Support Your Local Craft Brewer

[chazwicke]

This from DC Beer:

Support Your Local Brewery is a campaign recently organized by the Brewers Association to enlist beer enthusiasts, brewers, and associated groups to act in concert as lobbyists - see, that can be a good thing when it's you.

As the website puts it:
"a national, grassroots partnership of beer enthusiasts, professional trade associations, and brewers dedicated to supporting and protecting the legislative and regulatory interests of small, traditional and independent craft breweries."

After signing up you will receive alerts as to state legislative and regulatory issues (and assuming national as well) which affect the craft beer industry and craft beer consumers. And you'll be asked to write, or email, or contact, or organize about these issues.

This new campaign is critical: transforming the craft beer movement - after 26 or so years - into a consumer/brewer cooperative interest movement. It's a long overdue but potentially powerful action.

http://www.sylb.org

[HarkJohnny]

just found out about this last month. in fact one day before Ohio politicians would've voted to pass legislation that would require (force) brewpubs to sell their products to a distributor only to then have to buy it back!

A couple mass emailings later, our congressmen and senators got an earfull/emailbox full of messages from us.

On April 19,Support Your Local Brewery was alerted to a potentially devastating piece of legislation on the fast track in the Ohio House of Representatives. A bill dealing with issues relating to the direct shipment of wine was amended to include language that would have essentially stripped self distribution and direct to consumer sales by breweries and brewpubs.

With a floor vote scheduled in less than 24 hours, Ohio members of the Support Your Local Brewery network were alerted and generated dozens of grassroots contacts to legislators’ offices. By April 20th, the offending provision had been pulled from the bill. Your efforts, coupled with the outreach carried on by many Ohio small brewers, turned this threat back, one which would have almost certainly hamstrung many breweries and potentially closed many brewpubs.

Thanks to all those who answered the call, acted in the best traditions of Support Your Local Brewery Beer Activists and helped to ensure the continued success of the Buckeye State’s small brewing community. Cheers!

well done boys!

however, there is no doubt that A/B, Miller and company will try to push the issue again. sign up, stay informed and do your part to keep local craft beer the way it should be!

[chazwicke]

Good Work Hark!
I've signed up too. Back in the early 90s we fought for certain craft brew legislation in Virginia. We went to Richmond to lobby and the legislation got passed. I've also politicked and lobbied for legislation that would affect my business with some success. I routinely write my congressmen and senators if I agree or disagree with their positions on certain issues. Being politically proactive can and does work. I'd urge all of you to become involved. Even if it just means writing that occasional letter / email, I’d recommend signing up. At least do it to keep informed of the issues.

[darylM]

Originally posted by HarkJohnny
just found out about this last month. in fact one day before Ohio politicians would've voted to pass legislation that would require (force) brewpubs to sell their products to a distributor only to then have to buy it back!


Talk about mark up! I could imagine the conversation with a patron of the brewpub.

"Can I have your 'Dangerous Pale Ale'?"
"We are waiting for our distributor to deliver it."
"Don't you make it here?"
"Yes"
"?????"

If BMC et al are worried about brewpubs, they should start their own.

[MeridianFC]

I signed up.

[Jake]

I'm signed up. Michigan is in terrible financial state. They are trying hard to balance the budget by cuts and tax increases. They the politicians seem to like lumping beer into the same category as tobacco. They tried once to have a beer tax and I'm sure it will come up again.