[img_assist|nid=59667|title=Beer Dumpers|desc=|link=none|align=left|width=300|height=180]On Thursday I went over to the Fire House Bar in Eau Claire (by the way, highly recommended for drinking Wisconsin craft brews). They were holding an event to protest the new changes to the beer distribution laws that were put in as part of the meandering budget process.
This bill is primarily in place because it was wanted by Miller/Coors in an attempt to keep Anheuser-Busch from gaining an advantage in the beer distribution market. Unfortunately this has ricocheted on the Wisconsin craft brewers, who will have a more difficult time in the future getting distribution for their beer.
In light of this, the Firehouse held an event where you could buy one glass of Miller beer, and if you then took it and dumped it in a bucket, you would be rewarded with a glass of Wisconsin craft brew. My wife and I took advantage of this, dumping a couple of glasses of Blue Moon into the bucket and getting two glasses of great and distinctive beer from Dave's Brew Farm, a local brewer.
Many people were at the bar taking advantage of this, and dumping their Miller beer into a garbage can. I was there early, [img_assist|nid=59682|title=|desc=|link=none|align=right|width=300|height=225]but the can was already filling up. There were many great beers to choose from when making the swap. For more information on this bill, the ramifications, and a chance to see what actually happened to all that beer at the end of the day, visit Blue Cheddar's blog. (though I have to wonder if dumping 50 gallons of beer down a storm sewer is legal, or prudent).