FNBB, like other community diaries here, is usually a place to discuss non-political issues. But dammit, those idiots are hurting the beer business!
Actually I have more beer news than usual, but have to lead with this one: Shutdown means no new beer from craft brewers
The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau, or TTB, is a little-known arm of the Treasury Department. The agency will continue to process taxes from existing permit holders, but applications for anything new are in limbo.
"One could think of this shutdown as basically stopping business indefinitely for anyone who didn't have certain paperwork in place back in mid-August"
IIRC, our own Transactivist is involved in a microbrewery startup and caught in this trap. Basically, TTB has to approve new products or new labels so startups are screwed and even for established brewers new releases are stuck.
Another political beer issue: Pyramid Breweries workers laid off, accuse corporate of reacting to staff unionizing
workers from the Pyramid Breweries’ Berkeley Alehouse, Calif., location are claiming they were laid off as an act of retaliation for trying to unionize.
Background: Pyramid Breweries is a part of the corporate roll-up North American Breweries (which boasts brands like Honey Brown and Labatt Blue) and was also recently purchased by Cerveceria Costa Rica, a unit of the Costa Rican company Florida Ice & Farm Co. Pyramid Breweries is headquartered in Seattle, but it produces beer under the Pyramid brand at two breweries and several brewpubs in Washington, Oregon and California.
Another good reason to drink local. Assuming that what portrays itself as local really is. Multinationals have no loyalty to anyone. [Where I live there's a lot of shitty local brew, but that's another issue.]
I've got a Union Jack and some Ranger IPA. What are you drinking? Is anyone brewing?