USA, MT: Montana Governor signs bill expanding limit of small brewery production

Governor Steve Bullock visited a Missoula brewery on Monday, July 10 to sign House Bill 541, which will expand the limit of barrels produced by breweries from 10,000 to 60,000, KPAX-TV reported.

Bullock visited Bayern Brewery to sign the bill into law, which revises the definition of small brewery, increasing the number of barrels a brewery may produce to qualify as a small brewery and revises taxes imposed on production by brewers.

Bill co-sponsor Ellie Hill says bi-partisan support is the main reason this long-anticipated bill was passed.

"How did we finally do it? Well we finally got a Montana republican and a Montana democrat to work hand-in-hand on something that we both love equally as much," Hill said. "And that's making more money for Montana small businesses and brewing more Montana beer."

There are more than 68 breweries in 35 communities across the state that produce an estimated $100 million in economic output.