Local breweries feeling pinch of government shutdown

ATLANTA — Along with halting many local paychecks, the partial government shutdown also threatens to hit some beer lovers where it hurts. Your favorite craft beers.

Atlanta's Monday Night Brewing turns out 4,000 barrels of craft beer a year. Each new recipe and label for seasonal beers needs a federal permit. The government agency that issues them is shut down.

No permits means no new beers says Jonathan Baker.

"Actually this branch of the government being shut down really didn't cross our mind at all. We don't think about all the things we need from the government daily just to keep going," Baker said.

Baker said one of his new fall beers was OK'd just a few days before the shutdown. He told Channel 2's Diana Davis that one of his friends who's trying to open a new craft brewery is stuck. He submitted all of his paperwork to the feds the day before the shutdown.

"And so now it's (the paperwork) just sitting there waiting and they have no idea when they will get it reviewed. They've put down payments on equipment, they've got salaries to pay so all these things are in process. Every day that they are not open, they are losing money, Baker said.

He said the shutdown should have little effect on big national and international breweries. It's the little guys that will get hurt if the shutdown drags on.

Baker said he got lucky with one of his new fall season beers.

"We actually just got this label approved for our new seasonal right before the shutdown, so we are to launch it as planned," Baker said.

If the shutdown goes on another few weeks, Baker says his business will feel the impact.

"I think it's comical almost that a country, our stature and prominence is reduced to this kind of political posturing. You know, our government is shut down because we can't come together and figure something out," Baker said.

The brewery was hoping to release a bourbon barrel brew by Thanksgiving. It said if the shutdown continues, it's not going to happen.