Brewery Hits Limit on Growlers, Spotlighting Liquor Law

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- A popular North Shore brewery will soon have to stop selling growlers, and it's shining a light on Minnesota liquor laws.

Castle Danger Brewery will have to stop selling the refillable jugs known as growlers in October. That's because state law blocks breweries that produce more than 20,000 barrels per year from selling growlers.

Some distributors say the law protects them from being wiped out by protecting retailers. But brewers like Castle Danger say it hurts them financially _ growler sales make up nearly one-third of taproom revenue.

Sen. Karin Housley introduced a bill this year to raise the threshold to 250,0 barrels, but it didn't make it out of committee.