Even without this law I think most are somewhat forced to go through a distributer to get shelf space etc..
Doing it without a distributor is not so easy from what I have read and seen.
And of course there are the 12 or so states that have these laws.
Admittedly I failed to mention that the law says that while you have to go through a distributor if you want to sell your beer you have to buy it back from the wholesaler/distributor if you want to sell it yourself off premise so it's not just about shelf space. It affects all sales regardless of what it is from these businesses. You can't just bring your beer and sell it directly to things like a festival (one example given in an article from last month I was reading).
The reason for KS largely is tied to archaic pre-prohibition laws so much of our silly laws tied to alcohol are from decades before prohibition occurred. They are open to changing the law and a bunch of breweries (of which it's hard to even have those in my state because of old laws) want to change the law because it makes it difficult to stay in business but the concern with the way the wording was done for a proposed change would be that
outside of the state breweries would flood in. Well that's their reasoning at least so back to the drawing board.
As far as shelf space well according to microbrewers throughout the state they are finding distributors are not always representing local products when the law requires them to go through them. Though they don't point to the distributor as the biggest problem more that their hands are tied on how they choose to sell their product.
From the news articles in February these microbrewers aren't necessarily always producing the level that would necessitate a distributor and that doesn't incentivize the distributor at all. But by law they cannot sell any amount period of their beer produced unless it's on their premise without going through a distributor.
One of the breweries said changing the law "It is an effort to modernize an antiquated law that was established before the first microbreweries in Kansas, level the playing field for small business and provide microbreweries with free-market options in the event that they do not believe their interests are being well represented."
As far as local article read there would be only 9 states that do not allow microbrewers to sell directly.
ummmm wha???
