TZG’s Eric Orlando Talks To NJBIZ About Senate Bill 3970 And The Future of Craft Beer In NJ
We’re excited to share that TZG’s Executive Vice President Eric Orlando was recently featured in NJBIZ for his ongoing leadership and advocacy in support of New Jersey’s independent brewers.
As Government Affairs Director of the Brewers Guild of New Jersey, Eric spoke on the potential impact of Senate Bill 3970/Assembly Bill 4799, which proposes the creation of the Jersey Craft Beverage Retailer Promotion and Grant Program. The program would offer annual grants of up to $2,500 to eligible retail license holders who support local craft beverage producers.
Learn more about S-3970: here.
Leveling the Playing Field
Right now, the system leans heavily in favor of out-of-state distributors. Most bars and retailers are buying from the same big names, which leaves limited space — and a lot more competition — for local craft breweries to get in.
Scott Wells, co-owner of Bolero Snort Brewery in Carlstadt and a board member of the Brewers Guild of New Jersey, explains:
“The bulk of bars in the state don’t rotate their lines frequently or at all,” he said. “Many of them are now buying craft beer, but they’re buying it from the same distributors that they’re buying their Miller or their Budweiser from. In many of those cases, they’re buying it because they’re getting volume discounts from those distributors and they’re buying it because they’re getting support from those distributors as well.”
Another major hurdle? The statewide cap on liquor licenses.
“It’s safe to say that the number of retail outlets that are out there are not going to increase to a great extent anytime soon. There’s not going to be a huge new batch of liquor stores being created or restaurants because of the cap on the amount of liquor licensees that exist,” Orlando said. “And we believe that this is one of the tools in the toolbox to help gain, win back and secure shelf space.”
Stay tuned for more updates on Senate Bill 3970 and read the full NJBIZ article to see what’s brewing in NJ.
About The Zita Group
The Zita Group is a woman-owned government and public affairs firm, both founded and led by Patrizia “Trish” Zita. Our bipartisan, experienced team of strategic consultants is widely respected by elected, appointed and government officials of both parties across New Jersey’s political landscape. We provide our clients unique insights into the decision-making process at the highest levels. We bring to bear credible working relationships with executive branch officials, legislators, and staff. Our team’s effectiveness has been demonstrated again and again by the results we achieve for our clients.
