Toppling Goliath's Clark Lewey will be in Des Moines Wednesday for a meeting that could lead to lifting one beer regulation

In May of this year, decorahnews.com reported (http://www.decorahnews.com/archived-stories/2016/05/13667.html) that, under existing state law, Toppling Goliath Brewery would have to close down its tap room on College Drive when it opens its new brewery and sampling room in the Decorah Business Park.  That's because existing state law limits craft breweries to one beer license.

Now we can report that an effort is underway to study whether to change that law--and the effort has the blessing of the Iowa Alcoholic Beverages Division.

Toppling Goliath co-owner Clark Lewey will be part of a 15-person study committee meeting in Des Moines on Wednesday to specifically look at the state's beer regulations.  The study group includes not just Lewey, but several other representatives of Iowa's craft beer industry, including Peace Tree Brewing Company of Knoxville owner Megan McKay, 515 Brewery of Des Moines owner David Ropte and Iowa Craft Beer Association President J. Wilson.

The group will spend its next two meetings reviewing Iowa's beer laws, with the goal of making recommendations by the end of the year to the Iowa Alcoholic Beverages Division--and to Iowa Governor Terry Branstad's Office.  After that, study committee spokesperson Robert Bailey tells decorahnews.com, the expectation is that the recommendations will be presented to legislators during next year's legislative session.