This means war! BEER WAR!

MILWAUKEE (AP) - A fight brewing over beer in Wisconsin pits the growing market of craft brewers against a large, well-known brewer.

A group of craft brewers say a proposal being supported by MillerCoors, the Wisconsin Beer Distributors Association, Tavern League of Wisconsin, the Wisconsin Grocers Association and others would limit smaller brewers' ability to expand and could limit them from getting beer to consumers in the future.

"This is all about money and restricting competition. This isn't idle child's play," said Jeff Hamilton, president of the Wisconsin Brewers Guild and Sprecher Brewing Co. in Milwaukee.

Wisconsin has three tiers, like many other states, for alcohol distribution: a brewer, a wholesaler that distributes the beer and a retailer that sells it. The system was put in place at the end of Prohibition and used by brewers that made Milwaukee famous: Miller, Blatz, Schlitz and Pabst. (They've since moved all or most of their facilities out of the state.)

The proposal was inserted into the proposed state budget by the Legislature's budget committee. It would combine the brewer's permit and wholesale and retail licenses given out by municipalities into a single permit under state control. It would effectively ban brewers from purchasing wholesale distributors - something craft brewers say they might need in the future to avoid getting squeezed out of the market by large corporate brewers.

LAX Trib

You must watch Beer Wars - it is online on Netflix.  Laurazim tried to explain to me one time why it was illegal to sell Spotted Cow in New York and I didn't completely understand until I watched this movie.   If I had more time I would go on a tirade.  Get big business out of the Legislature and make decisions on what's best for Wisconsin.  Let them drink beer!

HT Eugene on Beer Wars.