(WBBM NEWSRADIO) — Illinois craft breweries say they’ve been adversely affected by the pandemic, and now their trade association is pushing legislation to allow them to ship their beer in Illinois and throughout the country — like Illinois wineries do.
“We’ve actually been hit pretty hard,” says Kevin Cary, owner and founder of Begyle Brewing in Ravenswood, which is part of Chicago’s “Malt Row.”
He says 80% of Begyle’s sales are on-premises, but during 2020 Begyle lost about a third of its business.
What he and other craft breweries are looking for is what they call a leveling of the playing field with Illinois wineries. Wineries can ship their products directly to consumers.
“They’ve been able to do that for about 15 years,” Cary said Friday. “We both make products locally here in Illinois, and they’re fermented beverages. And they’re able to directly ship those products to consumers in state and out of state.”
The bill would also allow breweries to continue home delivery here, something that currently is a temporary measure during the pandemic.
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