Wow, this studious document is both astounding and embarrassing. Great work by Texas Craft Brewers Guild and Freetail Brewing Co. founder, Scott Metzger, but pretty embarrassing for Texas law makers.
Scott points out that should Texas brewers be granted the same retail rights as Texas wine makers, “the industry’s economic impact could reach $5.6 billion annually in less than a decade.”
Besides this, we’re not doing too bad.
According to the study of current Texas breweries and brewpubs:
• Annual brewery sales reaching $75.9 million with volume nearly doubling year over year.
• Direct economic impact surpassing $222 million (output of brewing, wholesale and retail tiers).
• Active job creation through direct and ancillary industries, with brewer payrolls contributing
$24.5 million directly and represent 51.2 percent of the state’s brewery jobs.
• $16 million contributed to local and state tax revenue.
• 92 percent of Texas craft brewers are planning capital expansions, representing upwards of $30 million invested in the next five years.
It’s a pretty lengthy document, check out the whole thing here, and be sure to support the Guild and participate in the upcoming Texas Craft Brewers Festival in early October (for all those burned by other festivals recently, THIS ONE IS LEGIT), and then Austin Beer Week in late October.
