SL-007 What the hell is going on in Maryland and Texas?

What the hell is going in Maryland and Texas? You may have caught a bunch
of coverage of these two states on GBH over the past year. Their state
politicians are creating—depending on who you ask—all sorts of good, bad,
and ugly situations for their respective craft beer industries.

In Maryland, infighting about how beer is sold and regulated has led to the
legislature’s attempts to strip oversight from comptroller Peter Franchot,
who has led efforts to boost the state's craft-beer economy and earned
enemies along the way. In Texas, it's a similar story, where wholesalers
and lobbyists have long thumbed their noses at small beer producers.
Despite a recent breakthrough that could finally allow breweries to sell
beer to-go from their taprooms, there are still shenanigans to work through
as some wholesalers clap back.

For this episode of the Good Beer Hunting Sightlines podcast, we're
checking in on the latest from these two states. First, with Liz Murphy, a
reporter and columnist who writes about Maryland beer for the Annapolis
Capital Gazette, then with Josh Hare, founder and president of Austin's
Hops & Grain Brewing, as well as board chairman of the Texas Craft Brewers
Guild. Both will offer some insight into the quirky bitterness and
political games at play.

What the hell is going on? Listen in.

[Editor’s note: the Maryland portion of this podcast begins at 1:28, and
the Texas portion begins at 30:50.]