House Subcommittee Considers Local Beer And Wine Bills

Should New Hampshire put local beers in state liquor stores? Or, should liquor commission revenues fund advertising for local wine and beer makers?

These were two of the questions a House Commerce Subcommittee began to discuss Tuesday. But the conversation could end there. That’s because some lawmakers feel the state should consolidate its efforts in supporting what they call “local agro-tourism,” which is not just local beer and wine producers, but other local products, like meats, or maple syrup.

Nicole Carrier – a nanobrewer on the Seacoast – says some of the existing bills would help her business. But, she says, other kinds of promotion from the state would go a long way too. For example, she says, Vermont has detailed beer, cheese and wine maps. New Hampshire’s beer map hasn’t been updated in years, so her two year old business isn’t on there.

Representative Kermit Williams said he’d like to see lawmakers do something for local beer and wine makers, this year.