Craft Brewers in Wisconsin Earn Hard-Fought Victory

The state of Wisconsin in November passed important legislation that included key items for the state’s craft brewers, the result of nearly a decade of negotiations with every segment of the beverage alcohol industry. Governor Tony Evers will sign the bill into law on Dec. 6 in his office.

Senate Bill 268 covered a lot of ground, allowing brewers up to four full-service retail locations (including their production facility) from which they can sell products to consumers, dependent on their annual production. This incentivizes growth, product introduction into other regions of the state, and extends tourism dollars for Wisconsin.

This bill also provides more clarity by aligning state law with federal law around the various types of contract brewing operations, often a gateway to successful brewing businesses for startup brewers before it makes financial sense to expend for a brick-and-mortar location. This change mirrors federal standards and will make an immediate impact for Wisconsin brewers.

“Codifying existing trade practice to match federal code was a key component to making sure Wisconsin’s brewers weren’t held back by state law from competing in and out of state,” said Will Glass, president of the Wisconsin Brewers Guild. “After years of Wisconsin’s brewers systematically losing our rights and privileges, we’re excited to deliver significant reforms to Wisconsin’s system of alcohol regulation.”