JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — Missouri beer lovers may soon be able to get their fill of craft brews at their local convenience and grocery stores, under proposals being discussed in the state legislature. Two measures, one that stalled in the state Senate and another that passed the House earlier this month, would allow stores that sell packaged beer to add the take-home jugs of draft beer to their inventory. Currently, growlers are only available at breweries and some bars.
The primary perk, according to House bill sponsor (and home brewer) Republican Rep. Robert Cornejo, is for drinkers who want to enjoy their favorite beer at home instead of going to a brewery. Growlers also could give people easier access to special beers that aren't bottled or canned by smaller brewing operations, he said.
Stores in the 35 states that allow retailers other than breweries or restaurants to sell growlers typically opt for the 64-ounce size, which fills about four to five glasses. The Missouri bills would allow growlers up to 128 ounces, though Ronald Leone, the executive director of Missouri Petroleum Marketers and Convenience Store Association, predicts a "fairly limited" number of convenience stores would take advantage of that option. (For more on growlers in c-stores, read the NACS Magazine article, “What’s on Tap.”)
Similar measures to expand use of growlers in Missouri have failed in past sessions, in part due to quality concerns from brewers. But Cornejo said new regulations on how to clean filling equipment and a requirement that stores only fill growlers as requested have garnered support from some hesitant brewers.
Meanwhile, in the neighboring state of Kansas, legislators are weighing the risks of new legislation that would allow supermarkets and convenience stores to sell stronger alcohol. At a meeting of the state GOP Senate caucus last week, legislators agreed that the issue needs further debate, especially as it has garnered intense lobbying efforts from both supporters and opponents.
Supermarket and convenience store chains like Dillons, Hy-Vee and QuikTrip support the move, saying it will increase consumer choices. But opponents say that allowing the major chains to sell alcohol would threaten the state’s roughly 750 individually owned liquor stores.