{"id":18519,"date":"2015-05-26T09:47:30","date_gmt":"2015-05-26T14:47:30","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.guysdrinkingbeer.com\/?p=18519"},"modified":"2021-08-31T11:07:22","modified_gmt":"2021-08-31T16:07:22","slug":"il-craft-brewer-act","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.guysdrinkingbeer.com\/il-craft-brewer-act\/","title":{"rendered":"ABDI & ICBG Agree to “Substantial Rewrite” of IL Craft Brewer Act"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/a>The agreement includes a gigantic jump in the production cap to be considered a craft brewer in Illinois. That current number is 30,000 barrels. Under the agreed-upon bill the number will jump to 120,000 barrels<\/strong>.<\/p>\n We first reported<\/a> on the talks in late March and checked in<\/a> on the talks a few weeks ago.<\/p>\n The legislation also addresses the reinterpretation of a law by the Illinois Liquor Control Commission which would have capped the amount of beer a brewpub could sell to a distributor at 50,000 gallons a year. The law, according to Associated Beer Distributors of Illinois President Bob Myers, was meant to cap how much beer a brewpub could sell in six packs and growlers — not to a wholesaler.<\/p>\n Here are the highlights of what’s be called a landmark agreement between the state’s craft brewers guild and the beer distribution lobby:<\/p>\n The bill creates two craft brewer licenses: Class 1 and Class 2.<\/p>\n A Class 1 Brewer could produce up to 30,000 barrels of beer a year and self-distribute up to 7,500 barrels of beer a year. They could not hold a brewpub license though.<\/p>\n A Class 2 Brewer could produce up to 120,000 barrels of beer a year and hold up to three brewpub licenses, however they could not self-distribute.<\/p>\n Production is capped at brewpubs in Illinois at 5,000 barrels of beer per year, per location. If a Class 2 Brewer has multiple brewpubs the beer produced there does count towards their 120,000 barrel cap. Also, a Class 2 Brewer could only offer beer for on-premise consumption at three locations, which would appear to keep a brewer from having a taproom and<\/em> three brewpubs,<\/p>\n The fee for a Class 1 license remains $25. The fee for a Class 2 license is $25.<\/p>\n