LAKELAND – Beer wars have erupted in the Florida Legislature this session, The Ledger reports, with craft breweries fighting a bill that would require them to sell their products to a distributor and then buy it back if they want to sell it on-premise.

Senate Bill 1714 by state Sen. Kelli Stargel cleared the Senate Community Affairs Committee on an 8-1 vote last week and requires craft brewers to pay a distributor for all craft beer in bottles or cans sold onsite. State Rep. Ben Albritton said the bill is not a ploy by big brewers to limit competition, notes the news source.

"The craft brewers are fighting the three-tiered system set up after Prohibition ended that has kept the industry functioning without the corruption and uncontrolled regulations," Albritton told The Ledger. "Before Prohibition and during it, alcohol sales and manufacturing were all mixed up and there was no control.”

"What we are doing is requiring all vendors (point of sale) to go through a distributor. They (craft brewers) want to sell their beer without the controls. You are a brewer, not a vendor," Stargel said. "We can't return to Prohibition when regulations on beer were simply out of control.”

Stargel acknowledged that the popularity of craft beer is complicating matters, but it will not change the status for brewers. "What we are doing is requiring all vendors to have a distributor. If a craft brewer wants to be a vendor then it requires a distributor," she said.

Craft brewers are also looking to sell their beer on their premises in 32-ounce and 64-ounce growlers. Currently, they can sell only 32-ounce and gallon growlers.