RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — A proposed agreement reached between North Carolina alcohol wholesalers and small breweries over who distributes their beer as they grow is on tap in a state Senate committee.
The state House already approved the measure sought by the state's largest microbreweries in the state, which don't like current limits on self-distributing their products. Now it's going before the Senate commerce committee on Wednesday.
Current law says once a brewery sells more than 25,000 barrels in a year, third-party distributors take over all sales, marketing and pricing. A compromise announced in March would double self-distribution to 50,000 barrels.
The number of craft breweries in the state has grown this decade from 45 to over 200. Only a couple of these brewers produce enough now to potentially benefit in the near future.
