If you were worried about the looming Christmas deadline imagine what small brewers are feeling. December 31st is the end of the CBMTRA (Craft Beverage Modernization and Tax Reform Act). That act of Congress (one of the few that the do-nothing’s in DC have done) reduced the excise tax basically in ½ per barrel. Instead of $7.00, the charge went to $3.50 instead.
But it was a temporary relief bill and if it is not re-authorized the cost of being in the beer business will go back up. Thankfully, most states see the benefits of this and it is hard to find many politicians that are against bringing it back but with impeachment sucking the air out of the room, it could easily be forgotten.
I think we all need to send a little Thanksgiving reminder to our representatives to remind them of how beer can grow without an Excise tax headwind.