New craft bill law highlighted during ceremonial bill signing

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin signed the craft beer bill again during a ceremonial signing at the state Capitol Monday.

Tomblin approved the bill (SB 273) in March, which would help the state’s craft beer industry. The bill would enable brewers to provide on premise samples, ease limits on growler sales, and implement a gradual licensing fee system eliminating the current flat rate.

State craft brewers have been thrilled about the passing of the bill, specifically Mountain State Brewing Company in Tucker County.

“It’s a huge advantage for every brewery in the state,” said Brian Arnett, co-owner of the company, on Monday’s MetroNews “Talkline.”

The bill allows small companies to sell their beer in growlers (a half gallon jug) to retailers. Arnett said most breweries in the state, including Mountain State, are too small to have any packaging operation where they can provide bottles or cans of beer.

“This opens up venues across the state, like gas stations and grocery stores, to now serve our beer,” he said.

Before the bill was cleared, Arnett said they competed with large producing breweries, such as Budweiser, which put them at an economic disadvantage. He said “it certainly levels the playing field more for smaller breweries.”

Arnett said this could mean more competition could arise between small and larger companies, but doesn’t believe it will. He said smaller companies have something special because they offer a selection of beers for folks to try.

“When people start looking for variety, everyone small wins.”

The licensing structure stated that a brewer would need about $3,000 in state license fees at any size brewery, which made it difficult for smaller companies to keep up. The bill allows the fees to be scaled back now, which makes it more affordable to obtain a license.

Mountain State has been around for 10 years, being one of the first four licensed breweries in West Virginia. They employ nearly 100 people at their three different locations. Currently, there are about 11 licensed craft brewing companies in the state.





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