Please contact Louisiana Senate Judiciary B Committee in support of brewery self-distribution

The Louisiana Craft Brewers Guild has requested that beer enthusiasts take action to support the small and independent brewers of Louisiana and the community of beer drinkers.

Please read the following information provided by the Louisiana Craft Brewers Guild.

The Louisiana Craft Brewers Guild is asking you to please contact the committee members of the Louisiana Senate Judiciary B Committee by Tuesday morning, April 17 and ask them to support the Louisiana brewery amendment to Senate Bill 314 and passage of the bill with that amendment.

As currently written, Senate Bill 314 would allow native wineries to self-distribute a certain amount of the wine they produce, something that is currently not allowed in Louisiana for any alcohol manufacturer. The amendment being offered on Tuesday would allow small breweries in our state to also self-distribute a reasonable amount of the beer they produce.

Louisiana is one of only a handful of states that do not allow breweries to distribute their own beer, so they must rely 100 percent on beer distributors to deliver their beer into stores, bars and restaurants. Distributors can only effectively manage a limited number of different brands of beer, but with the ability to self-distribute, small brewers themselves can build and strengthen their brands (many of which may not currently be distributed), providing the market with more choice and variety while growing their small, independently owned businesses organically.

We need your immediate help in contacting the following senators and asking them to support Louisiana’s small brewers by voting for the brewery amendment and passage of the amended bill. The bill will be heard by the committee Tuesday afternoon.

Visit the Louisiana State Legislature website to determine if you are a constituent of any of these senators and if you are, be sure to emphasize that fact. Regardless, please reach out to as many of these senators as you can to make your opinion known and to relate why small brewers and their success are important to you.

Senator Gary Smith (Chair) – Norco

(985) 764-9122 | smithgl@legis.la.gov

Senator Ronnie Johns (Vice-Chair) – Lake Charles

(337) 491-2016 | johnsr@legis.la.gov

Senator Norbèrt N. “Norby” Chabert – Houma

(985) 858-2927 | chabertn@legis.la.gov

Senator Eric LaFleur – Ville Platte

(337) 363-5019 or (877) 396-4600 | lafleure@legis.la.gov

Senator Jean-Paul J. Morrell – New Orleans

(504) 284-4794 | morrelljp@legis.la.gov

Senator Karen Carter Peterson – New Orleans

(504) 568-8346 | petersonk@legis.la.gov