Lift Bridge Brewing Expands To Wisconsin: MN Liquor Laws Blamed

STILLWATER, MN — Wisconsin has lured yet another business from Minnesota in part due to the state's looser liquor laws. The good news for Stillwater Lift Bridge fans, however, is that they're expanding and not relocating.

"We've been expanding internally and have expanded as much as we could in our Stillwater building," Dan Schwarz, CEO of Lift Bridge, told the Star Tribune.

Big Watt, which partners with Lift Bridge for coffee stouts, recently purchased a facility in New Richmond, Wisconsin. Now, the plan is to house both Lift Bridge and the coffee manufacturer in the new building.

"Minnesota's liquor laws were a factor, but the opportunity came up and it seemed too good of a partnership to not act on," Schwarz added.

Under Minnesota law, a brewery that makes more than 20,000 barrels of beer a year is not allowed to sell growlers or bottles "to go" in its taproom. Minnesota is the only state in the country that limits craft breweries in this way, reports KSTP.

It's a familiar story. Minneapolis-based Tattersall Distillery announced earlier in March that it will open a second production facility in River Falls, Wisconsin. The distillery has tried for four years to convince Minnesota lawmakers to change industry laws.

Distilleries that exceed 40,000 proof gallons annually are are not allowed to open a cocktail room or sell products directly to guests in Minnesota.

Proposed legislation for breweries

In February, Rep. Jim Nash of Waconia introduced the "#FreeTheGrowler" bill, which would remove the growler limits for Minnesota breweries.

"Of the 8,000+ breweries in the United States, only five are unable to sell beer to go, and all five are in Minnesota," Nash noted in a news release.

"There is already a rule in place that limits total growler sales to 750 barrels a year, to protect retailers from being affected."