Minnesota Municipal Beverage Association

22/07/2024

Brooklyn Center Liquor manager Tom Agnes was quoted in Cheers Magazine article on American Whiskey 👏

Read:

Things could not be going better for the American whiskey category. It’s firing on all cylinders with an ever-diversifying consumer base.

16/07/2024

Fun facts about wine pricing 🍷 when choosing wine, American consumers consider price above all other factors, according to YouGov.

Of the participants surveyed, 49% declared the price of wine was "very important" to them, far exceeding the percentage of US consumers who prioritized factors like alcohol content (18%), region (17%) or vintage (15%)

11/07/2024

We awarded the 2024 MMBA Best-Themed Promotion to The Docksider (Longville)! 🏆

With this program, customers were able to “buy” a drink for a local firefighter. All municipal bars could participate in the program and show support for their community 👏

08/07/2024

There are many animal adoption events happening in MMBA member facilities around the state in support of the MMBA / Coors Light Animal Community Value initiative!

Things we love to see 👏🐕

05/07/2024

What fueled Minnesota’s THC takeover? A careful alchemy of local innovation, freewheeling legislation, and rapidly shifting consumer trends has brought Minnesota to the forefront of the cannabis-infused beverage market

Read more:

A careful alchemy of local innovation, freewheeling legislation, and rapidly shifting consumer trends has brought Minnesota to the forefront of the cannabis-infused beverage market.

02/07/2024

The 2024 MMBA Team of the Year Award is Princeton Wine and Spirits! 🏆

They take pride and ownership in working together towards the common goal of making Princeton Wine & Spirits a pleasant shopping experience and an important community asset 👏

21/06/2024

The Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry (DLI) is contacting employers to make sure they are aware of their workplace responsibilities under the earned sick and safe time (ESST) law, which went into effect Jan. 1, 2024, as well as resources available to assist them.

ESST resources, including FAQs, sample notices and more are available at dli.mn.gov/sick-leave

18/06/2024

The 2024 MMBA Best Innovation Award goes to Paynesville Municipal Liquor! 🏆

This past year manager, Bill Ludwig has been promoting items, events and the store itself via Facebook Live. He also uses this platform to teach how to mix a cocktail and introduce new products being sold in the store. This effort by Bill has increased awareness online and foot traffic into his store 👏

13/02/2024

The Lakeville Liquors team presented a LARGE check (over $35k!) to members of the Beyond the Yellow Ribbon program to benefit veterans and their families.

It was a record total for them! Shoutout to everyone involved 👏👏

The MN Municipal Beverage Association (MMBA) is a statewide association of municipally owned and oper

13/02/2024

Minnesota health officials said they have recently seen THC products that are hundreds of times above the legal limit. In Minnesota, beverages and edibles are allowed to have five milligrams of THC per serving.

"Be an informed consumer and know what you're buying, and we just want to have a safe and legal marketplace,"

If the the health department finds a violation, they will issue a correction order. If the problem persists, they can fine businesses up to $10,000 per incident.

13/02/2024

MMBA / MLBA Legislative Day is Monday, February 26. Your voice is influential, needed, and critical in supporting Minnesota’s smart and balanced alcohol regulations that affect our industry.

Members can register here: https://www.mnsmart.org/rsvp

13/01/2024

If your business sells hemp-derived cannabinoid products directly to consumers, you must register with the Minnesota Department of Health 📝

The registration process is simple and done online at no cost to the business! Register here: https://www.health.state.mn.us/people/cannabis/edibles/index.html

07/01/2024

Tall Grass Liquor was able to transfer $575,000 in profits to the city’s general fund and debt service funds to lower Marshall’s property tax levy 👏

Tall Grass was able to support a variety of community service causes in 2022, including donations to groups like the Marshall Pet Rescue, the SMSU Foundation, & the Marshall PTA 5K run.

The MN Municipal Beverage Association (MMBA) is a statewide association of municipally owned and oper

07/01/2024

Shoutout to 50 Lakes Municipal Liquor Store, 50 Lakes Bar & Bottle Shop, who donated $50,000 to the city's park fund in the past year to help fund new pickleball courts and future splash pad 👏

The MN Municipal Beverage Association (MMBA) is a statewide association of municipally owned and oper

07/01/2024

Minnesota has the most lenient laws for selling edible and drinkable THC, and the rest of the country is watching closely 👀

The surge in the drinks is somewhat cannibalizing craft beer sales at liquor stores, Halper said, but it's also bringing in new revenue, which is why he's being so aggressive.

"There's a real opportunity for liquor stores to establish themselves and their relationship with their customers and hold on to that business for a long period of time."

07/01/2024

After Minnesota’s adult-use ma*****na law passed, Marshall’s municipal liquor store became the first business in the city to stock lower-potency edibles and drinks.

While customers have been curious, there hasn’t been a sudden jump in demand, said Tall Grass Liquor manager Eric Luther.

Have you been seeing any jumps at your local stores?

20/11/2023

MARK YOUR CALENDARS! The 2024 MMBA Annual Conference is April 20 - 23. The Monday Night theme is Theater Characters 🎭 if you have additional ideas, message us! We’d love to hear them.

20/11/2023

Beer, liquor, and wine may indirectly save Pelican Rapids taxpayers from what might have been the highest tax increase in the history of the city.

Liquor store profits, combined with several shifts of earmarked and reserve funds into 2024, will help reduce the sting for Pelican city taxpayers, down from a feared 21.8 percent to as little as 3.3 percent 🙌

Discover how beer, liquor, and wine might save Pelican Rapids taxpayers from a massive tax increase in 2024. Find out how liquor store profits play a role.

19/11/2023

Did you know that Brooklyn Center Liquor does frequent liquor giveaways on their account? Make sure you like their page to enter and keep up with the latest news about their municipal store!

19/11/2023

If you are new to the beer industry or would like more information about TTB label requirements, check out this interactive Anatomy of a Malt Beverage Label tool: https://www.ttb.gov/beer/labeling/anatomy-of-a-malt-beverage-label-tool

Generally, “malt beverage” is the term for beverages containing both malted barley & hops 🍻

19/11/2023

The Windom City Council recently approved nearly $950,000 for a store expansion construction project and other major improvements for the city-owned River Bend Liquor store

The store dates to the mid-1970s and has only had minor renovations over the years. The coolers and most wall shelving all date to the genesis of the store. It will be great to see this renovation come to life!

30/10/2023

Spirits of Nisswa recently partnered with Comisario Tequila on a promotion featuring professional drag racer Camrie Caruso 🏎🍸

Camrie met with fans outside the store in front of her car and signed bottles of tequila. The event was a huge success with tequila sales continuing into the following week! 👏

27/10/2023

The Brooklyn Center Liquor store mural was recently completed! 🦋

The City of Brooklyn Center celebrates the journey of migration, the strength of adaptation, and the beauty of cultural diversity. Through their mural, we hope to honor our diverse city's shared experiences.

25/10/2023

Recently, MMBA president Chris Arnold helped his city get 2023 state bonding money for infrastructure improvement.

His legislative connections gained by MMBA involvement were critical to his city receiving $7 million 👏

His keys to success:
✔️ Don’t get frustrated
✔️ Be known
✔️ Make sure everyone involved knows who the project’s representative(s) are.

20/10/2023

Nisswa’s Firefighter's Benefit was a success, setting a new record for the Pickle Factory of $20,100 👏🧑‍🚒

The Nisswa Fire Department, staff and volunteers from the Nisswa Lions Club and local customers made the work of pulling off the event very easy and a great success.

12/10/2023

Throwback Thursday! Thanks to the help of John Randle, 2023 MMBA Conference attendees raised over $1200 for the Minnesota Vikings Foundation!

06/10/2023

"Shopping for Beverage Alcohol," recently found that 23% of consumers drank more at home over the past 12 months, compared to 16% who drank more on-premise.

However, due to inflation, consumers are more generally cutting back.

For marketers to survive this shift, embracing experimentation and catering to consumer interests can help them weather the storm:

As consumers increasingly opt for at-home drinking, many are leaning toward experimentation and more sophisticated nonalcoholic options.

06/10/2023

Savage’s two municipal liquor stores have contributed about $1.3 million to various city project initiatives in that time, including $158,000 for the Community Park playground and $400,000 for other park improvements 👏

We love to see stores giving back to their local communities!

The MN Municipal Beverage Association (MMBA) is a statewide association of municipally owned and oper

06/10/2023

What are the keys to a Minnesota Top Workplace? 🔑

✔️Alignment
✔️Effectiveness
✔️Connection
✔️My Manager
✔️Employee Engagement
✔️Leader
✔️The Basics

Are all of these values instilled in your business?

06/10/2023

Thanks to a unique marketplace in Minnesota, hemp-derived THC beverages are exploding across the state.

One of the most common trends has been the THC-infused seltzer — a refreshing, low-calorie way to take the edge off, but not likely something you’ll want more than one of in a sitting.

Have you tried a THC-based beverage yet?