Opinion/The Next Draft: Time again to clean out the beer fridge of news
By Matthew Tota
I opened my beer fridge last weekend and shuddered.
Cans from October jammed into every free space without reason. Bottles from December wedged tightly along the door. And far too many questions: When did I buy that? Why?
It’s time again to clean out my beer fridge and look back at some brewery news around Central Massachusetts that got caught up in the chaos.
Burudika! (Cheers in Swahili)
Beyond the flavor, what makes a beer memorable is the story behind its creation. You don’t get those stories with the mass-produced stuff: It’s only the local breweries that have the time and patience to brew beers with tales to tell.
New stimulus package permanently extends excise tax regulations saving craft brewers thousands
Updated Dec 23, 2020;
The bill adds even more relief to craft breweries across the country as it relates to the Craft Beverage Modernization and Tax Reform Act (CBMTRA).
Current regulations tax $3.50 per barrel of beer on the first 60,000 barrels produced by breweries. The tax jumps to $16 for every barrel beyond 60,000.
The regulation was set to expire on Dec. 31. The stimulus bill permanently extends the regulation.
If it had expired, the cost would jump from $3.50 to $16 regardless of the size of a brewery.
“That’s huge. I can’t even imagine if that actually wasn’t extending and suddenly we had to pay four times as much in federal excise tax,” CEO of Redemption Rock Brewing Co. Dani Babineau said.
Funky Murphy’s on Shrewsbury Street in Worcester closes temporarily after employee tests positive
Updated Dec 16, 2020;
Funky Murphy’s is the latest restaurant in Worcester to have to close after an employee tested positive for coronavirus.
The eatery on Shrewsbury Street announced on Wednesday that it will temporarily close after an employee tested positive for the virus. The restaurant, in a Facebook post, said it will close for at least Wednesday to allow for a professional deep cleaning.
To our Funky Murphy s customers.
Today we were notified that one of our employees tested positive for the Covid 19.Posted by Funky Murphy s Worcester Ma on Wednesday, December 16, 2020
Clockwise from top left: Trillium Brewing Company’s Comm Ave Jigsaw Puzzle, Notch Brewing’s See You on the Other Side, Mighty Squirrel’s Celebrate Mighty Moments blanket, Lamplighter Brewing Co. s Still Zoomed Out Double IPA and can art for White Lion Brewing Company s Winter Fruits Kettle Sour. (Courtesy)
Beer geeks can be pretty easy to please around the holidays with the gift of a fresh four-pack (or two!) from a local brewery. But supporting the independent producers we love has become more important than ever in this most abominable year. The more than 200 breweries across Massachusetts weathered crushing shutdowns and lost taps at restaurants. They quickly adapted to offer curbside pickup and expanded their outdoor beer gardens. Now that winter is bearing down upon us, there are more ways to help keep these small businesses afloat through the seemingly bleak months that lie ahead. From quaffable to wearable, here are a few suggestions for gifts of clever cans, cozy swa