Thoughts About the Jester King Victory
Ever since the news went about the "victory" in the Authentic Beverages, Jester King and Zax Restaurant suit against TABC, the craft beer community has been doing virtual cartwheels around the Internet. I've seen news articles from all over the country. Out of state breweries have posted items on their blogs about it. Everyone is happy (probably even TABC, now they can get a few label approvers onto other, more vital tasks--like keeping beer out of the hands of minors).
Even I'm happy. Now I don't have to explain why a dopplebock is an ale in Texas instead of a lager, as it is in the rest of the world.
Brock Wagner, owner of Saint Arnold Brewing, happiness was muted. He pointed out that now all the breweries that distribute in Texas have to spend money on new labels. It won't be a lot, but it's still an added expense.
You would think all of this buzz would have been picked up on by the Wholesale Beer Distributors of Texas. You would think they would be scratching their heads and saying "Maybe we could sell a lot more beer!"
Unfortunately, their members are busy trying to comply with the latest AB-InBev demands to focus on their core brands, and trying to keep their shelf space as Texas craft brewers self distribute along the Interstates. Fortunately, the distributors in the Great Texas Craft Beer Desert, don't have that concern, of course. They don't have to worry about that competition, thank God. So they can send more money to WBDT to prevent brewery sales and keep brewpub beer inside the brew pub.
Even I'm happy. Now I don't have to explain why a dopplebock is an ale in Texas instead of a lager, as it is in the rest of the world.
Brock Wagner, owner of Saint Arnold Brewing, happiness was muted. He pointed out that now all the breweries that distribute in Texas have to spend money on new labels. It won't be a lot, but it's still an added expense.
You would think all of this buzz would have been picked up on by the Wholesale Beer Distributors of Texas. You would think they would be scratching their heads and saying "Maybe we could sell a lot more beer!"
Unfortunately, their members are busy trying to comply with the latest AB-InBev demands to focus on their core brands, and trying to keep their shelf space as Texas craft brewers self distribute along the Interstates. Fortunately, the distributors in the Great Texas Craft Beer Desert, don't have that concern, of course. They don't have to worry about that competition, thank God. So they can send more money to WBDT to prevent brewery sales and keep brewpub beer inside the brew pub.
Labels: Beer News, Jester King Brewery
posted by hiikeeba at 09:26
3 Comments:
Brock Wagner is incorrect. Breweries that distribute here can continue to use the same labels they do now, or they can switch to their standard labels used in other states. No new labels needed for anything.
Breweries that don't distribute to other states will probably change their labels. But won't the breweries have to get label approval from TABC with the labels from other states?
The previously required differences between TX-approved and other state labels are probably so slight they could get away without a new approval. Usually, the only diff is the "BEER/ALE" text.
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