Sandra Cotter Quoted in DBusiness Article on Michigan Beer Industry

Sandra M. Cotter, a Lansing, Michigan-based member of Dykema’s Government Policy & Practice Group, whose practice includes public policy litigation and legislation as well as liquor licensing and regulation, is quoted in an article—“The State of Beer”—that appears in the July-August 2013 issue of DBusiness, the leading business magazine in Detroit and Southeast Michigan.

The article addresses the recent dramatic growth of microbreweries in Michigan and explores whether the trend is likely to continue, given evolving regulatory standards and intensified competition.

Cotter, who has followed Michigan liquor laws for a number of years, is optimistic about the region’s ability to sustain its growth.

“I think people see opportunities now where they might not have a few years ago,”  Cotter observes in the article. She notes that whereas predecessor liquor commissioners would sometimes make it difficult for brewers to obtain licenses (“going beyond” statutory requirements when granting sales permits), recent—and more customer-friendly--initiatives by Governor Snyder’s administration “have the potential to benefit the beer industry.”

Cotter goes on to say that an easing of regulations—particularly as relates to microbrewers being able to serve and sell beer by the glass—could help promote tourism, bringing new revenues to the state.

To read this DBusiness article in its entirety, click here.