No matter the change, there will always be opposition to it. Today the office of Regulatory Reinvention sent to Lansing a list of 72 recomendations to amend the Michigan Liquor control code. Some of the changes can be major boons for the growing craft beer industry.
A big one is the ability to hold a tasting room seperate from the production facility. This doesn’t seem like much but when you look at the implications of what this can do, it is a bit mind boggling and has been needed for quite some time. In the past when a brewer out grows their production facility they need to build a bigger one. But at the same time they have to maintain their original one (usually because that is where their tasting room is) in order to supply beer to their tasting room in an economical manner. This in turn requires extra liscensing and even more insurance to cover each place.
Of course changes like this will always ruffle some feathers. At this time some in law enforcement and health and safety circles want more intensive scrutiny of the changes. This isn’t surprising considering Michigan has some gargantuan liquor control laws. Hopefully, with last years win (allowing clubs to have meetings and share home brew in liscenced establishments) there is a shining light on the horizon.
I do believe it is time for a pint…
