In this Jan. 14, 2019, photo, Trevor Stevens works in the bottling room at Lakefront Brewery in Milwaukee. The federal shutdown is impacting the federal agency Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau, which approves licenses for new breweries, some ingredients and labels for beers sent out of state. The brewery is now waiting for the federal agency to approve the "My Turn: Chuck" beer label, so they can sell it out of state. (AP Photo/Carrie Antlfinger)
The Associated Press
MILWAUKEE (AP) - The nation's craft beer taps are being squeezed by the government shutdown.
The partial shutdown has put new releases on hold, prevented new breweries from opening and stopped shipments of some suds across state lines.
The federal agency that regulates alcohol production and distribution is closed. That means government employees can't issue the permits needed for the beer to flow.
Brewers are nervous that they will lose money if brewery openings and seasonal beers are delayed much longer in the dispute over President Donald Trump's demand for taxpayer funding of a wall along the border with Mexico.
Russ Klisch is founder and president of Lakefront Brewery in Milwaukee. He has a suggestion to improve the negotiations between Trump and congressional Democrats: They should get together for a few beers.
In this Jan. 14, 2019, photo, bottles, freshly filled with beer, move on a belt at Lakefront Brewery in Milwaukee. The federal shutdown is impacting the federal agency Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau, which approves licenses for new breweries, some ingredients and labels for beers sent out of state. The brewery is now waiting for the federal agency to approve the "My Turn: Chuck" beer label, so they can sell it out of state. (AP Photo/Carrie Antlfinger)
The Associated Press
In this Jan. 11, 2019, photo, Russ Klisch, founder and president of Lakefront Brewery, holds up a photo of "My Turn: Chuck" beer. The federal shutdown is impacting the federal agency Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau, which approves licenses for new breweries, some ingredients and labels for beers sent out of state. The brewery is now waiting for the federal agency to approve the "My Turn: Chuck" beer label, so they can sell it out of state. (AP Photo/Carrie Antlfinger)
The Associated Press