ROCHESTER, NY (WXXI) - The partial federal government shutdown continues, impacting everything from airport security to national parks and food stamps.
Even craft brewers are feeling the pinch.
Daniel Nothnagle, president and co-founder of Three Heads Brewing, says he can’t get the proper approval to label any new products because the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau – the arm of the federal government that sets and approves labeling for beer -- is closed during the shutdown.
“If your whole business is on new beers and you don’t have a flagship brand or a quality core, then I would think that some of those people are going to be more or greatly affected,” he said. We’re effected but we’ll probably hang tough for a month or two, but if it does carry on, it could really effect what the whole industry does.”
Nothnagle says it normally takes several weeks to get federal approval for a new beer, so they’ve already had to cancel one new brew that was planned for introduction next month.
He says alcohol is a highly regulated industry, and if the federal government shutdown lasts more than just a few more weeks, it will really have a big impact on the brewing industry.