A brewery in Texas is going to be giving away its beer for free until the government shutdown ends. (iStock)
Breweries across the country are being affected by the partial government shutdown, with new breweries unable to open and new releases on hold.
Operations at the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB), the federal agency that regulates alcohol production and distribution, have been halted, preventing them from issuing the permits needed to keep beer flowing.
Faced with this challenge, one brewery in Fort Worth, Texas with a new tasting room scheduled to open next month is planning on giving away their product for free until the necessary approval comes through.
Deep Ellum Funkytown Fermatorium said that even if the shutdown ended before March 1st, there’s a “slim chance” they’d get the Brewer’s Notice approved before then, Fox 4 reports.
President Trump announced Friday afternoon he would be reopening the government through Feb. 15, but that likely won't be enough time to help the brewery ahead of its opening.
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“GRAND OPENING UPDATE: Our ‘Deep Ellum Brewing FTW’ sign is ready to be installed! This is the last item on our checklist, asides from our ‘grand’ ‘ol government’s stamp of approval. Unfortunately, with everybody on an indefinite unpaid holiday, we have no idea when that approval may come,” the brewery wrote on Facebook.
“…There are a lot of innocent people & businesses being affected by all this nonsense. That’s why we’ve decided to open our doors regardless of the Tax & Trade Bureau’s approval…While I’d love to just pull the blinds and do some good old fashioned bootlegging, we’ve decided to just give the beer away until the shutdown ends. That’s right, free [beer] at @deepellumftw starting on March 1,” they added.
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The shutdown, which began Dec. 22, affects primarily craft brewers as opposed to larger companies, because they offer wider varieties of beer that change frequently.
"I've been joking with people that if you're going to want a new beer coming out pretty soon, you're going to have to drink your brother-in-law's home brew," Russ Klisch, founder and president of Lakefront Brewery in Milwaukee, told the Associated Press.
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Brewers aren’t the only ones in the beverage industry feeling the pressure. Winemakers are also being affected by the closure of the TTB, with rosé wine specifically facing a potential shortage as the popular spring and summer drink can’t be bottled or shipped until the government reopens.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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