Last week, members of the brewing community in the South Puget Sound region of Washington attended a Brewers Association (BA) event with Congresswoman Marilyn Strickland at Well 80 Brewhouse in Olympia. The roundtable discussion touched on a wide variety of topics, including affordability and challenges to small businesses due to increased cost of goods.

“As co-chair of the Small Brewers Caucus, I will keep working to advance policies that strengthen the industry for brewers, farmers, and manufacturers,” Congresswoman Strickland said in a statement.

Of note was the discussion of Brews to Barns, the BA initiative that would offer excise tax credits to brewers who donate their spent grain to agriculture interests, which is awaiting introduction in the U.S. House of Representatives. Other topics, from fuel prices to tariffs, were also discussed.

“We appreciate Congresswoman Strickland taking the time to hear directly from Washington brewers,” said Daniel Olsen, Executive Director of the Washington Brewers Guild. “Conversations like these help strengthen the connection between our breweries, local agriculture, and rural communities.”

The BA will continue to hold events like this in districts across the country in support of both federal and state-level Brews to Barns efforts. If you would like to set up a meeting with your representatives, please reach out to our government affairs team.