Rogue Wizard Goes to Washington
Rogue Spirits’ very own Jake Holshue has been representing the American Craft Spirits Association in front of Congress this week.
Head Distiller at Rogue Spirits, Jake Holshue isn’t just a Level 10 Spirits Wizard; he’s also a member of the Board of Directors for the American Craft Spirits Association.
In that role, Jake is working to make craft distillers more competitive against bigger macro-distillers. To that aim, he’s traveled to Washington, D.C. and teamed up with Oregon’s own Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR) to lobby members of congress. He’s building support for lowering the Federal Excise Tax on craft distillers from $13.50 per proof gallon down to $2.80. Doing so would allow us to reduce our price on the shelf for our consumers.
The bill is the Craft Beverage Modernization and Tax Reform Act of 2017 (HR 747, and S. 236). Together with Mr. Wyden, Jake has convinced over half the House of Representatives to cosponsor the bill. It’s within striking distance in the Senate as well. In five meetings with congressional staffs, the representative or senator themselves twice came to show support (and you may have heard but those guys are pretty busy).
Outside Congress, the bill also has support from the Brewers Association, the Beer Institute, Wine Institute, The National Association of Wine Makers, The Distilled Spirits Council (DISCUS), and The Farm Bureau.
The legislation is important not just for Rogue, but for the future of craft distilling as a whole. Please take the time to call, write or send smoke signals to your congressman and let them know you support the legislation.
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