Open the Taps Austin Launch

WHAT: The Launch of Open The Taps in Austin
 
WHEN: Saturday, October 15 · 2:00pm - 8:00pm
 
WHERE: Draught House Pub and Brewery, 4112 Medical Pkwy
 
More from Open the Taps:

Help celebrate the launch of Open The Taps in Austin!Open The Taps is a grassroots, non-profit consumer advocacy group representing craft beer enthusiasts in Texas. Our goal is to change laws and regulations surrounding the craft beer industry in our state.

Come out to Draught House Pub & Brewery to chat with the board members of Open The Taps and join the movement to make Texas more craft beer friendly!

There are two membership levels available:
Base Membership: $35/year and includes a tshirt
100 4 100 (Austin): $100/year and includes a tshirt and inclusion in our focus groups that help determine the agenda, as well as invites to special events!

We take cash and credit card payments to sign up for membership.

http://www.openthetaps.org

REASON: We Can Sell Our Beer in Texas, but We Can't Tell You Where

I don't often write about beer laws. Mainly because it's kind of boring — writing and reading. Plus, there are others out there who are much better at writing that stuff. Don't worry, I'm not gonna write about it here, just passing along something to read.

h/t: Austin Beerworks

HB 2436 /SB 1575

What would HB 2436/SB 1575 do? It would let breweries of a certain size (under 75k barrels) to sell directly to the consumers. It would allow these breweries to have real tasting rooms (bars) selling beer for off-premises and/or on-premises quaffing.

Earlier today, I sat down with a Chip McElroy of Live Oak to discuss HB 2436/SB 1575. Actually we just talked on the phone. I was sitting down, not sure about Chip.

Chip said that this is primarily a marketing issue. It would be a great tool for reaching

potential new customers and helping test possible new products. Sales would be made face to face, with the people who actually made the beer. In addition to the marketing aspect, the bill would open up a new revenue stream, which does not currently exist. Still though, most of their beer would not be sold at the brewery. The vast majority of sales would still be made at third party outlets, via wholesalers. And this, Chip pointed out, is a very important feature of the bill: Allows for sales at breweries without threatening the three tier system. Similar bills have been introduced in the past two sessions, but Chip and co. have a lot of confidence in this "tight, clean" bill

.

You are probably thinking, "What can I do?" Easy, contact a committee member. Before contacting, gather a handful of talking points from Scott Metzger's ECONOMIC IMPACT AND POTENTIAL OF THE TEXAS CRAFT BREWING INDUSTRY.

(512) Brewing posted this handy contact list for us:

CALL/FAX/EMAIL SUPPORT TO THE COMMITTEE MEMBERS:

House Licensing and Administrative Procedures

Representative Mike Hamilton (chairman)

phone number (512) 463-0412

fax number (512) 463-1915

Website http://bit.ly/h6ObWp

Representative Chente Quintanilla (vice chairman)

phone number (512) 463-0613

fax number (512) 463-1237

Website http://bit.ly/eFSJYX

Representative Joe Driver

phone number (512) 463-0574

fax number (512) 463-1481

Website http://bit.ly/hzRnKP

Representative Charlie Geren

phone number (512) 463-0610

fax number (512) 463-8310

Website http://bit.ly/hHLk1w

Representative Roland Gutierrez

phone number (512) 463-0452

fax number (512) 463-1447

Website http://bit.ly/hgBqoG

Representative Patricia Harless

phone number (512) 463-0496

fax number (512) 463-1507

Website http://bit.ly/fAzz2b

Representative John Kuempel

phone number (512) 463-0602

fax number (512) 480-0391

Website http://bit.ly/fcEqJX

Representative Jose Menendez

phone number (512) 463-0634

fax number (512) 463-7668

Website http://bit.ly/h3qiMp

Representative Senfronia Thompson

phone number (512) 463-0720

fax number (512) 463-6306

Website http://bit.ly/gaMwf1

Drinkin' Beer, Eatin BBQ and Saving Texas

Yesterday was the Drink Beer. Save Texas. event at Uncle Billy's on the Lake. It was my first time out there. If you have not been, go. It's great, everything you love about Uncle Billy's and more. And a stellar view. Don't look over the railing if you have a fear of heights, shit is high up there.

Since Beertown Austin (Josh) and I were repping as a unified front (Austin Beer Guide) for the day, I am going to steal some of their write up (these are Josh's photos too!):

Thanks to the Uncle Billy’s crew and Texas Beer Freedom for having us out for their fundrasing event to help improve the future of Texas craft beer. We heard good bands, drank some House Brown 660, toured the new brewhouse and enjoyed the views. Not a bad Sunday.

If you read this blog semi-regularly you should know about House Bill 660 and its efforts to allow brewpubs to sell their beers off-site. If you don’t know anything about it just go here, here or here to get schooled on what’s going on.

There’s still a long way to go, but it’s not too late to help. Check out the Texas Beer Freedom website for ways to donate, get involved or catch the next event.

Some beers. Nice shirt.



Rocking bands. And look, you can see a little peak of the lake in the back.




Insomniac Coffee Stout - best beer of the day.

Texas Beer Freedom Rally @ Austin Homebrew

Drink Beer. Save Texas. I wish.

What do we want? TX BEER FREEDOM!
When do we want it? NOW!

Join us for a rally for TX House Bill 660. Raffle, t-shirts, glassware, and MORE!

Co-hosted by Freetail Brewing, NXNW Restaurant and Brewery, Uncle Billy’s Brew & QUE

HB660 - New York Times

NYTimes covers HB660.

Also, check out Tim's fish tattoo front and center. Sick.

A Couple Beer Law Videos

From Beertown Austin:



And from KENS 5: