National Beer Day sparks debate over local brewery struggles 

Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro marked National Beer Day by saying President Donald Trump’s tariffs are squeezing the industry.  

During a visit to New England Brewing Co. In Branford, she said local breweries are struggling with tariffs on aluminum, hops, and barley.  

“Beer is not a necessity, but as we talked about, it’s a social product,” DeLauro (D-3rd District) said.  

Robert Leonard, owner of NEBCO, agreed.  

“We’re not really doing fine,” Leonard said. “It’s a pinch, it hurts, but we’re doing the best we can so that it looks seamless out in the market.”  

This year’s National Beer Day comes as several breweries in Connecticut have closed or scaled back operations.  

NEBCO took over Stony Creek’s Branford location after buying the company out. Others, including Labyrinth and City Steam, now focus on selling cans after closing their taprooms.  

Rep. David Rutigliano (R-Trumbull) said tariffs aren’t the reason, though. The brewers have been struggling with rising prices since the Biden Administration.  

“The greater problem has been the four years of runaway inflation that we just experienced,” he said. “That had a far bigger effect on our business.”  

Rutigliano, whose Southport Brewing Company spun off its brewing operation, also pointed to a nationwide trend toward lower alcohol consumption.  

A report from Bank of America found the share of wages people spent at liquor stores is at a 40-year low, although consumption in bars remains up.  

“It’s a greater trend that alcohol consumption is down throughout the United States, not just in Connecticut,” he said. “Beer has suffered.” 

Leonard agreed that Connecticut’s beer market had become saturated, as demand couldn’t support the number of small breweries that had opened.  

He believes brewers that are still open have survived by establishing successful business models. Now, he said, his concern is the tariffs.  

He gets most of his hops and grain in the U.S., but does import some from overseas.  

Leonard said he had also been getting his aluminum from Canada but has been working with his supplier to find alternative sources.  

Leonard said his focus has been on avoiding raising his prices, even if that means absorbing the costs of the tariffs.  

“Things are tight all around with people who buy just a six pack or who buy many kegs,” he said.  

Source Link