New Hampshire Breweries Applaud Senator Hassan’s Successful Efforts to Permanently Extend Tax Relief Measure for Craft Breweries in End-of-Year Package

NEW HAMPSHIRE – New Hampshire breweries applauded bipartisan efforts that U.S. Senator Maggie Hassan helped lead to permanently extend the reduction in excise taxes for craft breweries in the government funding and COVID-19 relief package. Senator Hassan successfully worked to temporarily extend these tax cuts in the bipartisan government funding bill in 2019 and to permanently extend this tax relief at the end of 2020.

“New Hampshire’s craft breweries are an important part of our state’s economy and provide a vibrant space for locals and tourists alike to gather and socialize,” Senator Hassan said. “I was glad to lead efforts to permanently extend this important tax relief measure so that our craft breweries can continue to serve their customers, provide good jobs to members of their community, and expand their operations. I will continue working with members of both parties to support our craft brewers and local businesses across the state.”

"For the past several years, New Hampshire's craft brewing industry has been growing at a tremendous pace and adding hundreds of jobs to the State's economy,” said CJ Haines, Executive Director, New Hampshire Brewers Association. “Like other small businesses across the country, many of New Hampshire's breweries, brewpubs, and taprooms have been hit hard by the pandemic. With the Craft Beverage Modernization and Tax Reform Act finally being made permanent, small breweries can continue to invest in their employees, local communities, and growth of their businesses. The New Hampshire Brewers Association along with our brewery members want to express our gratitude to our legislative champions in the Senate and the House— Sens. Maggie Hassan (D-NH) and Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) as well as Reps. Chris Pappas (D-NH) and Annie Kuster (D-NH) for their support of the CBMTRA and their unwavering advocacy for this must-pass legislation.  We thank you all for recognizing that the small-brewing industry is an instrumental part of NH's economy and America's manufacturing industry. We strongly believe their work for this relief will help restore our industry's vitality, better position our breweries to increase their production, and provide much-needed stability on our tax liabilities during these uncertain items."

"As the second brewery to open in New Hampshire back in 1994, we’ve seen our share of challenges – but the pandemic has upended everything. The bipartisan tax relief measure that Senator Hassan fought for has provided us with additional resources to help our brewery, and the news that it’s now permanent could not have come at a better time. It will help our brewery and breweries across the state continue to grow, and I’m very glad for the added stability we have now that we know the tax cut is permanent," said Peter Telge from Stark Brewing Company in Manchester.

"Craft breweries play a vital role in the community, bringing people together and powering our local economy. The craft beverage tax cut that Senator Hassan has long worked on has helped us to sustain and grow our business,” said Jenni and Aaron Share from To Share Brewing Company in Manchester. "Especially now given the financial strain that the pandemic has brought breweries, we want to thank Senator Hassan for her efforts to extend this important tax relief measure. We’re thrilled we can now count on it every year.”

"As we work to stay afloat in the pandemic, it’s welcome news that Senator Hassan worked with both Republicans and Democrats to secure this tax cut that will be here not only this year, but also in the years to come,” said Kirsten Neves and Nik Stanciu of Tuckerman Brewing Company in Conway. "We’ve created something special with our brewery – not only good beer, but also a gathering place with local musicians performing and friends and neighbors coming together. We can’t wait to get back to our full operations, and we know that this tax relief will help us to grow and thrive as we come out of this pandemic.”

“The permanent extension of the reduced federal excise tax on beer could not have come at a better time. With tourism and visitor counts way down, this tax relief helps us to keep fighting another day, while continuing to offer crucial benefits like health care to our employees,” said Nicole Carrier, Co-Founder and President of Throwback Brewery in North Hampton.

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