I know some states won't allow you to package your alcohol in anyone else's growler, but I always thought that pretty much any brewery legally allowed to fill any and all growlers did so.

 

Er, this has more to do with taproom sales in St. Paul -only- but still: Bit-by-bit...

http://www.twincities.com/localnews/ci_26160672/st-paul-sunday-taproom-liquor-sales

 

Sorry if this sounds like a dumb question but I can't find the answer anywhere else.... Who can sell growlers? Tap rooms of breweries only? Can a pub that does not brew beer sell a growler of one of their taps?

 

Neither bars nor liquor stores can sell growlers. They can only be sold at breweries of less than a certain size, but I can't recall of the top of my head what that size is exactly. I think it might be 30,000 barrels a year, but that is just a somewhat educated guess. Also a brewery doesn't have to have a tap room to sell growlers, but they do to sell pints.

 

Tap rooms only. They have to be below a certain production threshold as well. No growler fills from pubs or stores.

 

That's what I assumed. But can a brewery sell a growler of another brewers beer to circumvent the law?

 

No, it has to be their own beer. Also, only brewpubs can sell other breweries beers on tap.

 

IANAL, but I'm pretty sure you have to be a brewery to sell a growler of something.

https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/?id=340a.301

 

Let's not forget this from the previous clause:

(a) A brewer licensed under subdivision 6, clause (c), (i), or (j), may be issued a license by a municipality for off-sale of malt liquor at its licensed premises that has been produced and packaged by the brewer.

And let's never forget this line from the beginning of the statute:


Subd. 2.Persons eligible.
(a) Licenses under this section may be issued only to a person who:

(1) is of good moral character and repute;

It looks like I'm not fit to be issued a license under this archaic (mostly likely religiously based) clause.

 

Sounds like another opportunity to get the laws changed!

 

The limit for production breweries is 20,000 bbl/year.