Key takeaways:

Maryland law blocks out-of-state breweries from shipping to residents

Plaintiffs argue the rule violates the U.S. Constitution’s Commerce Clause

State cites 21st Amendment powers and public safety concerns

Bench trial set for December in Baltimore federal court

A federal judge in Maryland earlier this month ordered a trial in a case over a state law that prevents out-of-state breweries from shipping to consumers in Maryland.

The lawsuit, originally filed in July 2023, involves Baltimore County man Douglas Furlong, an “aficionado of craft beers,” and two breweries that were not allowed to ship to him because they’re not located in Maryland. One is Vortex Brewing Company, located just across the Mason-Dixon Line in New Freedom, Pennsylvania; the other is Varietal

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