Craft brewers in the state of Texas are growing increasingly incensed at the way the state government has been treating their industry.
As the San Antonio Express-News reports, Brewers must face a labyrinthine set of laws if they hope to successfully run their businesses in the state. For example, if a craft brew pub wants to sell products from other beer makers, that's illegal. They can, however, sell wine or cider from other makers.
As Charles Vallhonrat explained to the Express-News after Prohibition, strict rules were created in Texas to separate the roles of beer brewers, distributors, and sellers. As a result, brewers say their industry is anything but a free market, and consumers are paying the price. They blame their difficulties on the corporate beer Lobby in Austin.
