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!

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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.)

Most Popular Breweries by State as per Perplexity

Taking a look at the most popular brewery in each state can be a bit difficult. But thankfully with AI, we can quick pin down things a bit more succinctly. So I fired up the old Perplexity AI machine, and threw it the commands of “what is the most popular brewery in each state” and then gave it the caveats of using Untappd data, sales data, online mentions, and variables such as website recommendations and such.

And here’s what it gave us:

Most Popular Brewery in Each State as of February 2025

Notes: A few notes I’d like to point out. Wicked Weed Brewing is listed twice – North and South Carolina. Yuengling Brewery is listed for Texas; where they do technically have a brewery production center. And 3 Floyds is also listed twice – Indiana and Virginia.

Sources

• Perplexity AI for creating the list
• Untappd for data purposes
• Reddit: Untappd Most Popular Breweries By State
• Statista: Number of craft beer breweries in the United States, by state 
• Brewer’s Association: State Craft Beer Sales & Production Statistics
• Beer Connoisseur: All 50 States Ranked for Beer
• Alcohol.org: Largest Craft Brewery in Each State
• Brewers Association: Brewers Association Releases Annual Craft Brewing Industry Production Report and Top 50 Producing Craft Brewing Companies
• Business Insider: The best brewery in every state, according to Yelp (and Yelp)
• Beer Advocate: MAP of All 50 States and Breweries Ranked

Our Related Articles

• The Top Ten Breweries with the Most Five Star Ratings of 2022
• The Top Ten Craft Breweries That Brewed the Most New Beers in the Year 2022
• The Top Ten Craft Beers with the Most Five Star Ratings of 2022
• Top 50 Craft Brewing Companies in the United States (2023)
• The Top 10 Craft Breweries With the Most 5 Star Check-Ins On Untappd (2023)
• The Top 10 Most Checked-In Countries Outside the U.S. in 2023 via Untappd
• Untappd: Top 10 Breweries in Pennsylvania for 2023
• Pouring Excellence: Pennsylvania’s Top Craft Breweries of 2023
• Pennsylvania’s Top Picks: The Most Accessible and Universally Loved Beers
• Top 10 Breweries in The United States – Halfway Through 2024 (as per Untappd)
• Top Popular Beer Brands
• Top 10 Craft Beers in New England: A Guide to the Must-Try Brews
• Best Cities for Beer Lovers: Top Spots for Drinkers and Breweries in the U.S.
• Sipping on the Edge: Exploring the Top 5 Highest ABV Beers
• List of Pennsylvania Breweries
• Brewery ARS Named in The 30 Best Breweries In The Country Right Now List
• Von C Brewing Has Been Named To Men’s Journal List of Best Breweries You Haven’t Heard Of
• The Battle of the Breweries: 2025 – Competitor’s List

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 January 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!

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.)

Obliviously On He Sails: The Bush Administration in Rhyme by Calvin Trillin

Political Satire

Political satire through rhyme, who knew. A look at the time in office of President Bush. Published during his presidency; this doesn’t cover his last year (year and a half or so) of his second term. Calvin Trillin writes about the various aspects of Bush’s presidency, his campaigns, all obviously from a certain slant, a certain bias. So you will have to go into it full well knowing if you are extremely pro-Bush this will most likely come off as bashing or as very negative of his presidency. I think it helps with accountability though and it helps to act as a reminder of a president’s legacy, of a president’s time in office, his achievements or in this case lack of achievements or issues and problems. These accounts, either through satire and humor or through purely historical lenses offer us a valuable insight into what transformed all of our lives who lived through these times.

Back of Cover Blurb

Does the Bush Administration sound any better in rhyme? In this biting array of verse, it at least sounds funnier. Calvin Trillin employs everything from a Gilbert and Sullivan style, for describing George Bush’s rescue in the South Carolina primary by the Christian Right (“I am, when all is said and done, a Robertson Republican”), to a bilingual approach, when commenting on the President’s casual acknowledgment, after months of trying to persuade the nation otherwise, that there was never any evidence of Iraqi involvement in 9/11: “The Web may say, or maybe Lexis-Nexis / If chutzpa is a word they use in Texas.”

Trillin deals not only with George W. Bush but with the people around him—Supreme Commander Karl Rove and Condoleezza (Mushroom Cloud) Rice and Nanny Dick Cheney (“One mystery I’ve tried to / Why Cheney’s head is always at an angle . . .”) The armchair warriors Trillin refers to as the Sissy Hawk Brigade are celebrated in such poems as “Richard Whose Fault Is He?” and “A Sissy Hawk Cheer” (“All-out war is still our druthers— / Fiercely fought, and fought by others.”).

Trillin may never be poet laureate—certainly not while George W. Bush is in office—but his wit and his political insight produce what has been called “doggerel for the ages.”

Obliviously On He Sails: The Bush Administration in Rhyme – GoodReads

Book Review: Obliviously On He Sails: The Bush Administration in Rhyme

As a service and a resource to all of our readers, we are creating a full list of all of the breweries in the United States. Starting with Maine and working geographically we are planning on getting all 50 states done, as well as all territories and districts, as well as a fun map of all of the breweries we personally have been to. We are then planning to combine them all into one large map of all of America.

Who knows, if I’m not completely brain dead by the endeavor afterwards I might do Canada and Mexico as well, and then work our way through other countries.

I’m sure nearly as soon as I get each state done new breweries will open and old ones will close. So I am going to need some help from everyone to keeping these up to date. If you notice any breweries missing or ones that have closed, please let us know. Thank you so very much.

Map of Breweries in Connecticut

The above is a map of breweries in the state of Connecticut. If you know of any missing (or closed) please let us know by leaving a comment, using our CONTACT US page, or e – mailing us directly at thebeerthrillers@gmail.com

Maps of Breweries in the United States of America (USA)

The below is a list of maps of the states, territories, and districts of the United States. As well as a fun map of all the breweries that The Beer Thrillers have been to. I am working on getting these done geographically, starting with Maine. (When the state is underlined and in color, means the map is done and ready to be viewed.)

States

• Alabama
• Alaska
• Arizona
• Arkansas
• California
• Colorado
• Connecticut
• Delaware
• Florida
• Georgia
• Hawaii
• Idaho
• Illinois
• Indiana
• Iowa
• Kansas
• Kentucky
• Louisiana
• Maine
• Maryland
• Massachusetts
• Michigan
• Minnesota
• Mississippi
• Missouri
• Montana
• Nebraska
• Nevada
• New Hampshire
• New Jersey
• New Mexico
• New York
• North Carolina
• North Dakota
• Ohio
• Oklahoma
• Oregon
• Pennsylvania
• Rhode Island
• South Carolina
• South Dakota
• Tennessee
• Texas
• Utah
• Vermont
• Virginia
• Washington
• West Virginia
• Wisconsin
• Wyoming

Territories

• American Samoa
• Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands
• Federated States of Micronesia
• Guam
• Republic of the Marshall Islands
• Republic of Palau
• Commonwealth of Puerto Rico

Districts

• Washington D.C.

Fun Maps

• Map of all Breweries that The Beer Thrillers have visited.

If we decide to add any future maps, we will update the page if necessary. If you have any map suggestions for us, please feel free to comment, contact us, or e – mail us at thebeerthrillers@gmail.com

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 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 #7 on FeedSpot’s “Top 100 Beer Blogs” and #8 on FeedSpot’s “Top 40 Pennsylvania Blogs”. (As of January 2023.) 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.)