Craft beer maker New Belgium Brewery is expanding beyond Fat Tire and into the realm of politics.
The company filed this month to start the New Belgium Federal PAC in order donate to candidates and supporting causes that can help the craft brewing community like environmental policy, according to the National Journal.
The new PAC has yet to start raising funds, but it has a list of lofty goals to accomplish when it does have some money in the bank.
Andrew Lemley, New Belgium’s government-affairs representative, told the Journal that the PAC wants to get in on water conservation and water quality issues, a major driver for the beer industry. They also want to be a part of initiatives for “sustainable agriculture and smart transportation.”
The New Belgium Federal PAC wants to push for the unlikely Small Brewer Reinvestment and Expanding Workforce Act, introduced in the House last February and in the Senate last May. The beer-specific policy would cut the excise tax on beer produced by brewers that produce less than 6 million barrels a year. It faces opposition from larger brewers, the National Journal reports. Two of which, Anheuser-Busch and Coors, also have PACs.
Lemley told NJ that the brewery has not yet decided on any specific candidates to support, but the PAC will “absolutely” back people. Past brewery employee contributions have almost all gone to Democrats, but Lemley promises that the PAC will look at candidates on both sides.
