RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — This week, the Virginia Craft Brewers Guild (VCBG) announced its intention to develop its own company for limited self-distribution.
The Virginia Beer Distribution Company will be modeled after the Virginia Wine Distribution Company (VWDC).
The company will also have a board of representatives that participating brewery licensees will pay a license and transaction fee in order to participate in and support the operation.
“The VCBG’s founding was driven by the need to make important legislative changes that would ensure the growth of craft beer in Virginia,” said Janell Zurschmeide, Dirt Farm Brewing and VCBG Leadership Council Chair. “We are now the number one southern craft beer state per capita, so this initiative is part of a long legacy of responding to market needs.”
According to a release from the VCBG, it is currently working with a number of established governmental and non-governmental agencies to determine certain logistics for the company, such as the fee structure and staffing needs. The working group will make a report to the Virginia House and Senate by Oct. 1, 2022.
The guild will launch a social media and political mobilization campaign in October to garner support for the distribution company. If approved by the Virginia General Assembly, it could be ready for business by July 1, 2023.