Save The Craft

Welcome to the landing page for Save The Craft. We began this grassroots campaign, one part public awareness and one part call to action, in February of 2011. Our goal was to rally support behind  the self-distribution rights of craft brewers in Illinois and to educate the craft beer drinkers in the state – and beyond – about legislative efforts in support of, and against, the endeavor.

What follows is the most comprehensive coverage online of Illinois’ months-long self-distribution fight; from the first rally cry for action to the final signature.

Over the course of our coverage we had tiffs with lobbyists, flooded the email inboxes of legislators and even caught the attention of Anheuser-Busch InBev – who came this/close to singling us out in a federal court motion for our ongoing efforts.

“To date, the proposed legislation has received significant media coverage within Illinois and at least one website is devoted to reporting on these efforts.”

While the self-distribution battle is over, for now, our Save The Craft coverage marches on. Using our combined 19 years in journalism – and our five years in state and national politics – we’ll continue to shine a light on Beer Politics in Illinois and surrounding states.

The Save The Craft moniker survives today as a beacon for those thirsty for politics with a beer back.

• Beer Politics: WEDCO & City Beverage, The Findings - UPDATED May 11, 2012
• Beer Politics: City Beverage & WEDCO, One Step Closer To Finality May 9, 2012
• Beer Politics: It's All In The Timing May 8, 2012
• Beer Politics: Putting The Wraps On This Chapter Of AB InBev, WEDCO & IL May 8, 2012
• Beer Politics: IL Legislative Roundup May 2, 2012
• Beer Politics: City Beverage of Bloomington Licenses Renewed, Still No Decision On WEDCO April 23, 2012
• Beer Politics: AB InBev & WEDCO; It's Too Quiet April 11, 2012
• Beer Politics: "3 Floyds Amendment" Signed In To Law March 22, 2012
• Beer Politics: MI Hotel Beer & Wine Bill Passes House March 16, 2012
• Beer Politics: MI Hotel Beer & Wine Bill March 13, 2012
• Beer Politics: "3 Floyds Amendment" Passes IN Senate & House March 8, 2012
• Deconstructing The Consultant: Our Take On John Conlin's Open Letter To Craft Beer Brewers & Drinkers February 27, 2012
• A Distribution Consultants Take On You, Me & The People Who Brew The Beer We Love February 21, 2012
• Beer Politics: "3 Floyds Amendment" Passes Committee February 17, 2012
• A Day With The ABDI; Bridging The Gap Between Brewer & Distributor February 8, 2012
• Save The Craft: WEDCO, Round TWO February 1, 2012
• Stepping In To The Lion's Den: I'm Speaking to the ABDI January 30, 2012
• Save The Craft: Anheuser-Busch InBev; The Response Is In January 19, 2012
• Save The Craft: An ILCC Update January 5, 2012
• Save The Craft: A-B, WEDCO & Illinois December 12, 2011
• Save The Craft: Yup, There's Still Unfinished Business December 6, 2011
• Watching Wisconsin: Following The Craft Beer Budget Amendment June 14, 2011
• Save The Craft: Three Down, Two To Go UPDATED June 7, 2011
• Save the Craft: Gov. Quinn SIGNS SB754 Into Law June 1, 2011
• Saving the Craft: Is Wisconsin Next? June 1, 2011
• Save The Craft: The Gov And The Judge UPDATED May 31, 2011
• Save The Craft: Two Down, Two Three To Go May 26, 2011
• Save The Craft: SB754 OVERWHELMINGLY Passes The IL House May 23, 2011
• Save The Craft: SB754 Passes House Executive Committee May 18, 2011
• Save The Craft: SB754 In The IL House Executive Committee May 18, 2011
• Save THEIR Craft: Big Muddy Brewing May 13, 2011
• Save The Craft: A Familiar Tale From Texas May 12, 2011
• Save The Craft: The A-B Empire Strikes Back May 11, 2011
• Save The Craft: A Deadline Looms May 10, 2011
• Save The Craft: SB754 Co-Sponsors UPDATED (X4) May 5, 2011
• Save The Craft: SB754 In The Illinois House May 3, 2011
• Save The Craft: SB754 PASSES Overwhelmingly (Updated) May 3, 2011
• Save The Craft: Picking Up Where We Left Off May 3, 2011
• Save THEIR Craft: Rolling Meadows Brewery April 28, 2011
• Sparging the News, Saving the Craft: How Indiana Handles Craft Brewery Legislation April 22, 2011
• Save The Craft: The Beer Philosopher Weighs In April 21, 2011
• Save The Craft: Goliath Is Getting Bigger April 20, 2011
• Save The Craft: Connecting The Dots UPDATED April 18, 2011
• Save The Craft: The Chips Have Fallen & Lines Have Been Drawn April 14, 2011
• BREAKING Save The Craft: New Bill Number, New Amendments & Possibly A Vote This Week April 12, 2011
• Save THEIR Craft: A Homebrewers Trials & Tribulations Of Opening A Brewpub And Why Self-Distribution Matters March 30, 2011
• Save The Craft UPDATED: HB205, SB88 & Outside the Loop RADIO March 17, 2011
• Save The Craft: Odds & Ends March 16, 2011
• Save The Craft: HB205 Update March 15, 2011
• BREAKING Save The Craft: Judge Issues Stay; Argus & Big Muddy Safe Till May 31st March 14, 2011
• BREAKING Save The Craft: Changes To HB205 March 11, 2011
• Save the Craft: The ABDI Strikes Back, and an SB88 Update March 9, 2011
• Save THEIR Craft: Argus Brewery March 8, 2011
• Save the Craft: Why Should We Lose What Michigan Wants? March 7, 2011
• Save The Craft: It's A Marathon, Not A Sprint March 4, 2011
• Save The Craft: The Players In Springfield & The A-B Bill March 2, 2011
• Sparging The News: What Beer Legislation Could (Should?) Be March 1, 2011
• Save The Craft: The "Anheuser-Busch" Bill, Following the Money, and SB88 Changes February 28, 2011
• Save The Craft Update - Legislation Moving, Ryan And Karl On WGN Radio! February 25, 2011
• "Save The Craft" Building Momentum February 24, 2011
• Craft Beer Lovers, WE WANT YOU! Join Us In Microbrew Advocacy and Save The Craft! February 23, 2011
• Sparging The News: Illinois Brewer Bill "Scheduled" In Committee February 15, 2011
• Sparging The News: Brewer Bill Delayed; A-B, Distributors, Brewers Meet February 9, 2011
• Sparging The News: Breweries, Brewpubs & The Illinois General Assembly February 9, 2011