Yankee Brew News Archive

New York Attorney Striving to Form Regional Brewers Association for New England

Originally Published: 10/97

By: Kerry J. Byrne

Though doubters abound, a New York lawyer feels New England brewers stand to benefit from a regional brewers association - an association he's willing to lead.

"I thought this would be a nice way to combine my training as an attorney and some of the skills I've acquired with my love of craft brewing," said Henry Jones, a Rochester lawyer and certified beer judge.

Jones, 39, a North Haven, Connecticut native, would like to lead a New England brewers organization in its joint lobbying, promotions and special interest efforts. But so far, he said, "it hasn't been easy. It's something I have to discuss in detail with the state (brewers) organizations. Unless I can get support of at least four of the six states, I'm not really going to go very far."

Vermont, Massachusetts, Maine and New Hampshire have formal brewers associations. An informal association exists in Connecticut, while Rhode Island has just four breweries which have yet to form a trade association.

Jones, who's been practicing law for 10 years, said he's written about 130 letters to representatives of New England brewers (the first letters were sent July 25), hoping to determine the interest level. Some, Jones said, "have been very enthusiastic." Others are not so sure.

David Geary, owner of Maine's D.L. Geary Brewing Company, for example, told Jones that organizing brewers "is like herding cats."

Jones said he had a meeting set with the Maine Brewers Guild September 18 to discuss his proposal, while Lawrence Miller, owner of Otter Creek Brewing Company and president of the Vermont Brewers Association, has told Jones he would be welcome at an upcoming VBA meeting.

"I'm always happy to hear a proposal about something like this," Miller said. A brewers' representative "can be an effective voice if we know when these issues come up" in state legislatures. "These issues are incredibly difficult to follow in our day-to-day life. An eye on all this could be very beneficial. I wouldn't give up the VBA, but this could be another tool. We need all the tools we can get."

Miller did say it may be difficult for one individual to work effectively in all six states, but he's not the only one who thinks the idea warrants consideration.

"I think having a regional association is ultimately going to be an important thing to do," said Peter Egelston, president of the New Hampshire Craft brewers Association and owner of two breweries in that state, as well as one in Massachusetts. "What I'd like to see is craft brewers emerge, at least on the important issues, from the parochial state-bounded mentality that runs pretty deep in New England. I think craft brewers, to a certain extent, have made that work to their advantage. But there is a point where it can work against them as well. I'd hate to see New Hampshire brewers against Maine brewers and everyone against Vermont brewers. We have to be a little cautious that that doesn't happen. There are some issues that are of real concern to brewers everywhere: tax issues and regulatory issues that transcend state borders."

Among the issues that could be addressed on a regional basis, Egelston said, are the efforts by some to lower the blood alcohol level for OUI offenses, "social engineering" through taxation, and the federal tax differential between small and large brewers. As it stands, Egelston said, small brewers pay half the excise rate of large brewers, while both pay lower taxes than distilled spirits manufacturers.

"I think these are issues better addressed on a regional basis than a state basis," Egelston said. "I'm not sure if a craft brewers association or brewers association is the best vehicle for that, but it's certainly one we should take a look at."

Others are more skeptical.

"I'm not opposed to the idea, but I just don't see the real value in it quite frankly," said Paul Sylva, co-owner of the Ipswich Brewing Company and past president of the Massachusetts Brewers Association. "There is an education organization which bridges all of New England in the Master Brewers Association of America. So in terms of the education aspect, that's being done. As far as legislation, that's done on a state-by-state basis.

"If you're talking a fraternal organization just to get together to hug and kiss," Sylva continued, "that happens at the beer festivals in Boston or Northampton or anywhere. I'm not sure I see the point in the whole thing. If someone can pull it off, fine. But I think it's somewhat redundant."

In Connecticut, Jones spoke to Phil Hopkins, owner of Hartford Brewery Ltd.

"We had a nice long chat," Jones said. "He's enthusiastic idea about the idea of a New England Brewers Association and welcomes my coming down to chat with him about it."

But, Jones said, "as far as legislation he's lying low because the liquor store lobby is so strong it took breweries, and in particular brewpubs, a long time to get off the ground. Their organization efforts are suffering as a result."

And, he said, the Connecticut organization "is at such an informal stage they don't think they'd be able to contribute much, particularly financially."

Finances, as always, are an issue.

"I'm not in this to make a killing," Jones said. "Because even with six states, there's not a heck of a lot of money out there. I have some ideas about how this is going to happen, whether it be a percentage of dues, or good old fashioned fund raising. I want to make a halfway decent living at it. I'm not going to do it for free."

Ultimately, if the idea took off, he would relocate.

"It's tough trying to organize this from Rochester. If I were in Northampton or Deerfield (Massachusetts), it would be nice," said Jones, who finds himself, as a Connecticut native, a fan of both the Knicks and Red Sox.

"What I'm finding is that I approached this thing from a legal and legislative aspect. But I think I'll have to wear more hats than that, as a marketer and promoter with a sales pitch for New England beers. I think (brewers') expectations are a bit more broad than legislative and legal issues."

But he feels he can make it work. "If I go to each state association, maybe I can get a representative from each to meet some place and hash it out."

Though some of the larger breweries (Jones cited the Mass. Bay Brewing Company) have expressed, like Sylva, satisfaction with the Master Brewers Association, Jones said "I think it's the smaller breweries that have something to worry about down the road. Those are the ones that will stand to gain from a regional association."

Jones said he would welcome comments and input from New England brewers. He can be reached at his Rochester office at (716) 271-7260.

"I think it's an opportunity for me to combine the skills I've learned practicing law to serve the brewers of New England," Jones said. "It combines my legal skills with my passion for beer and craft brewing. I have a couple of friends who started their own places professionally. I know the headaches they went through."