Kansas beer brewers push for liquor law change

TOPEKA, Kan. (KSNT) – The Kansas chapter of the political group Americans for Prosperity (AFP) hosted lawmakers and local brewery owners at Iron Rail Brewing to advocate for SB 511.

The bill would ease restrictions on microbreweries’ ability to sell beer. Current law only allows these businesses to sell their good on their premises or in bulk to wholesalers.

Kansas AFP director Elizabeth Patton says these restrictions date back to the prohibition era and stop small brewers from selling their products to restaurants and bars.

“The law as it stands absolutely handcuffs small businesses,” Patton said. “It requires breweries to have to sell to a middleman, where they sell at a discounted price, and the middleman is upcharging to restaurants and liquor stores around the state.”

Jonathan Williamson, co-owner of Sandhills Brewing in Hutchinson and Mission, says the outdated laws make selling beer unnecessarily convoluted.

I have a farmer’s market across from my brewery, it’s 30 feet away. In order to sell beer at that farmer’s market, I have to get a special event permit, which I can only do four times per year. I have to sell all of the beer for that event, and guess how much beer I’m going to sell. Sell that to a distribution partner, they then sell it to a retailer, the retailer can then sell it to my one-time special use permit, and then I can sell beer 30 feet from my front door.

Jonathan Williamson, co-owner of Sandhills brewing in Hutchinson and Mission.

Williamson says the vast majority of Kansas breweries are locally owned. He says for many of the owners, these restrictions impact their livelihood.

“It’s a lot easier to bring beer into the state than it is to sell beer within the state,” he said, “and we want to change that. We would like Kansas consumers to drink Kansas beer!”

A hearing on the bill takes place Tuesday in the Senate Federal and State Affairs Committee.