Advocacy – Arkansas Brewers Guild

LEGISLATION

The Arkansas Brewers’ Guild is an organization that lobbies government officials on behalf of the native brewing industry in Arkansas, serves as a liaison with the ABC, and provides training and networking opportunities for those in the brewing industry and related fields. Since 2003, the Arkansas Brewers’ Guild has achieved an impressive list of accomplishments on behalf of native brewers and their industry partners, giving Arkansas some of the most favorable laws in the country for the brewing industry.

Here’s what we’ve accomplished so far:

Raised the production caps to 45,000 bbls for breweries and 45,000 for brewpubs.
Allowed direct sales 7 days a week.
Established beer sales on premise and off up to 21% abw, within ABC guidelines.
Allowed all brewers to sell beer at festivals, farmers markets, and other events statewide.
Successfully defended self-distribution for small breweries up to 15,000 bbls. annually.
Secured the ability to request a rebate of State Excise tax.
Provided that breweries can sell beer from other small breweries at their sites.
Allowed Breweries to sell wine and spirits on premise.
Exempted Keg purchases and leases from sales tax.
Allowed breweries to operate secondary production facility and 2 satellite taprooms.
Allowed employment of FOH (front of house) employees employed in FOH roles at other alcohol industry members at breweries and brewpubs.
Allowed transportation of products between commonly owned facilities.
Allowed small breweries to act as a distributor for beer festivals.
Created a series of successful events that promote Arkansas beer, raise funds for the Guild, and compensate participants for their efforts.

As part of our commitment to advocating for Arkansas craft beer, we want to ensure that our legislative priorities reflect the real needs and goals of our members. We’ve created a brief survey that gives you the opportunity to share what matters most to your brewery. Your input directly shapes the Guild’s legislative agenda, helping us speak with a united and informed voice at the Capitol. Thank you for taking a few minutes to guide our efforts and strengthen the future of Arkansas craft beer.