Beer Here!
Word is that Greensboro-based Red Oak Brewery was pitching is legislative agenda down at the
N.C. Alcoholic Beverage Control Commission
For those who spend time driving on I-40/85 into the city, Red Oak is building the shiny new brewery out near the old Konica plant.
They've also been building a case for a bill that would let them sell up to 60,000 barrels of beer without going through the state's three tier system. Currently, Red Oak and other small brewers can only sell up to 25,000 barrels without going through a distributor.
That bill has had trouble getting traction here at the General Assembly. Part of that has to do with the bill's sponsors having other fish to fry. But there's good reason to think that part of it just might have something to do with pushback from these guys and these guys.
A staff attorney for the ABC Commission confirmed that Red Oak put in an appearance today but said in a voice mail that the commission took no action.
Comments (2)
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There was major pushback to this back in 2004 from the good folks at Miller Brewing in Eden. With Phil Berger and Nelson Cole well placed in the legislature, I wonder if protecting that interest will be as much of a priority now as then.
I recall Miller went so far as to say they could be forced to close the plant in Eden in the microbreweries were allowed to expand production.
Competition, or preventing same, makes strange bedfellows.
Posted on July 17, 2007 9:00 PM
Well, it didn't help that one of Red Oak's hometown legislators, Rep. Bowie, was more friendly to the industry side than to the Red Oak side at the time.
Posted on July 18, 2007 12:14 PM