Beer Distributors Express Appreciation for Final Enactment of the Agreed Brewers Bill; Urge Governor to Sign the Compromise Legislation

Boston - January 6, 2021 -- William Kelley, President of The Beer Distributors of Massachusetts (BDM), today issued a statement thanking House and Senate leaders and members of the Legislature for their support to win passage of the An Act Relative to Craft Brewers.

“The Beer Distributors of Massachusetts (BDM) expresses its deep appreciation to House Speaker Ron Mariano, Senate President Karen Spilka and members of the Legislature for their hard work and support for this important legislation,” Kelley said. “The compromise legislation approved earlier this morning reflects an agreement with the Massachusetts Brewers Guild (MBG), and will facilitate further growth and promote the health of the craft beer industry in Massachusetts. We are extremely grateful to the leadership of the Massachusetts Brewers Guild and everyone involved in the years-long effort to reach this agreement, and we are hopeful the Governor will sign the legislation.”

In July, the BDM and MBG announced that they had reached an agreement that resolved a 10-year-old challenge over changing the Massachusetts beer industry’s brand distribution relations. Over the past decade, craft breweries and distributors have disagreed on proposed legislation that would allow breweries to end relationships with their beer distributors. Legislative leaders had urged the two sides to compromise, and the resulting discussions produced the bill that was passed by the Legislature this morning. 

The bill, An Act Relative to Craft Brewers, would allow breweries that produce less than 250,000 barrels (or 3,445,000 cases) of beer, over a 12-month period, to terminate their relationship with a distributor at any time with 30 days’ notice, while recognizing the beer distributor’s investment in marketing, sales, promotion and inventory.

Massachusetts has more than 200 breweries across the state. The agreement provides expanded opportunities for breweries to continue to grow their businesses, while Massachusetts’ consumers will continue to enjoy a wide selection of high-quality beers.