Brewery battles

HELENA — Tavern owners faced off against craft brewers at the Capitol Tuesday, arguing the upstart competition has been allowed to unfairly flourish with too few restrictions.

Both sides packed a state House Business and Labor Committee hearing looking at two bills.

One brought by the tavern owners, House Bill 616, would put new licensing requirements on the brewing industry. The tavern owners argue some breweries have grown into full-scale retail establishments not envisioned by the original law that allows tasting rooms.

Another bill to study the issue, House Joint Resolution 18, was backed by brewers who said more conversation is needed to fairly reconcile differences.

Rep. Roger Hagan, R-Great Falls, said stricter restrictions are needed on the brewers. He said brewers are taking advantage of laws, revised in the late 1990s, that allowed the breweries to sell up to 48 ounces of beer a day to customers before 8 p.m.

He said that law was intended to let wholesale breweries offer a little taste to retail customers. The lawmaker argued some breweries now sell almost all their product to customers and resemble bars.

Tavern owners testified that they enjoy selling locally made beers to customers. They argued that unfair retail competition from the breweries, however, is limiting