Texas breweries need your support!

A bill has once again been introduced into the Texas Legislature to allow breweries to sell beer directly to on-premise visitors. Distributors and liquor stores freak out when they hear about this as they immediately assume that this will cut into their profits. What the fools don't realize is that the average consumer is not going to drive all the way out to a brewery whenever they want a beer, they're still just going to go to their local store. What it will do is increase the number of craft beer drinkers and enhance the Texas beer culture, which in turn will increase beer sales. Visitors to the brewery are constantly asking if they can buy a sixpack after sampling the beer and not only can it not be sold to them, but they cannot even be told where it can be purchased! If a visitor is allowed to buy the beer while at the brewery, then chances are, he's going to want to buy it again or perhaps even try a different craft beer which he'll purchase from a store! Whenever someone is sent away without being able to purchase, particularly someone new to craft beer, a new craft beer drinker and purchaser is potentially lost as they may not remember what beer they tasted and liked while at the brewery and will just go back to their regular old beverage.

Similar bills have been introduced in the past, but failed thanks to the large distributors who fund powerful lobby groups and give large donations to politicians. However, maybe if enough people write their Representative and ask them to support House Bill 1062, they'll actual listen to their constituents. If you're unsure who your representative is, you can use this handy link to find out http://www.fyi.legis.state.tx.us. Texas Wineries won this right a few years ago and it completely changed and enhanced the economics of the wine industry and this bill has the potential to do the same for the beer industry.