The "Surly bill" is headed to Gov. Dayton.
The Minnesota Senate gave final approval Thursday to a bill that would let Surly Brewing Co. sell pints of their beer at a proposed $20 million "destination brewery."
The bill was approved on a unanimous vote after clearing the House on Thursday. Both bodies approved the bills last week, but they needed to be resolved before heading to the governor.
Minnesota law currently forbids breweries from selling pints of their own beer on the premises because of a "three-tier" system that strictly separates alcohol manufacturers, distributors and retailers. The state's powerful liquor lobby initially fought the bill to protect that system, but later reached a compromise with bill authors.
During a press conference Friday, Gov. Dayton said he wants to examine the bill before saying whether he will sign.
"I support the Surly provision," Dayton said. "I don't know what else is in the bill."
Most of the other provisions of the bill are fairly minor.
The bill would change the pint law for all Minnesota breweries, though it was prompted by Surly's plans to expand their Brooklyn Center-based operation. A location for their new brewery has not been set.
