October 11, 2023
As we transition into the delightful days of fall, the leaves on the trees are not the only thing developing hues of amber and crimson. Indeed, millions of Americans have made grabbing a rich pumpkin beer or a hearty brown ale an autumn tradition with friends and family. And today, this malted beverage offers more brands and varieties than ever before from local to global companies.
It is puzzling that a recent Treasury Department report concludes there has been growing concentration “at the distribution and/or retail levels for beer, wine and spirits, and at the production level for beer.”
The administration seems eager to shine a negative spotlight on the domestic alcohol industry — on beer especially — but empirical market data reveals a different story.
From the traditional massive light beer market to innovative micro-brew IPAs, it is undeniable that the beer industry offers consumers an enormous number of products from which to choose. The Treasury recognizes this, noting a “flourishing of small and craft producers in local markets.”
Given the self-contradictory nature of the report, it is perhaps unsurprising that the Biden administration overlooks the beer industry’s substantial contributions to the American economy. According to the Beer Serves America report, generated by the beer industry’s trade association, there are more than 92,000 Americans involved in brewing and importing beer, with more than 8,000 active beer company operations — demonstrating a dramatic growth from just 89 brewers in the late 1970s (a fact the Treasury report acknowledges).
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