Craft Breweries Want To Raise State Limits On Production

Indiana’s craft breweries are urging the legislature to expand the amount of beer they can make each year to sell in the state.

Indiana law regulates how much beer Indiana’s small brewers can make each year and sell in state.  The current limit is 30,000 barrels. 

Most businesses aren’t even close to that.  But Sun King Brewery out of Indianapolis and Muncie’s 3 Floyds Brewing Company are both near that mark.  Sun King co-founder Dave Colt says if the legislature doesn’t raise the ceiling, Sun King will be forced to make difficult decisions.

“Then, we either have to stop growing or go past that," Colt said. "Which means we have to give up our right to self-distribute and close down our tasting room at the same time.”

Indianapolis Republican Sen. Jim Merritt has a bill raising the limit to 90,000 barrels.  While he says he doesn’t think it will pass at that high a level, he’s confident lawmakers will recognize the significant economic impact of craft breweries and enact a change to help the industry.  The Brewers Guild of Indiana says craft breweries employ more than 2,000 Hoosiers.