USA, NM: $2.2 trillion stimulus package supposed to provide some relief to brewers

A $2.2 trillion stimulus package that federal lawmakers passed, and the president signed on March 27, is supposed to provide some relief for New Mexico breweries, KOB reported.

Leah Black with the New Mexico Brewers Guild said like other trades, the future of the brewery industry is up in the air.

"Right now it's scary because everyone is leaning on everyone else for answers and you know it's just such an uncertain time,” said Leah Black, executive director of the New Mexico Brewers Guild.

Like other restaurants, breweries are only able to sell their beer to-go. Santa Fe Brewing Co. said they will be able to pay their employees for the next two months and will be donating every dollar they make through to-go purchases to their employees.

"So if you come here and you buy a sweatshirt, a hat, a growler, some packaged beer, we're giving every dollar of those sales back to our people so we can keep them working. And we can try to keep them as whole as possible, making rent payments, making mortgages, feeding their families until we're on the other side of this,” said Jarrett Babincsak, vice president of sales and marketing at Santa Fe Brewing Co.

The stimulus plan is expected to help small businesses pay their staff to cushion some of the economic blow of coronavirus.

According to the New Mexico Brewers Guild, breweries generated more $350 million for the state’s economy.

29 March, 2020