h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

There's a bill pending that will allow craft brewers to sell beer on site.

http://houstonist.com/2009/03/16/coming_soon_texas_breweries_selling.php

I've been following this story in the south west forums at Beer Advocate. I'm keeping an eye on it.

As a matter of fact I was at the (512) brewery last week and mentioned the idea of polypins to them http://www.earlsohambrewery.co.uk/thebeers/partyparty/partyparty.html should the bill be passed.

Those would be firkin sweet.

We used to do that when I lived in Manchester around the mid/late 70s. Somebody would do a beer run to Holts brewery, pick up a polypin of mild or bitter, we'd leave it to settle for 24 hours and then thoroughly enjoy ourselves for the weekend

That's far too dangerous an activity for the Texas legislation to allow Texns to do that right?

Actually, it's the distributors who are the loudest voice against this, and always have been whenever it's been brought up in the past, although it hardly make a dent in their operations.

Special interests

Hey, when you've got a strangle hold on an industry for an entire state you don't wanna let that grip slacken even the slightest bit. Considering how many politicians in Austin are in the pockets of them it's going to be a real surprise if they let it through.

Bastards.

Looks like it might run out of time... what with the Texas legislature only sitting for three hours every 27 years

It died

And the TABC are being a bunch of arseholes too with Brooklyn Local 2:

"I just got word that Brooklyn Local 2 is not coming after all. It's supposed to be TABC related."

"I'd heard that TABC denied the label (isn't it just like Local 1 but with 2)."

"TABC rejected the Local 2 because somewhere on the label there's a reference to it being a "beer". Brooklyn has plans to change the label for the whole country just so they can sell it here in Texas, but that probably won't happen until October."

"Heaven forbid Brooklyn try to sell a "beer" in Texas. Sounds like TABC's asking for some sugar in their gas tank."

"Hey. If any of you are looking for any last-minute gift ideas for me, I have one. I'd like the TABC, my nemesis, right here tonight. I want them brought from his happy holiday slumber over there on Melody Lane with all the other rich people and I want them brought right here, with a big ribbon on their heads, and I want to look them straight in the eye and I want to tell them what a bunch of cheap, lying, no-good, rotten, fore-fleshing, low-life, snake-licking, dirt-eating, inbred, overstuffed, ignorant, blood-sucking, dog-kissing, brainless, dic#less, hopeless, heartless, fat-ass, bug-eyed, stiff-legged, spotty-lipped, worm-headed sack of monkey sh*# they are. Hallelujah. Holy sh*#. Where's the Tylenol?"

"The spooky thing is how closely that quote resembles the mentality and reasoning of the TABC..."

"But the TABC should be embarrassed for not allowing the label to say what is actually in the bottle. That is asinine. Breweries should not have to name beers "Logger" to get around their restrictions. Breweries changing labels for nationwide distribution just to satisfy TABC is excessive. Restrictions may be necessary...common sense should be too."

"The rules might be logical to the extent that certain categories relate to alcohol level differences thus taxed taxed differently, but it is not logical one bit to say a 6% abv lager is "ale/malt liquor" and a 9% Belgian is not "beer". Their system is flawed."

"Can someone please explain to me how taking off beer from the label will save the children? It just doesnt seem to make sense to me?"

Yea, I heard that the bill died in committee day before yesterday... It made me dubbel plus unhappy.