Progress!

Greetings Hopfools,

It’s been a busy month for us here.  We’ve been working hard on recipes and have about nine new beers ready for a first tap with friends later this month.

In the meantime we’re pouring over contracts with engineering firms, working with our project coordinator, finalizing our logo, getting our website ready and in general, making steady progress towards our goal.

Speaking of progress, it appears that the craft beer community of New Orleans continues to develop and grow.  A recent post from Nora McGunnigle’s blog reports that The Courtyard Brewery recently enjoyed a significant victory with the local City Planning Commission; three cheers!

It’s great to see that the city is open to the prospect of a vibrant craft beer community.  And why shouldn’t they be?  Not long ago I did some research regarding the economic impact of craft beer on the state economies and it was pretty enlightening.

A 2013 economic impact study, commissioned by the Legislative Budget and Finance Committee of Pennsylvania found that in 2011, craft breweries in Pennsylvania paid over $4 million in taxes, employed over 2500 people and paid $49 million in payroll.  All told, the study estimated that beer produced and sold in Pennsylvania resulted in over 10,000 jobs, $296 million in wages, and $1.1 billion (yes with a “b”) in output.  That’s not chump change!

Similar studies have been commissioned and performed by the brewer’s guilds of Texas and California and while these entities may be biased, the economic evidence of the benefits of the craft beer industry on state economies is truly undeniable.  It’s great to see evidence that the city of New Orleans appreciates the positive economic impact that craft beer can have on the local economy.

Well that’s all for now.  Till next time don’t forget to support your local craft brewery. Oh, and only 43 days till Jazz Fest!!

Salud,

Mark