Fremont Brewing Goes to Washington D.C. to Support the Small BREW Act
Bill would help small brewers create jobs and add capacity
SEATTLE — Fremont Brewing Company will join over 20 other craft breweries from across the country in Washington D.C. on Wednesday, March 25th to meet with members of Congress and advocate for the Small BREW Act (Small Brewer Reinvestment and Expanding Workforce Act), bipartisan legislation that would recalibrate the federal beer excise tax rate for America’s small brewers. This “Hill Climb” is being organized by the Brewer’s Association (BA), which promotes the interests of the craft beer brewers and enthusiasts.
The Small BREW ACT would reduce by fifty percent the federal excise tax paid by small brewers on the sale of the first 60,000 barrels (from $7.00 to $3.50/barrel). The House version of the Small BREW Act, H.R. 232 is currently before the House Ways and Means Committee and the Senate version, S. 375, is under review in the Senate Finance Committee.
Sara Nelson, Co-Founder of Fremont Brewing, will meet with Representatives David Reichert, of WA Congressional District 8, Susan DelBene of WA Congressional District 1, and Rick Larsen of WA Congressional District 2. Nelson will also participate in a dinner for reporters of national media outlets that will be hosted by the BA and four other breweries including Deschutes, and Boston Beer Company. The purpose of this event is to educate members of the media about the Small BREW Act and discuss its importance to small brewers in advance of the Congressional meetings.
The Small BREW Act is a top priority for Washington’s small brewers and would directly and positively impact every brewery in our state. Nationally, the bill would save small brewers $65 million a year and, according to a recent study would create over 5,200 jobs in the first 12 to 18 months after passage and generate approximately $157 million in economic activity in the first year.
“Small breweries create jobs, drive beer innovation, and provide neighborhood space for community building,” said Nelson. “I’m going to D.C. to ask Congress to support the Small BREW Act and help us invest even more in our local economy. If it passes, we’d use the savings to hire two more people and buy another fermenter.”
The Small BREW Act is strongly supported by the Washington Brewers Guild. H.R. 232 already has 29 co-sponsors, including Washington Representatives, Jim McDermott, Susan DelBene, and Rick Larsen. S. 375 has 24 co-sponsors including WA Senator Maria Cantwell.
After founding Fremont Brewing with her husband, Matt Lincecum, and working in local politics for many years, Sara Nelson is now Manager of Special Operations at Fremont Brewing, which includes government relations, economic development, and environmental policy.
Founded in 2008, Fremont Brewing Company is a family-owned craft brewery located in the Fremont neighborhood of Seattle.
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