Arizona lawmakers sponsor clashing beer production bills

PHOENIX (AP) - Arizona lawmakers are sponsoring competing bills related to beer production in hopes of nudging breweries and wholesale distributors to work things out.

The Arizona Capitol Times reports that both pieces of legislation are up for a vote Monday by the state Senate's Commerce and Workforce Development Committee.

One bill is proposing expanding the state's yearly cap to 4.9 million gallons of beer for a company with several microbrewery licenses. But lobbyists for craft brewers say the bill was written without consulting microbreweries.

The other bill proposes that microbreweries that go above the current annual cap be considered beer producers and would still be able to maintain retail operations.

Brewing companies such as Four Peaks are in danger of losing two stand-alone restaurants where beer is not served.