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The ink on a compromise bill that Governor Hickenlooper signed may not have dried when a group of well-respected Colorado craft brewers announced that their divorce from the Colorado Brewers Guild (CBG), Porch Drinking reported.
Brand new Senate Bill 197 allows grocery stores to sell full strength alcohol at up to 20 locations throughout the state over the next 20 years. The original form of the law, which was to go to voters in November, would have allowed major retailers to sell wine and full-strength beer immediately. Those stores are only allowed to carry 3.2 beer now. The protest of breweries like New Belgium, Great Divide, Funkwerks, Oskar Blues, Renegade, and more is that the Colorado Brewers Guild failed in its advocacy for craft breweries.
The fourteen who signed an open letter regarding the split also announced the existence of a new group, Craft Beer Colorado, aimed at being a "dynamic, proactive, visionary, transparent and welcoming trade association for Colorado’s craft brewers."
The newly formed group includes:
- Tommy Bibliowicz and Dustin Ramey of 4 Noses Brewing
- Mike Bristol of Bristol Brewing
- Dave Cole of Epic Brewing
- Kevin Daly of Mountain Sun Brewing
- Brian Dunn of Great Divide Brewing
- Grimm Brothers Brewhouse
- Kim Jordan of New Belgium Brewing
- Brad Lincoln of Funkwerks Brewing
- Nick Nunns of TRVE Brewing
- Brian O’Connell of Renegade Brewing
- Wynne Odell and Doug Odell of Odell Brewing
- Oskar Blues Brewing LCC
- Ted Risk and Ryan Wibby of Wibby Brewing
- Eric Wallace of Left Hand Brewing