Blog Posts

This article originally appeared on Bloomberg Tax on September 2, 2022. What image comes to mind when you think of a job in the beer industry? Maybe it’s a union worker on the bottling line of one of America’s oldest beer brands—the same brand that your grandfather drank 50 years ago. Perhaps it’s your local craft brewery offering taproom samples of their latest limited-edition microbrew.

Last week, America’s brewers flew in to Washington, D.C. from all corners of the nation to meet with our representatives in Congress and thank them for supporting our thriving, competitive industry. “Beer advocates from all across the U.S. met with members of both parties to highlight beer’s contributions to local economies and communities,” said Beer Institute director of public affairs Alex Davidson.

Even as most other states rejected its lobbying efforts, the liquor industry recently received a massive handout that’s likely to hurt Vermont taxpayers, while boosting profits for a few big, out-of-state liquor companies. New legislation significantly reduces the tax rate on canned cocktails and directs more money into the coffers of out-of-state liquor companies. It also allows Vermont’s private beverage retailers to start selling liquor-based drinks for the first time — edging out the state’s beer products that have long supported local communities and businesses.

This month I celebrate 21 years of working for the Beer Institute. In the beer business, 21 years is a special number because it is one of the most coveted and celebrated milestones for an individual – the day you can enjoy your first alcohol beverage as a legal-aged drinking adult.

A leading beer industry publication recently ran this statement about efforts in states to pass special tax hand-outs to the liquor lobby that would hurt local beer economies: “Arguments for reducing taxes on RTD spirits are clearly not a winner in state legislatures in 2022.” Beer Marketer’s Insights looked at legislative debates in a handful of states and concluded: “distilled spirits going 0-fer so far this spring.” Pro-liquor tax carveout bills failed big this year in seven states: Alabama, Arizona, Hawaii, Kentucky, Maryland, Washington, and

Grilling on the back patio with neighbors. Spending a day at the beach with friends. Going to a summer music festival. Cheering on your favorite team at the ballpark. What pairs best with these long-standing American traditions? A cold, refreshing beer. Memorial Day marks the beginning of summer, a critical time for the beer industry.

Several years ago, Miller Brewing Company said, “Alcohol is not for everyone, every time or every place.” The opinion was well stated then and it is still useful today as we wrap up another Alcohol Awareness month and head into a season filled with drinking occasions. Awareness of the causes and treatment methods for alcohol use disorder (AUD) is the intended purpose of Alcohol Awareness Month.

President Biden signed his executive order on competition in the United States last summer.

U.S. inflation is hitting highs we have not seen in 30 years, and consumers are feeling the crunch at the supermarket, the gas pump and more as the costs of goods continue to rise. The global pandemic, supply chain shortages, and shipping delays put further pressure on our already strained industries, including the beer industry. The pandemic impacted every sector of our economy, and many industries, including the beer industry, are still recovering.

Americans are living in the Golden Age of Beer. Whether shopping for beer at your local supermarket, picking up a six-pack at your beer store, meeting up for friends at a neighborhood bar, or checking out a new local brewer, Americans have more choice in beer than ever before. And the growing options are not just anecdotal. In the last ten years alone, the number of breweries in the United States grew by nearly 400 percent.