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Beer Distributors Pour Donations Into General Assembly Races

VCU CNS | November 4, 2019

Topics: Allied Craft Distribution, Ardent craft ales, Brown Distributing, General Assembly, political donations, Premium Distributors of Virginia, Virginia Beer Wholesalers Association, Virginia Public Access Project

The Virginia Beer Wholesalers Association, which distributes many of Richmond’s favorite craft brews, is also the seventh-largest political donor in the state this year; a slight majority of its donations go to Republicans.

On a chilly fall night in the Scott’s Addition neighborhood of Richmond, just ahead of the statewide Virginia election, Ardent Craft Ales’ front patio is full. Couples share drinks, friends gather after work, and dogs wander amongst the picnic tables, lit by overhead string lights.

Among those gathered on the front patio is Pat Smith, who enjoys going to local breweries after work with his co-workers.

“Even if I didn’t work in Scott’s Addition, I would still come here,” Smith said. 

Enjoying local craft beer inevitably pours funds into politics, further down the distribution line.

The Virginia Beer Wholesalers Association is the seventh-largest political donor in Richmond this year, according to the Virginia Public Access Project. Since 1996, the VBWA has donated almost $5 million to political candidates and committees in Virginia, with Republicans receiving $1.1 million more than Democrats during that time.

The VBWA represents 24 beer distributors operating in the state. Virginia breweries have to use a distributor once their product leaves the brewery. In Richmond, Brown Distributing Co. sells to retailers local craft beer favorites such as Ardent, Center of the Universe, Hardywood, Kindred Spirit, Steam Bell and Triple Crossing. Premium Distributors of Virginia, which acquired Henrico County-based Loveland Distributing last year, lists on its website local and regional brands such as Trapezium Brewing Co., Lickinghole Creek, The Virginia Beer Co. and South Street. The company says they distribute 12 million cases of beer each year to more than 7,300 retailers across 26 counties in Virginia.

VBWA president Philip Boykin said the association does not “discuss political funding outside of our membership.” Campaign finance data from VPAP show that in 2019, through Oct. 24, the VBWA donated $328,631, with Republican candidates and committees receiving $8,473 more than their Democrat counterparts. 

Del. Kirk Cox, R-Colonial Heights, received the most contributions from the VBWA this year, with $20,000. Sen. Richard Saslaw, D-Fairfax, is the next highest recipient with $15,000. Saslaw also leads all active politicians in donations from the VBWA, with $186,591 in total contributions dating back to 1996, according to VPAP.

Cox currently serves as Speaker of the House and Saslaw is the Senate Minority Leader.

Ardent Craft Ales is one of the craft breweries that benefited by the passing of SB604 in 2012, which allowed craft breweries with a taproom to sell their product for on-premises and off-premises consumption. (Photo via CNS)

Eric Wise is co-owner of Allied Craft Distribution, a Richmond-based distributor specializing in specialty craft beer. In his free time, he helps with political campaigns. Wise said that donating large amounts of money to both political parties is typical of trade organizations like the VBWA. Allied Craft Distribution is not a member of the VBWA. 

“Right now the laws are very distributor friendly,” Wise said. “I’m guessing it’s up to an organization that lobbies for distributors to keep it that way.”

Eleven distributors did not respond to a request for comment on this story. 

The VBWA aims to protect the three-tier system, which governs how craft breweries distribute their product. Under this system, breweries sell their products to distributors, who then sell it to retailers. Virginia has maintained a three-tier system since the 21st Amendment was ratified in 1933, allowing states to set their own laws on alcohol. 

The VBWA’s website says it supports the three-tier system because it “helps ensure that every product sold in Virginia pays its fair share of Virginia taxes.” The association also says the system helps foster competition in the industry.

Despite the longevity of the three-tier system, laws have changed related to craft breweries. In 2012, SB 604 allowed breweries with a taproom to sell their product directly “at premises described in the brewery license for on-premises consumption and in closed containers for off-premises consumption.” 

“That was a big change that kind of made Hardywood [Park Craft Brewery] what they were, not just a brewery but a tasting room and a destination,” said Wise. “Everyone kind of followed suit after that.” 

According to the Brewers Association, Virginia had 236 craft breweries in 2018, which generated an economic impact of over $1.7 billion. The number of craft breweries in the commonwealth has more than tripled since 2014. For customers like Smith, as craft brewing grows in Virginia, the politics become harder to ignore. 

“Stone Brewing is in Richmond because then-Gov. Terry McAuliffe was very on the record as saying he was a fan of Stone Brewing,” Smith said. “So I think it’s very naive to say that the politics behind it doesn’t affect it, like it absolutely does.”

As for how politics could affect consumer decisions, some beer drinkers said that quality factored into their decisions as much or more than the beliefs of the business – but not everyone agrees.

“When I go out, not only am I thinking about quality, and all of those things that fit into it, I’m thinking about who am I giving my money to, to continue doing what they’re doing, and for what reasons?” said Karly Hartline from her perch on a Scott’s Addition patio. 

Customers went on to say that they value the “escape” of going out, and that they prefer their experience to be independent of politics.

“I would rather not know your politics than know you support my views,” Smith said. “At the end of the day, it’s beer. If I like your beer, I like your beer.”

Written by Jason Boleman, Capital News Service. Top Photo: Ardent Craft Ales in Richmond has a distributor agreement with Brown Distributing, one of 24 distributors represented by the VBWA. Via CNS

Ardent Craft Ales purchases their Scott’s Addition property with plans to expand in 2017

Amy David | March 17, 2017

Topics: Ardent craft ales, Brown Distributing, craft beer, RVA breweries, RVA craft beer, RVA On Tap

Thursday night, Ardent Craft Ales announced that it has purchased its brewery building and property located at 3200 W. Leigh St. in Scott’s Addition and plans to expand.

Co-owners Tom Sullivan, Kevin O’Leary, and Paul Carns purchased the 25,875 square foot property from local developer Scott Coleman of Crossroads Development, who originally partnered with the brewery in 2013 to renovate the property.

Ardent plans to expand starting with a wider distribution and more equipment, which is expected to begin later this year.

The brewery officially purchased the property at the end of February, but the plan has been in the works since November according to Sullivan, Co-Owner and Director of Operations.

“When we started this process, the first concept was to go through the SBA with one of their programs and buy the real estate and then some of the equipment we want for expansion and it kind of gets rolled into that program and that loan,” he said. “We really had a great experience working with Crossroads Development, they were really awesome helping us get this whole project off the ground.”

The brewery began as a co-operative in 2010 in a garage in Church Hill and they opened their brewery, taproom, and beer garden opened in June 2014. Since then, Ardent has continued to come out with innovative beers and unique recipes, and even took home awards from the Virginia Craft Beer Awards for their Schwarzbier and Bourbon Barrel Aged Honey Ginger brews in 2016.

Sullivan said they’re looking to add five new fermentation tanks and two brite tanks when they expand, roughly doubling their production capacity along with expanding on their original facility.

“We’re at the point where our initial build-out and infrastructure that we installed, sloped floor, the chiller, various piping…we’ve consumed all of that space and used all of that, so just to add one more tank we have to install more infrastructure,” he said.

Besides adding new equipment, Sullivan said Ardent hopes to expand their distribution.

“We’re interested in being able to produce a little bit more and open other markets in Virginia, we haven’t decided which ones yet, but we just want to put ourselves in the position where we can do that,” Sullivan said.

Ardent currently distributes through Brown Distributing in the Richmond market and Chesbay to distribute to the Hampton Roads area.

You can go get a taste Ardent’s release of their dobbelbock Defenestrator this Saturday, March 18.

A look back: Hardywood Park Craft Brewery relives its humble beginnings, successes and future expansion plans before five-year anniversary 10/22

Amy David | October 20, 2016

Topics: anniversary, Brown Distributing, craft beer, Hardywood Park Craft Brewing, RVA craft beer, SB 604, scotts addition, va craft beer

Those outside of Richmond or those just moving to the city are probably the only ones left not hip to Richmond’s exploding beer scene at this point. With over 15 breweries, as well as cideries, and a few distilleries thrown in, the city’s cup is overflowing if you will.
[Read more…] about A look back: Hardywood Park Craft Brewery relives its humble beginnings, successes and future expansion plans before five-year anniversary 10/22

It’s Too Early For Pumpkin Ales: RVA Beer Enthusiasts Hold the Line Against Seasonal Creep

Marilyn Drew Necci | August 7, 2014

Topics: Brown Distributing, craft beer, Hardywood, Lickinghole Creek Craft Brewery, mekong, RVA, Strangeways Brewing

The weather may be cooler than usual for the dog days of summer in RVA, but it is undeniably still August. Walk into your corner store, however, and you’d be forgiven for wondering if your calendar were wrong. Yes, that is pumpkin beer sitting on the shelf for sale.

[Read more…] about It’s Too Early For Pumpkin Ales: RVA Beer Enthusiasts Hold the Line Against Seasonal Creep

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