Ann Arbor-area brewer helps craft new state rules for small breweries
Matt Greff, owner of popular Ann Arbor restaurant and micro-brewery Arbor Brewing Company, helped craft recommendations to loosen the state’s restrictions on small breweries. The recommendations have drawn the ire of Bell’s Brewery in Kalamazoo according to MLive.com's Melissa Anders.
The recommendations came in a report released Friday by the Michigan Office of Regulatory Reinvention . They would make it easier for small and medium-sized breweries to sell their beer to wholesalers, retailers, and in their own restaurants.
The changes to the state’s distribution system would require legislative action to be implemented. Larry Bell, owner of Bell’s Brewery, said the recommendations would hurt wholesalers who relied on small businesses.
Bell was also upset that no large breweries were included on the 21 member committee that crafted the report.
Comments
Alan Goldsmith
Sun, Jul 1, 2012 : 10:44 a.m.
The three tier system should be abolished. But just take a look at each and every one of the Ann Arbor and Washtenaw County's State House and Senate representatives of both parties and you'll see major campaign contributions from the beer and wine wholesaler lobby. They've been bought and paid for for decades. Surprise. If 'small brewers' wanted real change they'd ask for that system of mandatory three levels including a required 'wholesale' middle man (using a polite term) be abolished immediately. Look no further than the composition of this task force.
Ron Granger
Sat, Jun 30, 2012 : 1:10 p.m.
Now that Bell's is making 10's of millions a year, Larry Bell wants to screw the little guy by fighting further improvements to the distribution laws. He wants to keep the current heavily restricted distribution system because it hurts his competitors more than him.
lynel
Fri, Jun 29, 2012 : 11:31 p.m.
Seems like the more beer, the better.