California Gov. Signs Another Beer Industry Bill

On top of fixing the law about tasting beer at trade shows for brewers, the State’s craft brewing industry is happy about a law that makes it illegal to deface the name of a manufacturer on a metal keg without written consent.

It’s already illegal to recycle kegs without written permission of the manufacturer but in the name of saving the planet, some individuals efface the kegs’ ownership and take them to recycling facilities where they cash in.  Barrel theft is a big and costly issue for the industry.  The bill was sponsored by the California Craft Brewers Association, which estimated brewers could be losing five to 10 percent of keg inventory due to theft.  The law will be effective January 1, 2015.