Law offices of John P. Connell, P.C.: The Coastal Wine Trail of South Eastern New England, comprised of nine wineries located along the New England coastline, has been celebrating the beginning of wine season by hosting an annual kick-off event. Each year, one of the nine wineries host the event and is able to showcase and sell their wine, while the other wineries were only able to provide tastings without the opportunity to offer wine for sale.
This changed, however, when the Massachusetts legislature passed the Economic Development Act (“the Act”). The Act, which took effect in 2011, gives local licensing authorities the ability to issue a special license for an off-premise agricultural event. M.G.L. ch. 138, § 15F. For the nine wineries of the Coastal Wine Trail, and many others throughout Massachusetts, this change in law has enabled sale of their wines at certified markets and agricultural events. According to the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources, overall wine sales in the state have increased by 66% since the legislation passed. Now, Massachusetts Craft Breweries are hoping to enjoy the benefit of this legislature and increase their sales as well.
Since the change in law has proven a success for local wineries and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, the legislature is considering whether to expand the law to affect local craft breweries. State Senator James Eldridge, D-Acton, plans on filing legislation next year at the State House that, if passed, would enable local craft breweries to sell their products at farmers markets and agricultural events in Massachusetts.
Other states have already taken steps to pass similar legislation for the benefit of their local breweries. The Pennsylvania House of Representatives, for example, approved a bill in October that would allow craft breweries to sell beer at farmers markets, food expositions and beer festivals. New York passed similar legislation this past summer as well.
Jeff Wharton, co-founder of Drink Craft Beer, an informative website which connects consumers with craft beer products, said Eldridge’s proposal “just makes sense.” “It’s the exact demographic—people who want to know the story about where their food comes from,” said Wharton. “It would not just be going to a liquor store and picking up beer. You could go and interact with the company making this beer.”
Wharton was also quoted saying the idea would allow local brewers to connect with Massachusetts farmers and keep the beer ingredients in-state. “It would be a great opportunity because a lot of brewers are working with local ingredients and local farmers and this just furthers that relationship,” he said. Wharton called farmers market customers “the perfect audience,” and presumably this new law would cause more beer manufacturers to get their product out to that audience.
If the success of wine sales at the markets is any indication, the proposed legislation could mean big things for brewers. “If we have wine being sold there and we haven’t seen problems yet, I don’t see a plausible reason why you could ever argue against craft beer,” said Wharton.
CONTRIBUTED BY LESLIE BUCKLER
© Law Offices of John P. Connell, P.C., 2012.