Fore more information on the Texas “Beer-To-Go” law and other TABC and Blue Law updates, here is the full text.
Texas has some of the strictest alcohol laws in the country. Under current law, it is illegal for Texas breweries to sell beer to customers to take with them and drink away from the facility. Especially for smaller or craft breweries, this severely limits economic potential as any product must be purchased and consumed on-site or distributed separately through a grocery or liquor store.
The 86th Texas Legislature ended Wednesday night, but one bill Texas brewers and beer connoisseurs alike had been waiting on is the House Bill 672 (nicknamed the “Beer To Go” bill). The bill details ways in which small breweries, defined by HB 672 as “not exceed[ing] a total of 225,000 barrels” are now allowed to sell ale produced on the premises of the breweries to consumers for off-premise consumption. Historically, craft breweries have only been allowed to sell their product on-premise for immediate consumption, severely limiting the amount of product they can sell.
And that’s not the only potential change for Texas alcohol laws. Another potential law details how individual owners may now have up to 250 liquor store permits. Under current law, no more than five are allowed per individual with two specific exceptions. Individuals that owned a liquor store prior to May 1, 1949 and family members combining liquor store permits are the only exemptions. This expansion could drastically change Texas’ alcohol economy.
A mandatory bill re-instating the TABC (Texas Alcohol and Beverage Commission) that is reviewed every twelve years was up for renewal during this year’s 86th Texas Legislature. Democrat Eddie Rodriguez added the “Beer To Go” amendment to the mandatory TABC bill, also known as the sunset provision, when it seemed it would not be able to get a review as a standalone bill.
Both of these provisions were amended onto House Bill 1545, with is the bill detailing the renewal of the TABC that must be passed in order for the organization to keep functioning. This is known as the sunset review process, and beer advocates pushed during this legislation because of its position as a once-in-a-dozen-years opportunity.
According to the Houston Chronicle, the beer economy in Texas has been exploding in the past decade. In just the 5 years between 2013 and 2018, Houston grew from 12 to 52 breweries in the city and 283 craft breweries in Texas as a whole. Beer advocates have been pushing for a long time to expand Texas alcohol laws and give the Blue Laws another look, but the TABC sunset review process ultimately provided the opportunity to do so.
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