Gov. Walz signs Minnesota liquor bill into law

ST. PAUL, Minn. (FOX 9) – The growler cap has officially been raised, and breweries and distilleries can start selling their products in more sizes on-site as soon as Monday. 

Gov. Tim Walz on Sunday signed the new liquor bill into law, marking the biggest rewrite to Minnesota’s liquor laws since Sunday sales became legal in 2017. 

The law expands the off-sale options for breweries and distilleries, including allowing the state’s largest breweries to sell growlers, as well as allowing smaller breweries to sell four- and six-packs to go, up to a 128-ounce daily limit per customer. And distilleries can now sell larger, 750-milliliter bottles from their cocktail rooms.

Previously, breweries that sold more than 20,000 barrels annually were prohibited from selling their beer in 64-ounce vessels. Now the so-called growler cap has been raised, so breweries that sell fewer than 150,000 barrels per year can sell growlers. 

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Five breweries – Summit, Schells, Surly, Castle Danger and Fulton – were above the 20,000-barrel cap and others were approaching it, forcing growing breweries to choose between brewing more beer and selling growlers. 

There are other changes, too. Bars can stay open for extended hours during World Cup games and Town Team Baseball organizations can get licenses to sell stronger beer at games (they were previously limited to 3.2 beer). 

Breweries and distilleries have been pushing for these changes for years, with the need heightened by the COVID-19 pandemic. Lawmakers struck a deal on the changes to Minnesota’s liquor laws last week, and the measure sailed through the House and Senate on Friday.