Florida Governor Signs Bill to Allow 64-Ounce Beer Growlers

The vexing battle over beer sizes in Florida is finally coming to end.

Starting July 1 Florida breweries will finally be able to sell beer in the popular 64-ounce refillable size known as a "growler."

Gov. Rick Scott on Thursday signed into a law a measure that ends the "growler war" over craft beer that has been swirling in the state for several years. It was one of 27 bills the governor signed.

"By making the sale of 64-ounce growlers legal in Florida, we are eliminating another burdensome regulation and allowing more Florida businesses to succeed," Scott said in a statement.

Current law allows 32-ounce and 128-ounce growlers, but not the size in the middle, which brewers and craft beer fans say is the best size to buy of the increasingly popular brews.

The legislation could end a long war between craft brewers and big beverage distributors over regulation of beer sales, in which the growler became a pawn.

"Growlers will give our customers more choices, increase our sales and directly benefit Florida and its taxpayers," said Mike Halker, president of the Florida Brewers Guild and owner of Due South Brewing in Boynton Beach.

The legislation (SB 186) also lifts the problematic requirement that craft breweries operate as tourist attractions, a holdover from the days when the law was intended to benefit Tampa's Busch Gardens.

Distributors said lifting the limits on craft brewery operations could open the way for large beer manufacturers to dominate the market by opening many small tasting rooms selling only their own beer.

To prevent a large brewer from taking over the retail market, the bill limits breweries to selling their beer at eight locations. It also limits the amount of beer they may transfer from one brewery location to another.