HARRISBURG, PA (3.22.17) – The Brewers of Pennsylvania (BOP), the state’s official brewers guild, has announced the recipients of the inaugural Legislative Awards, an honor that recognizes a person or organization the BOP considers a partner in the industry, one who continually strives to promote and protect Pennsylvania’s craft beer industry. The three Pennsylvania legislators will be honored at The BOP’s popular annual event MEETING OF THE MALTS VI in Bethlehem on Thursday, March 30.

Receiving the 2017 Legislative Awards are Speaker Mike Turzai (Pa. District 28 serving Allegheny County), Rep. Mike Tobash (Pa. District 125 serving Dauphin and Schuylkill Counties), and Sen. Richard Alloway II (Pa. District 33 serving Adams, Cumberland, Franklin, York Counties).

“The three legislators the Brewers of Pennsylvania have chosen to receive this award are legislative champions with respect to the BOP’s initiatives of promoting and protecting the craft beer industry in the Commonwealth,” said Dan LaBert, Executive Director of the BOP. “With their dedicated work, particularly with the Malt Beverage Tax Credit, we know the Pennsylvania craft beer industry has a solid seat at the table in Harrisburg, and that’s important because BOP members employ an estimated 10,000 employees earning $296 million in wages and generating $1.1 billion in direct economic benefits to communities throughout the state.”

In July, 2016, Pennsylvania Governor, Tom Wolf, signed a $1.3 billion revenue package. Part of that package included a Malt Beverage Tax Credit not to exceed $5 million annually. The tax credit, matching equipment and facilities investments made by applicant breweries, has been one of the BOP’s top legislative goals since 2013. The BOP fully supports this tax credit measure, and considers it a major victory for all craft breweries in the Commonwealth, particularly smaller breweries as the benefits of the measure is capped at $200,000 per year, per brewery.

The three Pennsylvania legislators will be honored during the dinner portion of Meeting of the Malts VI, which will also include a panel discussion featuring a star-studded cast including Dick Yuengling (D. G. Yuengling & Son), Jim Koch (Samuel Adams), David Walker (Firestone Walker Brewing Company), and Eric Wallace (Left Hand Brewing Company). The panel discussion will take place from 6:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. on March 30, and will be emceed by industry icon, Bump Williams.

In 2016, to support the BOP’s legislative and advocacy initiatives, the association launched Brewer For A Day, a program designed to give state legislators a hands-on insider’s perspective on the brewing process, as well as further educate Pennsylvania Senators and Representatives on the direct economic impact craft brewers have on communities throughout the state. The following state legislators have participated in the Brewer For A Day program:

• Sen. Rafferty, Pa. District 44 – Victory Brewing Company in Downingtown 8/15/16
• Rep. Kurt Masser, Pa. District 107 – Old Forge Brewing Company in Danville 9/29/16
• Sen. Sean Wiley, Pa District 49 – Lavery Brewing Company in Erie on 10/5/16
• Rep. Harry Lewis, Pa. District 74 – Victory Brewing Company in Downingtown 10/14/16
• Chairmen of the Pa. House Liquor Control Committee (Rep. Adam Harris and Rep. Paul Costa) – Victory Brewing Company in Parkesburg 11/17/16

Meeting of the Malts VI, presented by Micro Matic USA, will take place Thursday, March 30 from 6:00 p.m. – 11:00 p.m. EST at Artsquest Center at SteelStacks, 711 First St., Bethlehem, PA.

In 2016, Draft Magazine named Meeting of the Malts as the #12 (out of 101) rated beer experiences on the industry bucket list. Meeting of the Malts VI, #supportPAbeer, will include panel discussions, keynote addresses, valuable networking opportunities, a silent beer auction, and the Pennsylvania BrewPub Festival. Participating BOP members in the BrewPub Festival include: Barley Creek Brewing Co., North Country Brewing Co., Covered Bridge Brewhaus, Boneshire Brew Works, The Proper Brewing Co., The Brewery at Hershey, Round Guys Brewing Co., Free Will Brewing Co., Yards Brewing Co., Berwick Brewing Co., Butler Brew Works, Zeroday Brewing Co., HiJinx Brewing Co, Sly Fox Brewing Co., and Weyerbacher Brewing Co.