It's a happy day for hoppy beer fans in Minnesota.
Hours after the Legislature adjourned, Gov. Mark Dayton signed into law what has been dubbed the "Surly bill." The legislation allows the Brooklyn Center-based Surly Brewing Co. to serve pints of its beer at a proposed $20 million "destination brewery."
The Minnesota Licensed Beverage Association, the state's most powerful liquor lobby, initially fought the proposal to protect the three-tier system that strictly separated the roles of alcohol manufacturers, distributors and retailers. Surly hired its own lobbyists and mobilized a grass-roots network of supporters known as "Surly nation."
"That's really what made the difference, I think, is that people contacted their legislators and they listened," said Omar Ansari, owner of Surly Brewing Co.
The MLBA eventually softened its stance after lawmakers agreed to limit the law to brewers producing less than 250,000 barrels a year, essentially excluding major national brands.
The proposed brewery will include a restaurant, beer garden, bar, events center and rooftop terrace. The company has not decided where it will locate the facility, though it likely will be in the metro area.
