The beer bill has survived! House Bill 1322 made it’s way through the House and Senate and now waits on Gov. Phil Bryant’s desk to be signed into law.
The bill allows for all small craft breweries in Mississippi to sell the light wine or beer product they produce on-sight under certain restrictions.
“It is in a different version than it was when it was originally introduced back in the House at the beginning of the session,” said Exec. Director of the Mississippi Breweries Guild Matthew McLaughlin. “Frankly I think that the end product is a very very good one for the industry in Mississippi.”
The first hurdle was how would breweries limit on-site sales. In the bill, breweries can not sell more than 10 percent of production or 1,500 barrels, whichever is less. No more than two cases can be sold per individual a day.
Another question that had to be answered was what to do if a Mississippi craft brewery was bought by someone out of state and went over the 60,000 barrel production limit. The bill, as it stands now, would allow for them to continue selling in house.
With this new access to alcohol on site, it adds a little more pressure to the people serving beer to customers.
“Anytime you’re serving alcohol in a retail type context you need to make sure your servers are trained and are able to identify when someone has had too much, or before they have had to much,” said McLaughlin.
Even though the likelihood of someone consuming the two cases they’re allowed to buy at the brewery is low, he said it will be up to the judgment of the servers at that point.
“I think what you’re probably gonna see is people go on a tour, buy a pint, maybe two, and hang out for a particular event and then go,” said Mclaughlin.
Once House Bill 1322 is signed, it will becoming effecting July 1, 2017.
