A handful of bills concerning alcohol regulation in Maryland have sparked a battle in the Legislature.
One, House Bill 1052, would roll back the amount of barrels that Class 5 brewery taprooms can sell. Under this proposal, smaller brewers would be limited to selling 500 barrels per year (down from 2,000), while bigger companies, such as Guinness in Baltimore, could keep selling 2,000. The 2,000 limit was established in 2017 as part of the effort to attract Guinness to the state.
Another, House Bill 518, would eliminate several restrictions on small craft brewers, including removing limits on beer production, distribution, and taproom sales for onsite consumption. It would also get rid of the restrictions on hours of operation and allow self-distribution for small brewers. Wholesalers and retailers oppose this measure and want to keep the current three-tier system in which manufacturers sell only to wholesalers, who sell only to retailers, who sell to customers.
And finally, House Bill 1316 would create a new task force to study how alcohol is regulated in the state.
The House Economic Matters Committee hearing covering these bills lasted several hours, and it’s unclear at this writing what will advance or what compromise may be struck.
