“Due to the government shut down, recipe, label and permit approvals have all come to a halt. In short, new breweries cannot start up and new beers cannot be sold.” – Jim Koch, founder of Boston Beer Company
Attention Beer fans: It looks as though the government shutdown is now coming between you and your craft brew.
Say what? For starters, due to the government shutdown of the John J. Moakley Courthouse in Fort Point, the Sustainable Business Network’s 4th Annual Local Craft Brewfest, originally planned for October 12 has now been “rescheduled” for Friday, November 22. And the SBN’s executive director, Laury Hammel, is not too happy about it (and understandably so). She stated in a press release that the “last minute cancellation is a major setback for our organization in terms of costs and attendance.”
For those who don’t already know, the Local Craft Brewfest features 50+ craft beer tastings from local craft breweries and is a major fundraiser for the annual Boston Local Food Festival.
And the beer festivals aren’t the only ones being cut off. Craft breweries are next – here’s where it really hits home. According to the Boston Business Journal, the keg has seriously run dry for new craft breweries nationwide. The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau, “which approves new breweries, recipes and labels,” officially closed due to the government shutdown. Undoubtedly, this will “create big delays for new craft brewers.”
Boston’s Jim Koch, founder and brewer of Boston Beer Company, explained in a statement that the beer business is extensively regulated by the federal government. “The government shutdown impacts all brewers, including the 2,600 craft brewers in the U.S.” He continues, “all new beer recipes using non-traditional, innovative ingredients, have to be approved by the TTB prior to brewing.”
Koch goes onto to explain that “due to the government shutdown, recipe, label and permit approvals have all come to a halt. In short, new breweries cannot start up and new beers cannot be sold.”
So what are microbreweries to do with this harsh new reality?
I talked with Boston Correspondent for American Craft Beer, Juliana Casale, who recently spoke with local brewers at a “social” where the government shutdown was a hot topic. She explained to me that “microbreweries with tight financial margins could face their own shutdown if they can’t push out new products.”
“The effects on recently launched local breweries like Percival Beer Company are bound to be painful as well – at a time when it’s crucial to gain traction in a competitive market, they have to sit on their packaging and recipes,” explains Juliana.
In the meantime, drink up, Boston – our local brewers need your support.
