Massachusetts Alcoholic Beverage Licensing Blog

The Daily Hampshire Gazette reports that the town of Easthampton is one step closer to having its first licensed brewery in the town; the brewery plans to grow hops on site.

When the Massachusetts Food Association, representing more than 600 stores in the state, asked voters in 2006 to allow wine to be sold in food stores, it triggered one of the most expensive ballot-question campaigns in state history, with opposing sides combined spending more than $11.5 million.

Last week, the Food Association took another shot at it by filing two ballot questions with state Attorney General Martha Coakley's office, one that would allow food stores to sell wine and a second to allow grocery stores and supermarkets to sell beer and wine, under local control, according to the Boston Globe.

The news of a possible second round in the wine-and-beer retail battle has sparked strong reaction from local merchants, wholesale liquor distributors, and residents.

Massachusetts, supermarkets need permission from their municipal government to sell beer and wine, and are not allowed to hold more than three permits in the state, limiting the number of chain grocery stores able to sell alcohol.

These restrictions create a real drawback for innovative breweries, said Joe Slesar, owner of Boston Beer Works, a restaurant and brewery with five sites from metro Boston to locations on the North and South shores, and Hingham Beer Works.

"I think change would be a positive thing,'' said Slesar. Boston Beer Works distributes its beer to a couple of hundred package stores in Massachusetts.

Alcohol regulators in Massachusetts are wisely pulling back from a potential rules change that had small beer brewers across the state fuming.

The change approved last week by the state Alcoholic Beverages Control Commission would have required brewers operating under a so-called farmer-brewery license to grow at least half the hops and grains they use, or get them from a domestic source.

Regulators at the state ABCC said the change was designed in part to promote farming in Massachusetts.

Brewers protested, saying the change could harm their businesses or even force some of them to close.

Massachusetts Treasurer Steven Grossman announced Monday that the ABCC had decided to eliminate the rules change. Grossman said the commission would instead hold a series of public hearings to solicit comment from the public and brewers. Brewers welcomed the reversal.

The Amherst Select Board has granted Jason DiCaprio a full liquor license for a new brewery called High Horse that will move into space now occupied by the Amherst Brewing Company on North Pleasant Street.

That eatery is moving at the end of the month and reopening at the former Leading Edge fitness facility August.

DiCaprio not only had to apply for the license, he also had a stipulation in his lease that within 30 days of receiving that license he join the University of Massachusetts Campus and Community Coalition to Reduce High-Risk Drinking.

His landlord, Barry L. Roberts, said this was the first time he is requiring it. He said he didn't require it for the brewing company because the coalition wasn't in existence when Amherst Brewing signed its lease. ABC did, however, participate in it, according to local media reports.

The coalition, organized more than five years ago to help address problem drinking, is comprised of university and Hadley and Amherst town officials, as well as landlords and business owners.

DiCaprio owns the Moan and Dove in South Amherst and has operated there without any problems, Select Board Chairwoman Stephanie J. O'Keeffe said.

DiCaprio said High Horse will specialize in serving traditional, low alcohol brewed beer and a gastro-pub menu.

He sad the earliest they could open would be November, but he said, "By New Year's Eve, we should be fully operational."

Interesting piece in Advertising Age about the growing popularity of "craft brewers." Comprising nearly 2,000 mostly mom-and-pop brewers, the craft industry is a small portion of the $101 billion U.S. beer industry, capturing 7.6% of all dollars, according to the Brewers Association.