Craft Spirits Weekly
Welcome to the 178th issue of Craft Spirits Weekly , a service dedicated to bringing you the news most important to the craft spirits distiller. Check your inbox every Thursday to find a curated selection of articles and news pieces from Craft Spirits magazine and the American Craft Spirits Association.

While this is normally a members-only benefit, we are distributing this newsletter to all DSPs as a public service during the COVID-19 pandemic. We are also offering a 15-month membership for the price of 12 months (existing members will receive an additional three months). If you are not a member, learn more about joining here .
Congressmen Ask U.S. House to Vote on CBMTRA
On June 17, Congressman Roger Williams (R-TX) and Congressman Jason Crow (D-CO) wrote to ask the U.S. House of Representatives leadership to bring H.R. 1175, the Craft Beverage Modernization and Tax Reform Act (CBMTRA), to the full House for a vote in the near future. 

The American Craft Spirits Association strongly endorses this effort, as it grew out of the grassroots efforts of its members in Texas, Colorado and all over the U.S.   

“We thank the 138 Members of the U.S. House, including Congressman Williams and Congressman Crow, who signed the letter asking for this to come for a vote as soon as possible,” says Margie Lehrman, CEO of ACSA. “We also thank Congressman Ron Kind (R-WI) and Congressman Mike Kelly (R-PA), the original sponsors of H.R. 1175, for amassing over 340 co-sponsors in the House, nearly 80% of the body.

“The work of these four individuals is providing momentum to provide fairness for craft distillers to pay a Federal Excise Tax (FET) rate that is appropriate for their small size and provide parity with other craft alcohol producers. These craft distillers are small businesses supporting main street. In many cases they are revitalizing distressed areas. They support local agriculture and encourage tourism. They purchase U.S. manufactured equipment. They are truly part of the small business fabric that supports our U.S. economy.”

She added, “These businesses, like restaurants, have been hit hard by the emergency closure orders under the COVID-19 pandemic. Nearly half of all sales for these businesses comes from tourism, tasting rooms and in-house sales. They are severely restricted in internet sales. Adding to the business planning and anxiety is not knowing what their taxes will be in 2021.”

ACSA believes it is vital that craft producers have a fair tax rate and that it be continued in 2021 and made permanent. 
Save the Date: ACSA Virtual Town Hall, June 30, 4 p.m. ET
ACSA will be hosting a virtual Town Hall on June 30 at 4 p.m. ET so you can meet our new officers, get acquainted with the slate of candidates in the Board of Directors elections, and l earn what's coming up in the next few months at ACSA.  Each nominee for the Board seat will be given three minutes to share their platform—namely, why they are the right candidate to represent your interests within the industry. Voting will then open in July with the new Board fully installed by August 1, 2020. Please stay tuned for more information on attending the online event. For questions, email our election chair, Renee Bemis at  renee@driftlessglen.com .
Only $5,000 to go: Donate now to support Du Nord Craft Spirits!
We are $5,000 shy of the $100,000 goal in the GoFundMe campaign for Minneapolis-based Du Nord Craft Spirits, which was severely damaged amidst citywide protests on May 29. Several fires were set inside Du Nord's distillery, owned by Chris Montana, ACSA's immediate Past President and unsung craft spirits advocate. While Du Nord's fire suppression system prevented the fire from destroying the building, the damage was vast, as more than 26,000 gallons of water dumped inside the facility over the course of four to four and a half hours. Please help us across the finish line by donating today.
Uncle Nearest Launches Diversity Initiative
Brown-Forman’s  Jack Daniel’s  Distillery and the Nearest Green Distillery have just announced the Nearest & Jack Advancement Initiative, a program designed to promote diversity and further advance African-American leadership in the American whiskey industry. (Forbes.com)
Dashfire Ready-to-Drink Cocktails Expand to Florida and South Carolina
Vision Wine & Spirits , the national sales & import division of Martignetti Companies, together with  Dashfire , are pleased to announce that Dashfire Ready-to-Drink (RTD) 6-pack 100ml cans will be expanding to two additional states, Florida and South Carolina. The RTDs are already distributed in Delaware, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Georgia, Illinois, Washington DC, Maryland, Michigan, Missouri, Texas, Virginia and Minnesota. (CraftSpiritsMag.com)
Share Your DtC Photos for the Next Issue of Craft Spirits Magazine
If you are currently allowed to ship directly to consumers and have related photos you can share, we may be interested in displaying them in the next issue of Craft Spirits magazine. If you have photos to share, please send us a note at news@americancraftspirits.org .
Poll Results
Last week, we asked: if you reopened your tasting room and had to make modifications, how much did it cost?

Here are the results:

Join Us for Craft Spirits Live on Instagram
Join ACSA each Wednesday at 2 p.m. Eastern for Craft Spirits Live, our new Instagram Live show. In each episode, a leading craft spirits producer invites us into their distillery for 30 minutes of engaging conversation and a virtual tour—as well as an opportunity to answer all of your burning questions.

UPCOMING GUESTS

June 24: Colin Keegan, Santa Fe Spirits

July 1: Michael Myers, Distillery 291

July 8: Heather Shade, Port Chilkoot Distillery

July 15: Jeff Kanof, Copperworks Distilling

July 22: Gina Holman, J. Carver Distillery

To watch,  click here and make sure you're following @craftspiritsus on Instagram.   When we start a live video, our profile picture will appear at the top of the feed with a colorful ring around it and the word Live. Tap or click our profile picture to view our live video. You can watch the live videos on the Instagram app or on Instagram.com.  And you can also watch a replay in our Instagram Stories for up to 24 hours after the interview.
Reminder: Importance of Registering Sanitizer
Recently, ACSA leadership met with the FDA and the biggest takeaways were the importance of following current FDA guidelines and the necessity  to register  if you are producing hand sanitizer, packaging or labeling for distribution (either for sale or donation). You must also register with the FDA if you are manufacturing ethanol for use by others in making sanitizer.

If you believe a distillery is producing or distributing hand sanitizer or ethanol in a manner that is inconsistent with recent federal regulations and guidelines published for use during the COVID-19 public health emergency, please click here .

And if you haven't already added your distillery to our list of DSPs producing hand sanitizers, click here .
USBG National Charity Foundation Pauses New Grant Applications
Last week the  USBG National Charity Foundation  announced that it would pause acceptance of new applications for grants under its Bartender Emergency Assistance Program COVID-19 Relief Campaign. This week, the Foundation confirms that it has approved nearly 30,000 grants and that fundraising for the program will continue in an effort to assist the more than 32,000 additional eligible applicants currently in the grant portal. (CraftSpiritsMag.com)
Copperworks Launches American Single Malt Whiskey, Release 030
Copperworks Distilling Co.  of Seattle this week announced the launch of Copperworks American Single Malt Whiskey  Release 030 . It’s now available for online purchase, with shipping or in-store pick-up at the distillery. (CraftSpiritsMag.com)
Members in the Media
A Roundup of Stories, Videos and More Featuring ACSA Members
Bar Convent Brooklyn to Go 100% Virtual This Year
The organizers of Bar Convent Brooklyn announced this week that the event that had been re-scheduled for August will now be entirely virtual. (CraftSpiritsMag.com)
ACSA Extends Membership Term by Additional Three Months
As distillers continue to operate during a difficult time of uncertainty, ACSA is extending its membership term by three months at no additional cost for existing members, and new members will receive a 15-month membership for the price of 12 months. Read more about the decision here.
Craft Spirits TV

Copperworks Crowdfunds & ACSA Announces New Board Officers
In this episode, Copperworks Distilling  details its successful crowdfunding campaign and we congratulate Becky Harris ( Catoctin Creek ), P.T. Wood ( Wood’s High Mountain Distillery ) and Jeff Kanof (Copperworks Distilling), the new President, Vice President and Secretary/Treasurer, respectively, of the American Craft Spirits Association’s Board of Directors.
Got a question? ACSA's got the answer.
In these challenging times, seek advice and lend your knowledge in ACSA's online forums. Our main forum topics include crisis management, services, TTB, safety, technical, equipment & materials, legislation, business and marketplace.
Read the Latest Issue of Craft Spirits Magazine
In case you missed it, the latest issue of Craft Spirits magazine is online. Click here or on the cover photo to read the full issue.
Send News to Craft Spirits Magazine
Do you have exciting stories to share about your distillery? Keep us posted on new products, events, trends, tips and more by sending us a note at  news@americancraftspirits.org .
The American Craft Spirits Association is the only national registered non-profit trade association representing the U.S. craft spirits industry. Its mission is to elevate and advocate for the community of craft spirits producers, and membership in ACSA is open to anyone. 

ACSA is governed by a Board of Directors elected by the eligible voting members of the Association. Voting members must be independent licensed distillers (DSPs) annually removing fewer than 750,000 proof gallons from bond (the amount on which a Federal Excise Tax is paid.)