Craft brewers want to keep 3.2 beer in grocery stores.

• Author: Cote, Mike
• Position: RETAIL - Brief article

About the last people you'd expect to be championing 3.2 beer are the ones who make the beer you actually like to drink. But Colorado's 106 licensed craft breweries would be among the losers if lobbyists for grocery and convenience stores can convince legislators to let them sell full-strength beer, said John Carlson, executive director of the Colorado Brewers Guild, in an op-ed column published last month in the Denver Post.

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"Colorado craft brewers thrive because independent liquor stores offer them vital access to market," Carlson said. "This access has helped create a beer oasis in Colorado, while providing variety and competitive prices for Colorado beer lovers."

The proposed grocery store bill might put many smaller brewers out of business because they wouldn't be able to compete for shelf space at big-box retailers, Carlson said.

During a legislative preview in January...