Matthew Tota
That didn’t take long.
Fewer than 80 days after breweries won the right to cut ties with a distributor without having to wage a protracted legal battle, a distributor has called the new law unconstitutional and wants to fight a protracted legal battle.
Holliston wholesaler Atlantic Beverage Distributors has tried to deny Framingham brewer Jack’s Abby’s efforts to terminate its Massachusetts distribution agreement and buy back control of its brand by filing a lawsuit with the state’s Alcohol Beverages Control Commission.
Jack’s Abby represents the first high-profile brewer to invoke the new law, and this case will test the strength of the historic truce between brewers and distributors.
Sam Hendler was still in his office at Jackâs Abby brewing in Framingham at 2:45 a.m. on Wednesday, with a livestream of the proceedings in the Massachusetts House playing on his computer.
Hendler, the founder of the brewery, had spoken to Senate President Karen Spilka on the phone about an hour earlier, and everything seemed to be falling into place. After 10 years, the Legislature was on the cusp of finally approving a deal he helped negotiate with beer wholesalers over distribution rights for small craft beers.
But he needed to watch the vote himself. He would wind up driving home and watching the final vote from bed.
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And had no idea that we would be dealing with something quite like this. that s one of the issues that we have but it was not something that we could plan for because it had never ever happened and it was inconceivable that it would. when you talk about the rescues that you see going on, what is so great about this, ali and stephanie is that the people that are out there doing that, they are doing it because they want to do it. that s one of the things that i m so proud of the people of texas and particularly in beaumont. you saw guys being rescued holding on to a limb for several hours. the two guyed that regs cued him, one is the vice president of one of the largest beer distributors in the state. he didn t have to be out there. will jen kins and clark winslow also a business guy. they are out there to help. that s one of the great things about heroics, sometimes people