St. Paul, MN - Today, the Minnesota House of Representatives approved the final, consensus version of the Liquor Bill, as crafted by the bicameral conference committee. State Representative Dan Wolgamott (DFL - St. Cloud), who served on the conference committee, successfully championed the inclusion of the proposal to raise the growler cap for Minnesota’s breweries.
“Minnesota’s breweries have become community staples and travel destinations, like St. Cloud’s Pantown and Beaver Island, but too many have been stymied by outdated liquor laws,” said Rep. Wolgamott. “Prior to the pandemic, it was a goal of mine to raise the growler cap that hinders the growth of these businesses, and I’m proud to have worked across the aisle to deliver on that today. It’s time to free the growler!”
Specifically, the legislation raises the growler cap for breweries from 20,000 barrels to 150,000 barrels of beer sold annually. Among other provisions, the bill:
- Eliminates overly prescriptive container size regulations for craft breweries, allowing them to sell six-packs, four-packs, and other small containers to the public
- Removes the cap on cocktail rooms, allowing all distilleries in the state to have cocktail rooms
- The majority of microdistilleries can sell up to 750ml per person per day for off-site consumption (typically in 750ml or 375ml bottles)
- Liquor stores can sell glassware and citrus fruit
- Bars can apply for licenses to serve alcohol in the middle of the night if for the purpose of watching a live world cup game
Video recording of today’s floor debate can be found here. The bill passed with a vote of 111-21. Having already been approved by the Senate, the bill now goes to Governor Walz for his anticipated approval.
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