Trump, Tariffs, and Beer

In a move sending shockwaves through the craft brewing world, President Donald Trump has announced plans to double tariffs on aluminum and steel from 25% to 50%, effective Wednesday, June 4. While the legal basis for this increase rests on Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act, which allows tariff hikes for reasons of national security, the real-world impact is poised to hit one of the most iconic and homegrown American industries: craft beer.

Aluminum and the Lifeblood of Cans

Aluminum cans are no longer just the realm of mass-market lagers. Today, approximately 76% of all U.S. packaged beer is sold in aluminum cans, according to the Brewers Association. That number is even higher among newer and mobile-friendly breweries who prefer cans for their portability, recyclability, and faster chilling times.

The challenge? Much of the raw aluminum used in U.S. can production is imported, particularly from Canada, even though the final rolling and manufacturing of cans often happens domestically. With the proposed increase in aluminum tariffs, brewers could soon face a steep hike in canning costs.

(See our article: Tariffs and Taps: How Trump’s Trade Policies Would Impact Craft Breweries)

What Is the Midwest Premium?

The “Midwest Premium” is the benchmark pricing metric for aluminum in the U.S. and has already seen notable spikes following the tariff announcement. As of June 2025:

• The Midwest Premium is hovering around 32 cents per pound, up from 26 cents in early May.

• That increase translates into several cents more per can, which may sound small — but for breweries producing tens of thousands of cases, the extra costs can stack up fast.

Steel Tariffs and the Price of Brewing

While aluminum affects packaging, steel tariffs hit the brewhouse. Most stainless steel kegs used by American breweries come from Europe — particularly Germany, Italy, and the Czech Republic — and brewing equipment is frequently sourced from China and the EU.

With tariffs on steel doubling, breweries looking to expand, replace aging tanks, or even just keep up with maintenance are looking at some painful math. Some estimated impacts:

• New fermenter or brite tank costs could jump by 15–30%.

• Imported kegs could rise from $120 to over $160 per unit.

• Shipping container delays and tariffs could extend wait times on equipment by months.

(See our article: Trouble Brewing: How Trump’s Liberation Day Tariffs Are Impacting Craft Beer)

A Delicate Balance for Small and Independent Breweries

Unlike global macrobreweries, most of the 9,500+ small and independent breweries in the United States operate on tight margins and rely on a complex supply chain. With slim profit windows and rising labor, ingredient, and utility costs, another shock to the system — like spiking materials tariffs — could spell disaster for the most vulnerable producers.

“We source American-made cans, but the aluminum still comes from Canada. This kind of increase puts a big dent in our already-tight packaging budget,” says one Pennsylvania-based brewery owner. “We’re not sure if we’ll need to raise prices, shrink can sizes, or move to bottles. None of those are ideal.”

Domestic Production: A Long-Term Solution?

The Brewers Association has expressed hope that tariff pressure might eventually lead to increased domestic production of steel kegs and brewing equipment. But that shift won’t happen overnight. It requires:

• New factories outfitted for food-grade steel.

• Specialized labor trained in beverage equipment.

• Incentives or subsidies to compete with cheaper foreign alternatives.

Until that infrastructure is in place — likely years from now — brewers will continue to rely heavily on imports.

(See our article: When Canada Attacked Yuengling!)

Could There Be a Reprieve?

There’s still uncertainty. President Trump has delayed or reversed some recent tariffs after backlash. But there’s no guarantee this time. That means:

• Breweries should immediately consult with suppliers to understand cost impacts.

• Strategic changes, like buying in bulk or diversifying suppliers, may soften the blow.

• Advocacy groups like the Brewers Association are actively lobbying for exemptions or policy reversals.

The Bigger Picture: Craft Beer in an Uncertain Economy

With inflation still looming, interest rates high, and operating costs climbing across the board, this tariff announcement adds another pressure point to an already-stressed industry.

Craft beer sales dipped slightly in 2024, with the Brewers Association reporting a 2% decline in volume, though dollar sales remained relatively flat due to price adjustments. But if input costs rise sharply, consumers could soon see higher six-pack prices, or worse, a thinning out of local options as small breweries fold under economic strain.

Final Thoughts: Stay Informed and Support Local

Craft beer isn’t just an industry — it’s a culture, a movement, and a community. Whether you’re a brewer, a beer drinker, or a retailer, now is the time to stay informed and support local.

We at The Beer Thrillers will continue monitoring these tariff changes and their impact on our beloved beer scene. Expect updates, interviews, and breakdowns in the weeks to come.

🍻 Have thoughts on the tariff hikes? Are you a brewer affected by these changes? Drop us a comment below or reach out — we’d love to share your story.

Sources:

• Brewers Association: 2024 Industry Review

• U.S. Department of Commerce – Section 232 Investigations

• Aluminum Association Reports

• Trading Economics: Midwest Premium Aluminum Price Data

• Washington Post (Instagram Collection)
• WallStreetLogyc (Instagram Reel)

See Our Related Articles

• Tariffs and Taps: How Trump’s Trade Policies Would Impact Craft Breweries
• Trouble Brewing: How Trump’s Liberation Day Tariffs Are Impacting Craft Beer
• When Canada Attacked Yuengling!

Thank You For Reading

If you like this article, please check out our other many articles, including news, beer reviews, travelogues, maps, and much much more. We greatly appreciate everyone visiting the site!

Cheers.

Thanks again for reading everyone. Take some time to check out the site, we greatly appreciate it. We have affiliates and sponsors with Pretzels.com and Beer Drop.com, which can save you money on their products if you are interested. Check out our articles on them. Make sure to check out our beer reviews, brewery reviews, Amy’s weekly column, book reviews, hike reviews, and so much more.

As always, thank you everyone for reading! Leave your likes, comments, suggestions, questions, etc, in the comments section. Or use the Feedback – Contact Us – page, and we’ll get right back to you! You can also reach out to us at our direct e-mail address: thebeerthrillers@gmail.com

Thank you for visiting our blog. Please make sure to follow, bookmark, subscribe, and make sure to comment and leave feedback and like the blog posts you read. It will help us to better tailor the blog to you, the readers, likes and make this a better blog for everyone.

We are working on a massive project here at The Beer Thrillers. We are creating a map of all of the breweries across the United States. State by state we are adding maps of all of the different states with every brewery in each state. (We will eventually get to the US Territories, as well as the Canadian Provinces, and possibly more countries; as well as doing some fun maps like a map of all the breweries we’ve been to, and other fun maps.) You can find the brewery maps here:

• MAPS OF BREWERIES

We are also working on a project of creating printable and downloadable PDFs and resources to be able to check and keep track of all of the breweries you’ve been to. So stay tuned for that project once we are finished with the Brewery Maps of the US States.

You can check out our different directories here: Beer Reviews, Hike Reviews, Book Reviews, Brewery News, Brewery Openings, Brewer Interviews, and Travelogues.

Please be sure to follow us on our social media accounts – Facebook, Facebook Group, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, and Influence. As well as our brand new Tumblr page. Please be sure to also follow, like, subscribe to the blog here itself to keep updated. We are also now on BlueSky as well, so make sure to check us out there also. We love to hear from you guys, so be sure to leave a comment and let us know what you think!

You can now find us on our Discord Server here: The Beer Thrillers (Discord Server).

We also now have a SLACK channel – which acts as a hybrid chat room, message board, Reddit style; workspace and posting area for us. You can hang out with us there and chat about all kinds of things – not just beer, but “off topic” things like movies, TV, books, podcasts, hiking, sports, and more! Join us at: The Beer Thrillers on SLACK.

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We have partnered with an affiliateship with Beer Drop.com. You can check out that partnership and receive great discounts, coupons, and more here: Beer Drop. Going here and logging in and ordering will help you receive your discounts and coupons as well as help support our page. Thank you for helping to support The Beer Thrillers and to help us maintain the site and blog and to keep it running.

The Beer Thrillers are a blog that prides itself on writing beer reviews, brewery reviews, travelogues, news (especially local to the Central PA brewery scene), as well as covering other topics of our interests – such as hiking, literature and books, board games, and video games which we sometimes stream with our friends over at Knights of Nostalgia. We are currently listed as #5 on FeedSpot’s “Top 100 Beer Blogs” and #9 on FeedSpot’s “Top 40 Pennsylvania Blogs”. (As of May 2025.) Thank you for reading our site today, please subscribe, follow, and bookmark. Please reach out to us if you are interested in working together. If you would like to donate to the blog you can here: Donate to The Beer Thrillers. Thank you!

You can also check out our partnership and affiliation with Pretzels.com, where ordering pretzels and using our affiliate code – AFFILIATE CODE IS THEBEERTHRILLERS20 – will help you get wonderful pretzels and help us maintain and keep this blog running. Thank you!

If you would like to reach out to us for product reviews, beer reviews, press release writing, and other media – please contact us at thebeerthrillers@gmail.com. Thank you.

(Thank you for reading. The opinions, thoughts, and expressions of each article posted on The Beer Thrillers represents the author of the content and only themselves. It does not express the opinions, beliefs, or ideas held by The Beer Thrillers or any company in which the author themselves work for. Each piece of written content is written by the creator(s) listed in the authorial section on each article unless otherwise noted. Their opinions, comments, and words on screen do not represent any company in which they work for and / or are affiliated with or any non – profits that they contribute to. Thank you.)

The craft beer industry, long celebrated for its creativity and community-driven ethos, is facing a new challenge in 2025: President Donald Trump’s “Liberation Day” tariffs. These sweeping trade measures, including a universal 10% tariff on imports and targeted levies of up to 25% on steel, aluminum, and goods from Canada and Mexico, have sent shockwaves through the brewing world. For an industry already grappling with shifting consumer preferences and post-pandemic recovery, the tariffs could reshape the landscape of American craft beer. (See our previous article – Trump’s Tariffs, posted November 2024.)

Trump’s Tariffs and How They Might Impact Craft Brewing

The Tariffs Explained

President Trump’s “Liberation Day” tariffs aim to protect domestic industries by imposing broad import taxes. However, their impact on craft brewing is particularly severe due to the industry’s reliance on imported materials:

• Aluminum Cans: A 25% tariff on imported aluminum directly affects breweries that use cans for packaging. Nearly all cans used by U.S. brewers are sourced internationally, making this tariff a major cost driver

• Steel Kegs: Most steel kegs used in American breweries are manufactured in Germany. The 25% tariff on finished steel products raises keg prices significantly

• Key Ingredients: Canadian barley and malt—essential for many craft beer recipes—are now subject to tariffs. Similarly, fruits like raspberries sourced from Mexico face increased costs

These tariffs come at a time when imports of beer and brewing materials are substantial. In 2024 alone, beer imports to the U.S. totaled $7.5 billion, with Mexico accounting for $6.3 billion of that figure. The ripple effects of these measures are being felt across the supply chain.

Economic Impact on Craft Brewers

The financial strain imposed by these tariffs is already apparent:

1. Rising Costs:

   • Breweries like Port City Brewing in Virginia report that their pilsner malt from Canada—essential to their recipes—is subject to a 25% tariff. Founder Bill Butcher estimates this could raise the price of a six-pack from $12.99 to $18.99

   • Monument City Brewing in Baltimore predicts similar price hikes for their beers due to increased costs for aluminum cans and imported barley

• Profit Margins Under Pressure:

  • Small breweries often operate with tight margins, leaving little room to absorb cost increases. Decisions such as passing costs onto consumers or cutting profitability are becoming unavoidable

  • Some brewers are stockpiling cans or switching packaging methods (e.g., painted cans instead of shrink-wrapped sleeves) to mitigate immediate impacts

• Export Challenges:

  • Canada, the largest foreign market for U.S. craft beer (accounting for 38% of exports), has retaliated with its own tariffs on American goods. Canadian consumers are boycotting U.S. beers, leading importers to cancel order.

  • 

    An Instagram post by Pints and Panels about Tariffs and Alcohol (courtesy of Em Sauter, of Pints and Panels)

Pennsylvania’s Brewing Scene: A Case Study

Pennsylvania has one of the largest craft brewing industries in the U.S., with over 400 breweries contributing significantly to local economies and communities. The state’s brewers are uniquely vulnerable to these tariffs due to their reliance on imported materials.

1. Material Costs:

   • Breweries in Pennsylvania often use imported aluminum cans and Canadian malt, both subject to tariffs. These cost increases could force smaller brewers to raise prices or reduce offerings.

2. Competitive Pressure:

   • Larger breweries like Molson Coors, which source materials domestically, may weather the tariffs better than smaller operations reliant on international supply chain.  Pennsylvania’s independent brewers must innovate or risk losing market share.

• Community Impact:

  • With higher beer prices looming, consumers may opt for cheaper alternatives like hard seltzers or cocktails—a trend already encroaching on craft beer sales. This could hurt local breweries that rely heavily on loyal customer bases.

Broader Industry Challenges

The Liberation Day tariffs exacerbate existing issues within the craft beer sector:

• Changing Consumer Preferences: Millennials and Gen Z are drinking less beer overall, favoring hard seltzers and ready-to-drink cocktails instead

• Post-Pandemic Recovery: Many brewpubs are still struggling to rebound from COVID-19 closures and reduced foot traffic

• Market Saturation: The number of breweries in the U.S. has grown rapidly over the past decade, leading to fierce competition for shelf space and consumer attention

A fun meme about Trump’s Liberation Day Tariffs and IPAs

What Lies Ahead?

Craft brewers are exploring strategies to adapt:

• Localization: Emphasizing local ingredients and branding could help breweries differentiate themselves in a crowded market.

• Innovation: Experimenting with new packaging methods or alternative ingredients may mitigate some tariff-related costs.

• Advocacy: Industry groups like the Brewers Association are lobbying for clarity on tariff rules and potential exemptions for critical brewing materials

For Pennsylvania’s brewers—and craft beer makers nationwide—the coming months will be pivotal in determining whether they can weather this storm or whether these tariffs will fundamentally alter the industry.

Conclusion

Trump’s Liberation Day tariffs have introduced unprecedented challenges for America’s craft beer industry, threatening its affordability and accessibility while squeezing small businesses already operating on razor-thin margins. As brewers grapple with rising costs and shifting consumer dynamics, their resilience will be tested like never before.

For beer lovers across the country—and especially in Pennsylvania—the question remains: How much are we willing to pay for our favorite pint?

There is definitely a lot more to all of this, and it will be unfolding. The Brewer’s Association covered much of this here: Trump Administration Slapping 25% Tariffs on Canned Beer Imports and Empty Can Imports from Across the Globe.

From Perplexity

The “Liberation Day” tariffs announced by President Trump, which include a universal 10% tariff on all imports and additional targeted tariffs on specific goods and countries, are expected to have significant implications for the U.S. craft brewing industry, particularly in states like Pennsylvania.

Impact on Craft Brewing Industry

• Increased Material Costs:

  • The tariffs include a 25% levy on imported steel and aluminum, which are critical for the production of cans and kegs used by breweries. Many craft brewers rely on aluminum cans and steel kegs imported from countries like Germany, meaning these tariffs will raise production costs significantly

• • Breweries that source ingredients such as barley, malt, or fruits from countries subject to reciprocal tariffs (e.g., Mexico) will face higher expenses, further straining their budgets

• Market Challenges:

  • With rising costs, some breweries may reduce their product offerings or shift packaging strategies, such as moving away from aluminum cans altogether. This could limit consumer choices and hurt smaller breweries that lack the resources to adapt quickly

  • Export markets for U.S. beer may also shrink due to retaliatory tariffs from other nations, particularly Canada, which is a major importer of American craft beer. Losing access to this market could be devastating for breweries in Pennsylvania that rely on exports

• Consumer Sentiment:

  • Economic uncertainty stemming from these tariffs may lead to reduced consumer spending on discretionary items like craft beer. This is especially concerning as the industry is already facing challenges from shifting consumer preferences toward hard seltzers and cocktails.

Final Thoughts

The brewing industry is already in trouble, I don’t want to say ‘dire straits’, but it is getting there. Breweries are closing somewhat regularly (some recent examples: Butler Brew Works, IMBib, Bucket Brigade, Gateway, and Little Mutants). The ever growing costs of doing business, let alone a business with so many different and varying costs – such as restaurant costs, brewing costs, distribution costs, etc, etc, etc. The brewing business is also heavily regulated in all aspects, which also have costs. All of these are major factors. Add this to a declining market, and as we’ve been saying “the bubble has definitely burst” on the craft brewing industry. This almost feels like a death knell to many. And I think is why we saw an increase of closures in the past months, in anticipation of it all. With the next generation of drinkers not completely on board with the craft beer industry, the older and tiring out generation settling for hop water, non alcoholics, and other form of alcohols, the industry is certainly shrinking.

One hopes this won’t be a final nail, the coffin being closed. But unfortunately we can’t do anything but ride it out, and find out, and see what time shows us.

Thank You For Reading

If you like this article, please check out our other many articles, including news, beer reviews, travelogues, maps, and much much more. We greatly appreciate everyone visiting the site!

Cheers.

Thanks again for reading everyone. Take some time to check out the site, we greatly appreciate it. We have affiliates and sponsors with Pretzels.com and Beer Drop.com, which can save you money on their products if you are interested. Check out our articles on them. Make sure to check out our beer reviews, brewery reviews, Amy’s weekly column, book reviews, hike reviews, and so much more.

As always, thank you everyone for reading! Leave your likes, comments, suggestions, questions, etc, in the comments section. Or use the Feedback – Contact Us – page, and we’ll get right back to you! You can also reach out to us at our direct e-mail address: thebeerthrillers@gmail.com

Thank you for visiting our blog. Please make sure to follow, bookmark, subscribe, and make sure to comment and leave feedback and like the blog posts you read. It will help us to better tailor the blog to you, the readers, likes and make this a better blog for everyone.

We are working on a massive project here at The Beer Thrillers. We are creating a map of all of the breweries across the United States. State by state we are adding maps of all of the different states with every brewery in each state. (We will eventually get to the US Territories, as well as the Canadian Provinces, and possibly more countries; as well as doing some fun maps like a map of all the breweries we’ve been to, and other fun maps.) You can find the brewery maps here:

• MAPS OF BREWERIES

We are also working on a project of creating printable and downloadable PDFs and resources to be able to check and keep track of all of the breweries you’ve been to. So stay tuned for that project once we are finished with the Brewery Maps of the US States.

You can check out our different directories here: Beer Reviews, Hike Reviews, Book Reviews, Brewery News, Brewery Openings, Brewer Interviews, and Travelogues.

Please be sure to follow us on our social media accounts – Facebook, Facebook Group, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, and Influence. As well as our brand new Tumblr page. Please be sure to also follow, like, subscribe to the blog here itself to keep updated. We are also now on BlueSky as well, so make sure to check us out there also. We love to hear from you guys, so be sure to leave a comment and let us know what you think!

You can now find us on our Discord Server here: The Beer Thrillers (Discord Server). We’ve also joined LinkTree to keep track of all of our social media pages, as well as hot new articles we’ve written.

The Beer Thrillers on LinkTree can be found here: The Beer Thrillers LinkTree.

We have partnered with an affiliateship with Beer Drop.com. You can check out that partnership and receive great discounts, coupons, and more here: Beer Drop. Going here and logging in and ordering will help you receive your discounts and coupons as well as help support our page. Thank you for helping to support The Beer Thrillers and to help us maintain the site and blog and to keep it running.

The Beer Thrillers are a blog that prides itself on writing beer reviews, brewery reviews, travelogues, news (especially local to the Central PA brewery scene), as well as covering other topics of our interests – such as hiking, literature and books, board games, and video games which we sometimes stream with our friends over at Knights of Nostalgia. We are currently listed as #5 on FeedSpot’s “Top 100 Beer Blogs” and #9 on FeedSpot’s “Top 40 Pennsylvania Blogs”. (As of April 2025.) Thank you for reading our site today, please subscribe, follow, and bookmark. Please reach out to us if you are interested in working together. If you would like to donate to the blog you can here: Donate to The Beer Thrillers. Thank you!

You can also check out our partnership and affiliation with Pretzels.com, where ordering pretzels and using our affiliate code – AFFILIATE CODE IS THEBEERTHRILLERS20 – will help you get wonderful pretzels and help us maintain and keep this blog running. Thank you!

If you would like to reach out to us for product reviews, beer reviews, press release writing, and other media – please contact us at thebeerthrillers@gmail.com. Thank you.

(Thank you for reading. The opinions, thoughts, and expressions of each article posted on The Beer Thrillers represents the author of the content and only themselves. It does not express the opinions, beliefs, or ideas held by The Beer Thrillers or any company in which the author themselves work for. Each piece of written content is written by the creator(s) listed in the authorial section on each article unless otherwise noted. Their opinions, comments, and words on screen do not represent any company in which they work for and / or are affiliated with or any non – profits that they contribute to. Thank you.)

As craft beer enthusiasts, we often focus on the latest hop varieties or innovative brewing techniques. However, there’s a less palatable topic brewing in the background that’s affecting our favorite local breweries: tariffs. Let’s dive into how Donald Trump’s trade policies have been shaking up the craft beer world.

Trump’s Tariffs and How They Might Impact Craft Brewing

Aluminum Woes: More Than Just a Can of Trouble

Remember when cans were the hot new thing in craft beer? Well, they still are, but they’re causing headaches for brewers. Trump’s 10% tariff on aluminum has hit the industry hard. It’s not just a drop in the bucket – the Beer Institute estimated a whopping $347 million tax increase on the beer industry due to these tariffs. Take Oskar Blues, for example. This Colorado-based craft brewery pioneer estimated the tariff would cost them an extra $400,000 per year. That’s a lot of potential new brews or taproom upgrades going down the drain!

Squeezing Profits Like a Dry-Hopped IPA

Craft breweries operate on tight margins as it is. With these added costs, they’re feeling the squeeze:

• Many breweries are struggling to pass on these costs to beer lovers (that’s us!).
• Some are having to rethink their growth plans or even consider job cuts.
• Competing with big beer is becoming even tougher, as the giants can more easily absorb these costs.

What’s on Tap for the Future?

As we look ahead, the future for craft breweries under these policies remains uncertain:

• If Trump were to be re-elected, we might see these tariffs stick around or even increase.
• Breweries might have to get creative with cost-cutting, potentially affecting the quality or variety of our favorite brews.
• The industry’s impressive job creation streak could slow down.

Bottom Line: It’s Not All Foam and Games

While we love to focus on the fun side of craft beer, it’s crucial to understand the challenges our local brewers face. These tariffs have effectively canceled out some of the tax benefits craft breweries were enjoying, creating a bitter economic brew. So, the next time you’re sipping on your favorite local IPA or stout, remember the complex world behind that delicious beverage. And maybe, just maybe, consider supporting your local craft breweries a little extra – they might need it more than ever. Cheers to hoping for clearer skies (and cheaper cans) for our craft beer community!

How Trump’s Trade Policies Are Impacting Craft Breweries

(Information, extrapolated using economists, analysts, and Donald Trump’s first term. All information is sourced and cited at the end of the article.)

Donald Trump’s tariffs have had significant implications for craft breweries in the United States:

Impact on Costs

The 10% tariff on aluminum imposed by the Trump administration has directly affected craft breweries’ production costs.

This is particularly impactful because:

• Many craft breweries have increasingly turned to aluminum cans for packaging their beer
• Aluminum is a major input cost for brewers, with cans accounting for a significant portion of packaging

The Beer Institute estimated that the aluminum tariffs resulted in a $347 million tax increase on the beer industry.

Effects on Business Operations

The tariffs have put strain on craft breweries in several ways:

• Reduced profit margins, as breweries often struggle to pass on increased costs to consumers
• Potential job losses across the beer industry
• Limitations on growth and investment in local communities

For example, Oskar Blues brewery estimated the tariff would cost their business an additional $400,000 per year.

Long-term Concerns

Craft brewers face ongoing challenges due to the tariffs:

• Difficulty competing with larger beer brands that can more easily absorb cost increases
• Potential need to cut costs in other areas, such as labor or ingredients
• Concerns about the industry’s ability to continue growing and creating jobs

Future Outlook

If Trump were to be re-elected, craft breweries could expect:

• Continuation or potential increase of existing tariffs on aluminum and steel
• Possible new tariffs that could further impact production costs

The tariffs have effectively negated some of the benefits craft breweries received from tax relief measures, creating a challenging economic environment for the industry.

Sources

• Craft breweries fear Trump’s tariffs will doom the boom (2018)
• How Will Trump’s Tariffs Impact Local Craft Brewers? (2018)
• President Trump’s Aluminum Tariff Would Harm Beer Industry, Stakeholders Say (2018)
• Tariffs and the Industry: Impacts of the Trade War on Wine, Beer & Spirits (Jan. 6th, 2020)
• Issues for craft breweries to watch under another Trump administration (2024)
• How would Trump’s tariffs impact large food & beverage firms? And what about USCMA? (2024)
• What Will Trump’s Tariffs Mean for Businesses? (2024)
• Donald Trump’s Tariffs Would Hit His Own Businesses (2024)
• Trump tariffs threaten billions in British exports (2024)
• Why Economists Hate Donald Trump’s Tariff Plan (2024)

See Also

• Exploring Ultra Right’s Limited Edition Conservative Dad’s Beer
• Debates to play a major role in Pennsylvania’s 2024 US Senate election – Republican Rally at The Beerded Goat
• Sticker Mule Makes Controversial Social Media Post
• Craft Beer and Election Day: Sipping Democracy in 2024

Thank You For Reading

If you like this article, please check out our other many articles, including news, beer reviews, travelogues, maps, and much much more. We greatly appreciate everyone visiting the site!

Cheers.

Thanks again for reading everyone. Take some time to check out the site, we greatly appreciate it. We have affiliates and sponsors with Pretzels.com and Beer Drop.com, which can save you money on their products if you are interested. Check out our articles on them. Make sure to check out our beer reviews, brewery reviews, Amy’s weekly column, book reviews, hike reviews, and so much more.

As always, thank you everyone for reading! Leave your likes, comments, suggestions, questions, etc, in the comments section. Or use the Feedback – Contact Us – page, and we’ll get right back to you! You can also reach out to us at our direct e-mail address: thebeerthrillers@gmail.com

Thank you for visiting our blog. Please make sure to follow, bookmark, subscribe, and make sure to comment and leave feedback and like the blog posts you read. It will help us to better tailor the blog to you, the readers, likes and make this a better blog for everyone.

We are working on a massive project here at The Beer Thrillers. We are creating a map of all of the breweries across the United States. State by state we are adding maps of all of the different states with every brewery in each state. (We will eventually get to the US Territories, as well as the Canadian Provinces, and possibly more countries; as well as doing some fun maps like a map of all the breweries we’ve been to, and other fun maps.) You can find the brewery maps here:

• MAPS OF BREWERIES

We are also working on a project of creating printable and downloadable PDFs and resources to be able to check and keep track of all of the breweries you’ve been to. So stay tuned for that project once we are finished with the Brewery Maps of the US States.

You can check out our different directories here: Beer Reviews, Hike Reviews, Book Reviews, Brewery News, Brewery Openings, Brewer Interviews, and Travelogues.

Please be sure to follow us on our social media accounts – Facebook, Facebook Group, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, and Influence. As well as our brand new Tumblr page. Please be sure to also follow, like, subscribe to the blog here itself to keep updated. We are also now on BlueSky as well, so make sure to check us out there also. We love to hear from you guys, so be sure to leave a comment and let us know what you think!

You can now find us on our Discord Server here: The Beer Thrillers (Discord Server). We’ve also joined LinkTree to keep track of all of our social media pages, as well as hot new articles we’ve written.

The Beer Thrillers on LinkTree can be found here: The Beer Thrillers LinkTree.

We have partnered with an affiliateship with Beer Drop.com. You can check out that partnership and receive great discounts, coupons, and more here: Beer Drop. Going here and logging in and ordering will help you receive your discounts and coupons as well as help support our page. Thank you for helping to support The Beer Thrillers and to help us maintain the site and blog and to keep it running.

The Beer Thrillers are a blog that prides itself on writing beer reviews, brewery reviews, travelogues, news (especially local to the Central PA brewery scene), as well as covering other topics of our interests – such as hiking, literature and books, board games, and video games which we sometimes stream with our friends over at Knights of Nostalgia. We are currently listed as #5 on FeedSpot’s “Top 100 Beer Blogs” and #9 on FeedSpot’s “Top 40 Pennsylvania Blogs”. (As of August 2024.) Thank you for reading our site today, please subscribe, follow, and bookmark. Please reach out to us if you are interested in working together. If you would like to donate to the blog you can here: Donate to The Beer Thrillers. Thank you!

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As you can see, I am well stocked for the election results. (Not pictured is actually a draft already drank before my pizza got done and brought out to me.) What is pictured is I Voted Today by Tired Hands, Tired Branches II (the small remainder of a pour) by Tired Hands, and Heretic’s Shallow Grave (a porter). But thats not what today’s story and review is about.

You can guess what today’s story and review is about…. trains. Its all about trains and the locomotives that transformed America in the 1800s and early 1900s….. oh wait…. no… no… thats not it at all.

No, today’s review, is brought to you by the letters I. V. T. …. I Voted Today. And followed by the letters T. H. Oh… you figured out the pattern by now did you? This marks the first Tired Hands beer for the blog, surprisingly, but so it goes.

The full accurate title for this one should read: I Voted Today (Simcoe and Chinook) (Tired Hands), but that felt like adding too much to it all, so I just left it at “I Voted Today” which is far more the important part anyway.

….Well, I guess, its easy to discuss it now, and the cat is kind out of out of the bag, but today is November 3rd, which means, in America, its election day, when millions upon millions of people stand in line to do something very similar to getting Other Half or Burley Oak beers – vote.

Knowing the parking lot for the Lower Dauphin High School would most likely be completely packed, I parked at my parent’s house (which is about two blocks away) and walked over. I got to the high school to stand in line at about 8:08AM. Its interesting how Hummelstown has their voting set up. Everyone votes in the same location, but they have it split into two groups – “West Side” and “East Side”. (Yes, I can imagine what you are thinking about this.) The dividing line is Rosanna Street in town. I don’t know the official split of residences, but it is far lopsided in that West Side has a ton more residences and people than the East Side. Mainly because they added Greystone Farms (a development) to the West Side and most of the East Side is primarily just Main Street which has turned a lot of the houses into businesses. Plus it just doesn’t have the same amount of land. So while the wait for the West Side was incredibly long, if you lived on the East Side you could literally walk right in, vote, and leave.

I took this picture while still waiting in line but having at least made some progress, this is me now waiting at 8:40AM. Meanwhile the East Enders are flying past me still at the regular brisk pace they were before. Interesting notes – while in line I saw that both George Scott and Lindsey Drew were there by the entrance. George Scott walked up the line thanking everyone for coming out. Also at the entrance was Mayor David Roeting, which has been the Hummelstown standard for as long as I’ve been alive, Mayor Brad Miller and Mayor Bud Alexander both would stand at the polling entrance for the entirety of the day.

(First, disclaimer, before posting the above picture, I looked it up, in Pennsylvania you are allowed to take a photo of your non-filled out ballot and post it online. From what I have read on a few sites, you are not allowed to take a picture of a filled in ballot however. So the above is perfectly fine in compliance with these laws since its not filled out.)

Finally at 9:22AM I am inside and able to vote. I am #197 and getting to vote. I am not elaborating or discussing my details. This isn’t the point of this post or beer review. This is all just to discuss the actual process of voting. On exiting, the line had certainly gotten smaller, and I ran into Rich Dibeler who said he had been only waiting twenty or so minutes and he was up to the door (so he had about ten to fifteen more minutes to wait).

At 4PM my parents went to vote after my mom got home from school (she’s a teacher not a student). This was the line they were greeted to, and they were finally able to get in and vote around 4:40-4:50. My dad texted saying he was #895. They ran into Robert Myers as well as Mayor Roetting still there.

It is fantastic to see people doing their civic duty. Voting is one of the strongest and most powerful tools we have in America for the real change we want to see as Americans, and everyone should exercise it. Too many countries in the world don’t have the ability to have a say in their government and their politics, and we owe it to people like them to let our voices be heard.

After voting, I walked back, got home, took care of wind damage from the night before and had to leave for work, after work I went straight to Pizza Boy to try the ‘I Voted Today’ by Tired Hands. I had been looking for a ‘I Voted Today’ beer for the past week to be able to review it for the blog on election night. (I try to go nerdy and do the right things for the blog like election beers on election day, etc.) I wasn’t able to get any of cans from places like Monkish or etc, but was told and was able to get the last of ‘I Voted Today’ by Tired Hands at Pizza Boy. Literally, the last of it. Sorry if you didn’t get to try it, but here is the review of it all the same.

This might be one of the first times you get a sneak peak of the writing world there, as you can see my laptop up and running with the beer review started. You can also see my backup beers (one of which I started before I got the pizza). Backup beers were Tired Branches by Tired Hands and Shallow Grave by Heretic. Before the night was over, I would also get Elationship by Shy Bear and Valley Standard by Pizza Boy.

Beer: I Voted Today (Simcoe and Chinook)
Brewery: Tired Hands Brewing Company
Style: Pale Ale – American
ABV: 5.6%
IBU: None
Untappd Description: Brewed with American two row barley and malted wheat, hopped with an enthusiastic dose of our very favorite American hop, Simcoe, and fermented with our house ale yeast. This batch was double dry hopped first with more of our beloved Simcoe, then again with ultra classic and punchy Chinook. 5.6% abv. Notes of sparkling orange drink, Meyer lemon, fresh cut grass, dank green stuff, and a beautiful piney bitterness to finish it of.

This was a bright yellow pale ale. Mine looks a bit darker than some of the others I’ve seen pictures of on the internet and Untappd, which I found to be interesting, perhaps it was due to date, perhaps just the lighting at Pizza Boy where I was sitting, or my camera. My camera has been at full memory so I haven’t been able to use my flash (I know, I know, I need to get rid of all the old hiking photos and upload them to my computer so I can delete them off my phone, and also remove old apps like Hop Plotter and work out apps I’ll never use), so it might also be because of no flash. But it has a beautiful yellow to light golden color, with a very foamy head that dissipated quickly. (My pour also doesn’t do a good service to the head, and was retopped too, so it doesn’t show it as well either.)

Aroma is strong hop presence, very powerful Simcoe and Chinook hop presence. Simcoe is a hit or miss hop for many people. I personally love it, and I also love Chinook (I even grow Chinook hops at home). There is a strong lemon zest and lemon grass from the hops, some piney and a bit of earthy and regular grass undertones as well.

This is certainly a delicious crushable beer. Probably a four pack of these would be fantastic to ride out election night results. Luckily at Pizza Boy I was able to do my best to only partially glance out at the results, and only after 8PM. (I got there at 6:30.) The hop presence just like in the aroma is very strong here, and you get all of the Simcoe and Chinook hop flavors you are expecting – lemon, zest, lemon grass, pine, some hints of earthy notes, some hints of orange drink – though I always found this very subtle and don’t always pick up on it like some have, and this tails off from being juicy to leaving a light hop bitterness at the end. Which I enjoy that little ending ‘kick’ of hop bitterness, letting it not all be juicy and dank and instead giving you a wide range of flavors and tastes. This isn’t as complex as it sounds, but is more just a full flavor wheel of the above. The lemon zest, lemon grass, and grass all work together, the orange drink, piney, dank, and earthy notes all work together, and as a whole it just blends well as a juicy drink with that hop ‘kick’ of bitterness at the end. Its also only 5.6% so it’s certainly not a heavy beer and very light on the palate and stomach.

My Untappd Rating: ****
Global Untappd Rating: 4.01 (as of 11.3.20)

While eating and drinking and writing and reading, I had been texting co-workers about the election results as they were starting to come in, as well as texting a friend Haley, as well as my mom about election results, and several others. Wrapping up and going to get a box for my pizza I hear this, “Ben is that you?” and turn around, and here it was Haley, her and her mother and a friend were there the whole night as well, and we just hadn’t even seen each other there, despite texting each other the whole time. Funny world. It was her birthday (28, practically still a child, compared to my old 35). So I bought her a drink (got her a Shallow Grave by Heretic) and got myself one more beer – the Valley Standard, and we chatted and hung out and watched some of the results pour in on the screen while discussing how she’s not coming back to the casino, how her son is, etc.

After Pizza Boy I stopped at my parents to also watch the rest of the election night results with my mom, something that is usually a staple for election nights for me. I always find it interesting hearing her perspective on the country’s voting. Made it home after that to find Drew was streaming with Rome on his Knights of Nostalgia page. So I put them on in the background, while I had the TV on mute, and finished writing this (literally, writing this sentence right now with the above as described).

Please everyone remember – whoever you voted for, whichever side, blue, red, yellow, green, doesn’t matter what party you represent or voted for, what you are registered as. Nobody is “the losing side” or the “winning side”, nobody is the enemy, we are all people, we are all brothers, sisters, mothers, daughters, sons, fathers, workers, teachers, waiters, writers, streamers, construction workers, accountants, etc. Nobody is the enemy. We. Are. Humanity. And that is what we always need to keep in focus. Left vs. Right doesn’t work and isn’t something we need to be seeing when we can see it as simple as HUMAN and HUMAN. No versus. Just AND. That is the key I think, if we can just look at the person who voted opposite of us, and say, “I see you as a person, as a friend, as a co-worker, as a person.” Rather than seeing them as “voting opposite, as the enemy, as wrong”, I think we can get back to National civility, to global humanity, to friendliness, to a better world, and a better humanity.

I’ll take my step down off my soap box now, and move on. My little naive rant over. Some day I hope for a better world, and I feel the change is possible, that its right there, and we just all overlook it due to the pettiness and the banalities of people’s lives and choices. But this is probably viewed as a soppy mushy weak view and sentimental by many. Shrug. This is a beer review and I’m not going to get too crazy on the politics or the human rights rant here.

Enjoy your beers and take care everyone. Cheers!

-B. Kline

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