BEAUMONT, Texas — Texans can now take home freshly- brewed beer from craft breweries throughout the state.
A bill signed by Governor Greg Abbott on Saturday will dramatically help one local brewery when it opens at the end of summer.
Pour Brothers Brewery, LLC will be located near downtown Beaumont and be able to sell packages of cans for the first time thanks to the passing of the "Beer-to-go" bill.
Joel Hollier, a partner with Pour Brothers, said "The fact that breweries get to do it now too is great."
The bill allows craft breweries to sell beer for customers to take home and takes effect on September 1.
It works out well for what will be one of Beaumont's newest businesses.
"It's very exciting, we've followed it and they've tried to do it several times the past few years," said Hollier. "They finally got it through and we were excited to see it."
Pour Brothers will be located on the 500 block of Wall Street, near downtown Beaumont with plans to open in late August.
Prior to the bill getting passed, craft breweries relied on distribution.
"In the past, you can come to a brewery and taste the beers, decide which one you like," said Nic McLaughlin. "Yet, you couldn't purchase six-pack or 12-pack to take home with you at that point. You had to go to the store and hope it was sold there."
Once Pour Brothers Brewery opens, it will offer a self-pouring tap wall for its customers and feature a beer garden outside.
The brewery will have 16 taps and start out selling four beers; Pattersbier, brown ale, red ale and an IPA.
The owners believe their business will benefit from the new law.
McLaughlin said "We feel like it will, we feel like being able to take home the fresh-brewed beer that you tasted here, that you found you really liked and be able to take it home with you to enjoy it will hopefully encourage you to come back and try it again."
Beer lovers will soon have many options for a brewery to choose from.
Along with Pour Brothers, two other breweries plan to open in Jefferson County this year.
Struggle Street Brewing Company is scheduled to open its doors next month along Calder Avenue in Beaumont.
Hollier said "It's definitely catching up with the times, Beaumont is the only major metropolitan area in the state that doesn't have at least one brewery."
In Nederland, Buckstin Brewing Company recently announced it will set up shop along Boston Avenue and plans to open up at the end of the year.