note from the CCBA
beer and politics
Assemblyman Wesley Chesbro has been a strong advocate for the craft beer industry. He is the
author of AB647. The bill would permit beer manufacturers to refill any growler as long as the
previous manufacturer and bottler of the beer is removed or completely obscured.
WESLEY CHESBRO
What is your background in craft beer?
By Tom McCormick
Over the years, I made beer at “Brew It Up” when it was open. I was really saddened when that opportunity went away because for busy people it was a great way to be able to make beer and enjoy the
whole process without necessarily having to do it at home.
Growler.
The mere mention of the word elicits a sensation of artisanal liquid joy: Delicious,
fresh craft beer straight from the source. It also uncaps confusion—and questions.
Why is it that while some breweries sell growlers, others don’t? Why do some
breweries refill used growlers while many breweries only sell beer filled in their
own growlers? Why do some retail stores sell growlers but most do not?
To answer these questions, we must wade into the deep, dark confines of the
California Alcoholic Beverage Control Act (ABC Act), which comprises the Business
and Professions Code and the Code of Regulations. If you are looking for some
nighttime reading to put you to sleep, you can find it on the ABC website, www.
abc.ca.gov. The ACB code is the legal statute by which manufacturers, distributors
and retailers of alcoholic beverages must abide. The rules of the road, so to speak.
What is your favorite style of beer?
I would say red or brown ales. I’m always looking for a new favorite.
How did you get involved in craft beer legislation?
I represented the wine country for many years: Napa, Sonoma, Mendocino and Lake when I was in
the Senate for eight years. I got involved in advocacy for the small wineries that have many regulatory burdens. I quickly realized that the small wine producers could not compete politically and economically with the large producers and the wholesalers, but they did have a wonderful product that
people loved. So I set about trying to help small wine producers to make a connection to the Capitol
by introducing people to their products by having wine tastings and organizing tours of the wineries in
Napa and Sonoma. That was very successful. We were able to pass some laws to make it easier for the
small wineries to ship wine over the Internet. I also passed a bill to protect the Napa label from large
producers using labels with Napa in the name but making it with grapes from elsewhere.
A good starting point when contemplating all things growler is to note that the term
doesn’t even exist in the ABC code. The growler is considered a “container” by the
ABC, just as a bottle or keg, and has no special meaning or separate set of rules.
To answer our first question, some beer manufactures simply choose not to sell
growlers. They may be so small that they sell all of their beer in pints through the
tasting room. Some craft breweries don’t have a tasting room or retail store and
instead sell everything through a wholesaler. Some simply may not make enough
beer. So although most craft breweries do sell growlers, some do not. This is by
choice, not because of regulatory constraints.
When the craft brew movement began to really take off, I was in the Assembly. There, I decided to help the
Craft Brewers’ Association focus on the same kind of strategy in the Capitol. I would say the small brewers
are, in the most cases, even smaller and with less political clout than the small wine makers. So we’ve had a
number of beer events, and we’ve done a couple of brewery tours. I have a kegerator in my office that at any
one time features three different craft brews, so whenever there is a social event I try to be the provider of
fresh beer. This included an event a couple months ago where I poured the Governor a beer out of a growler. At that time, he recalled that in his first time around as Governor, he had signed the original Tom Bates
Legislation, which authorized brew pubs in California. That is an example of helping to raise the profile for
an industry that doesn’t have a lot of political clout.
Addressing the second question regarding the refilling of growlers is more complex. Prior to last year, the ABC did not allow breweries to refill a growler from
another brewery. For a variety of reasons, the ABC recently reinterpreted the
regulations and they now allow a beer manufacturer (holder of an ABC type 01 or
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