House Vote Would Allow Throwback Brewery, Others to Sell Beer at Farmers Markets

The New Hampshire House of Representatives is expected to vote today on a bill that would allow small New Hampshire breweries like of North Hampton to sell beer at local farmers markets.

We'll update this post when the vote is taken.

It looks like lawmakers will approve the plan, as it unanimously passed a committee vote. It the House approves the bill today, it would go to the Senate for passage.

State Rep. Donna Schlachman, D-Exeter, is the prime sponsor of the bill – House Bill 1172. The full text of it can be found here.

Schlachman said she put the bill together after talking to small brewers like Throwback Brewery. Currently, only wine can be sold at local farmers markets like the ones held in and .

Schlachman said it makes sense to support local businesses like breweries.

"(Their beer) is a locally developed product," she said.

Schlachman's bill originally applied to so-called "nanobreweries" like Throwback, and not microbreweries like the Portsmouth Brewery – which yesterday generated a lot of buzz during its annual release of its .

The bill was ultimately revised to include all beer makers. Schlachman said it was a matter of fairness.

That means huge beer makers like Budweiser would technically be allowed to sell at farmers markets under the bill. But Schlachman said that would be unlikely, as their relative profit would be minimal. And the farmers markets themselves would have the right to determine which beer gets sold.

A House committee last month gave its seal of approval for Schlachman's bill. The full House will vote on it tomorrow. If it passes, it would go on to the Senate for passage.

Schlachman's bill has bi-partisan sponsorship. Its sponsors include:

• Rep. Mark Warden, R-Manchester
• Rep. Patty Lovejoy, D-Stratham
• Rep. Calvin Pratt, R-Goffstown
• Sen. Russell Prescott, R-Kingston