Some of you may have heard about Senate Bill 5711, which is currently under consideration by the Washington State Legislature. In a nut shell, if SB 5711 passes and becomes law consumers will be allowed to get growlers filled at bottle shops.
Yesterday the Senate Committee on Labor and Commerce and Consumer Protection voted “Do Pass” on SB 5711 and sent the bill to the rules committee for second reading.
This is good news. Still, because this bill is of interest to such a small number of us (relatively, anyway) Olympia needs to knows that we are paying attention and actually want to see this bill passed into law.
Some establishments that we might consider bottle shops actually do fill growlers already. They can even pour you a pint of beer—shops like Bottleworks and Beer Authority, among others. That’s because they have a different kind of license. SB 5711 only impacts those businesses licensed as a “beer and/or wine specialty shops.” We’re talking about shops like 99 Bottles, Full Throttle Bottles, and The Beer Junction, among others.
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The bill amends the existing laws governing beer and/or wine specialty shops, providing an option to get a special endorsement to fill growlers. I don’t want to lull you to sleep with too many details, but SB 5711 would amend RCW 66.24.371 to include the following new section:
“Upon approval by the board, the beer and/or wine specialty shop licensee may also receive an endorsement to permit the sale of beer to a purchaser in a sanitary container brought to the premises by the purchaser, or provided by the licensee or manufacturer, and fill at the tap by the licensee at the time of sale.”
SB 5711 also allows the board to “adopt rules to implement this section.”
Note that “the board” refers to the Liquor Control Board.
Tell congress that this not only benefits the bottle shops but also benefits the 140 craft breweries in Washington. This bill creates a new tax revenue stream and bolsters existing revenue streams. Oh my, they will like the sound of that.
Or you can just very simply say that you want them to vote yes on SB 5711. Every little bit helps.
Click here to send your legislator(s) a quick note telling them that you want them to pass SB 5711.
Click here to visit the bill’s official web page and learn more about the content and current status of SB 5711.
Here is the message I sent to my representatives:
I am urging you to pass SB 5711. This is a very simple issue. SB 5711 modifies an existing liquor law to give specialty beer stores (bottle shops) the ability to sell draft beer to go. This will generate sales at the bottle shops and will also help promote the Washington beer industry. The bill includes a provision for the Liquor Control Board to adopt rules for the implementation of this change. It is a slam dunk.
SB 5711 benefits the bottles shops (which pay/collect taxes) as well as one of Washington’s only growth industries. In addition to brewing world-class beer, the 140 craft breweries in Washington pay taxes and create jobs. Only a very small number of these breweries package beer in bottles or cans. The vast majority of these breweries only sell draft beer. Allowing specialty beer stores sell draft beer to-go creates a new way for Washington’s breweries to sell their product and a new way to introduce consumers to Washington beer. Since craft beer is one of the only growth industries in Washington right now, I’m sure you agree that selling more Washington beer is good for Washington.
Regards,
Kendall Jones
Below is a letter written by Tiffany Adamowski, owner of 99 Bottles in Federal Way.
Dear Senator,
Current law allows Beer & Wine Specialty Shop licensees to sell beer for off-premises consumption in original brewery packaging only. However, the law allows taverns and brewpubs to fill growler jugs to-go.
SB 5711 would allow my local Specialty Beer Store to expand its offerings to include growlers. Growlers are small containers that are filled at the business location from beer kegs, capped and sealed for at-home serving. Growlers give small beer stores an advantage by allowing them to represent breweries that don’t have bottling capabilities.
Today there are nearly 140 licensed breweries in Washington state, and less than 30 of those breweries have the capability to bottle their beers for retail sales. SB 5711 gives Washington breweries the advantage of being able to offer their product for at-home consumption through licensed Specialty Beer Stores. This additional retail chain for beer sales would also open a new tax revenue stream for Washington State.
I believe in safe and responsible consumption of alcohol. By forcing specialty beer stores to change business models to become an on-site drinking premise simply to offer growlers, there is a forced higher liability on the business and the businessowner, as well as a demoralization of beer by changing their establishments to 21-and-over-only.
Please support my local Specialty Beer Store by granting them the privilege of filling and sealing growlers for in-home use. Vote yes on SB 5711.
Please support small Washington breweries who do not have the capital to expand into canning or bottling. Vote yes on SB 5711.
Support a new tax revenue stream for the state. Vote yes on SB 5711.
Thank you.
Sincerely,
Tiffany, beer store shopkeeper99 Bottles
35002 Pacific Hwy S, A102
Federal Way, WA 98003
