CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Beer brewers are looking forward to Jan. 1 when the newly signed tax overhaul slashes some of their taxes in half.
The number of small craft brewers has grown immensely in Charlotte.
"In general, we've had a pretty good December," Chris Goulet, with Birdsong Brewery, said.
Goulet is one of the managing partners of Birdsong Brewery, which has been pumping out craft beers for a little more than six years.
"For us, it's definitely a nice windfall," Goulet said.
That windfall is a clause inserted into the recently passed tax reform, which gives small brewers a break by cutting the federal excise tax from $7 a barrel to $3.50.
"It's been a big investment for us in a new business," Hyde Brewery co-owner Glen Cherry said.
Cherry is one of the owners of Hyde Brewery, which opened in August.
Every dollar counts so the tax break is welcome news to the new brewery.
"Initially, it's definitely a factor that would cause us to hire additional people," Cherry said.
Although brewers are thankful for some relief from the federal government, it's the state that hurts the most. The state excise tax is $19 a barrel, which is almost three times the current federal level more than five times the new rate.
"North Carolina, I think it's the fourth-highest state in the country,” Goulet said. "So compared to another state, like Colorado, that's known for craft beer, North Carolina charges almost seven times as much."
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