The so-called ‘Surly bill’ that allows beer makers to serve their beer in a taproom and sell growlers and packaged beer has a catch. You can only sell packaged beer from your brewery if you make fewer than 3,500 barrels of beer. KARE11 set their story at Fulton Brewery, a place that is expected to surpass the 3,500 mark by next year.

KARE11: The booming microbrewery business is finding out that in Minnesota success comes with a drawback.

As breweries grow, they are being forced to retire an aspect of their business called growlers, a half-gallon jug of beer that can be purchased at the brewery.

“Growler’s are very popular,” says Jim Diley, co-owner of Fulton Brewery in Minneapolis’ North Loop neighborhood.

“People really like coming into the brewery, seeing what’s new, talking with the brewer and then leaving with the product that’s made right there,” Diley says.

This year, business is booming at Fulton Brewery and production is expected to exceed 3,500 barrels of beer. Unfortunately, that’s when state law says they can no longer sell growlers or any packaged beer directly from the brewery. Watch

1 barrel (bbl) = 31 gallons. Once a MN brewer makes more than 3,500 bbls, you can no longer purchase their growlers.

— Save the Growler (@SavetheGrowler) February 15, 2013