US brewers wholesalers meet
with Congress on Capitol Hill
LEGISLATIVE CONFERENCE: BEER INDUSTRY COMES TOGETHER TO
MARK 75TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE REPEAL OF PROHIBITION
World ofHeineken 38 - summer 2008
Craig Purser, President, National Beer
Wholesalers Association kicks of the 18th
Annual NBWA Legislative Conference
William Earle, President, National
Association of Beverage Importers,
addresses the Conference crowd
Congresswoman Alita Lowey and
Don Blaustein, President of Heineken USA,
meet in her office on Capital Hill
On May 12-14,1,000 beer distributors and importer and brewer
representatives converged on Washington DC's Capitol Hill. The
gathering was part of the annual National Beer Wholesalers
Association (NBWA)/ Brewer Legislative Conference advocating for
economic and regulatory issues of importance to the US beer industry.
"We came to Washington with one mission: advocacy," said Craig
Purser, NBWA President. "Everything else springs from there. We came
together on this one day as a unified industry."
This year, the industry discussed the effectiveness of the state-based
three-tier regulatory system and on initiatives promoting responsible
consumption of alcohol. They also argued that the federal beer excise
tax should be rolled back, as it is an unfair burden on consumers.
Nearly 50 per cent of all beer purchased in the U.S. is bought by
consumers with annual household incomes below $50,000.
"The year 2008 is a pivotal time for the beer industry," said Craig
Purser. "As we reflect on 75 years of the passage of the 21st
Amendment and celebrate the United States' successful state-based,
three-tier alcohol regulatory system, our industry is mindful that this
is also a time when economic stability weighs heavily on the minds of
many Americans. This conference is an especially timely opportunity
for beer distributors to educate lawmakers, media and the public at
large about the industry's positive economic and societal contributions
that benefit communities across the country."
Beer distributors and brewers/importers provide solid jobs and
healthcare benefits to roughly 130,000 hard-working men and women,
he said. They also play a significant role in working to protect the
American consumer by providing a transparent and accountable
chain-of-custody for a wide variety of beer.
Jeff Becker, president of the Beer Institute, said that brewers,
importers and wholesalers must remember to share their remarkable
stories. "Since the repeal of Prohibition, we've worked to become
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