Regular readers of San Diego Beer News know of the San Diego Brewers Guild (SDBG), a volunteer-driven non-profit trade organization working with the local breweries comprising its membership to, among other things, advocate and raise visibility for local beer and the companies that produce it at home and abroad while organizing engaging events for the industry and its fans. That is important work, to be sure, but when it comes to making a positive difference for craft brewing companies on a state level, another trade group does the heavy-lifting. That organization is the California Craft Brewers Association (CCBA), and that small yet scrappy unit coordinates with guilds throughout The Golden State, bringing California brewery owners to Sacramento where they can meet with legislators on their home turf as part of their annual Day at the Capitol initiative.
“The CCBA is based in Sacramento, and it’s California brewers’ number-one advocate for statewide legislation,” says Doug Constantiner, founder and CEO of Kearny Mesa-based Societe Brewing. Constantiner is in his sixth year of serving on the CCBA’s Board of Directors and also chairs the organization’s Membership Committee. “The CCBA helps defend protections of small breweries and advocates for change that will help all of us. For example, we single-handedly and successfully lobbied to have the requirement that food must be sold with all beer purchases at tasting rooms during the height of COVID. That was a big win that helped a lot of California breweries weather that difficult storm.”
Held in conjunction with CCBA’s winter Board meetings, the Day at the Capitol is open to any owner or executive from a dues-paying member brewing company that wishes to travel to Sacramento to take part. This year’s event took place on Wednesday, March 12. San Diego’s representatives included Constantiner, fellow Board Member (and former Board Chair) and Karl Strauss Brewing CEO Chris Cramer, Chula Vista Brewery owners Tim and Dali Parker, The Roadies Brewing, CEO Diane Hilz and SDBG Executive Director Erik Fowler.
“The San Diego Brewers Guild collaborates with CCBA to support their legislative efforts and ensure that San Diego breweries have a seat at the table,” says Fowler. “We appreciate what they do for craft beer on the state level and all they’ve accomplished over the years to help our industry and fight back against lobbyists and bills that don’t support the interests of craft and small businesses.”
Having been appointed to his current role with the SDBG in the summer of 2023, this was Fowler’s first time partaking in this event. While he had a general idea of what it entails – CCBA employees and brewery owners breaking into small groups, then splitting up to meet with as many legislators as possible in their Sacramento offices – he still found it educational and, more than that, extremely worthwhile.
“I was excited to spend the day with Doug Constantiner and Chris Cramer, who are both extremely well-spoken and knowledgeable about the hurdles breweries of all sizes are facing right now,” says Fowler. “We focused on relationship-building while encouraging legislators to avoid passing any new bills that would put additional burdens on California breweries. We also emphasized the importance of distribution laws, abilities and protections that give breweries access to tap handles and shelf space.”
Fowler says that, as a direct result of the aforementioned meetings, they are now in communication with several legislators’ offices and are hopeful they will be able to schedule future roundtables and meetings between those individuals and SDBG’s brewery members.
In Vista, such a follow-up affair has already taken place, with California Assemblymember Laurie Davies paying a visit to The Roadies Brewing to present Hilz and her staff with a Certificate of Recognition for the outreach work they do within their community (pictured, at right).
“The opportunity to go to the Day at the Capitol came and I thought, ‘this sounds interesting…let’s see what this is all about.’ So, honestly, I fell into it, but it was a great experience,” says Hilz. “I learned how important it is to meet with the assemblymembers and really teach them about the beer industry and who we are as business owners, and keep that relationship going between us. The bills assemblymembers and State officials write or put into action directly affect all of us in the industry.”
Though it sounds like hyperbole, craft brewing is so niche that, in many cases, brewery owners really are educating lawmakers on the basics of the industry and why some things they might not have given a second thought are of crucial importance to brewer owners and their employees. All too often, breweries are lumped in with other beverage makers, manufacturers, bars, restaurants or other types of businesses, for which the same rules and specifications simply aren’t applicable. Without members of the craft-beer industry taking time to proactively meet State officials on their level in their place of business, unintended ignorance could – and most certainly would – lead to the passage of laws which would have devastating consequences for California brewers.
There’s also the issue of large brewing conglomerates’ armies of lobbyists getting to legislators ahead of the craft contingent.
“It’s easy to get lost in the mix when industries that don’t have our best interests in mind have a lot to spend on lobbying efforts,” says Fowler. “Operating a business in California is already very difficult and expensive, so we need our representatives to fight for small businesses that make up the backbone of our communities.”
Constantiner echoes that sentiment and feels that without the Day at the Capitol craft beer in California would be in jeopardy. Like all of the local representatives that traveled to Sacramento to take part in it this year, they say they will absolutely be back.
“This was so positive. I was pumped,”says Hilz. “I would absolutely attend again, and I encourage more brewery owners to come with us.”