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Dear Friends in the Craft Spirits Community:
We each identify our unique set of milestones in life. For example, this morning I hit 9,999 minutes of meditation using the Headspace app. When my daughter gifted me a subscription, I thought she was nuts, as I had never meditated and wondered about its value. Moreover, I doubted I would find the minutes in the day to practice letting go, with a focus only on my breath. Well, through the three Ds—dedication, determination and discipline—I stuck with it. And I owe my daughter a big thank you as it has, in fact, changed how I operate.
Rest assured, I’m not trying to convert you to meditate. Rather, it got me thinking about the three Ds in relationship to ACSA.
Fortunately, those attributes are reflected by the ACSA Board of Directors, committee members and staff. Our industry is hit hard with rules and regulations that defy logic in the 21st century. Our small businesses adhere to code and statutes that were drafted for large entities at a time when our craft spirits sector didn’t even exist. We become somewhat immune to the unfair and arduous process of getting our products to market. But here’s the thing—ACSA gets that. ACSA is prepared for the long fight, ready to exert discipline and dedication to modernize the spirits space.
You can help too, whether it is volunteering your time and energy on an ACSA committee or attending our legislative fly-in conference. To that end, I recently heard a statement that resonated loud and clear: “If you’re not at the table and seen, you become irrelevant.” So, if you’re undecided about attending the fly-in, call me. Call our government affairs chair. We will provide plenty of reasons why a trip to D.C. makes sense, even without the bigger issues like FET reduction, for which we fought for over a decade. Postal service reform, white oak barrels, trade and tariffs, and dietary guidelines are among the issues to be discussed. Plus, we’ll have an audience with senior executives from TTB. If our crystal ball is right, and the federal government shuts its doors, what might you do to make the lives of TTB employees just a bit more manageable upon their return to the office?
As we look at the national landscape, state legislatures have been busy, too. Read on to see a quick recap of some of those efforts and what’s ahead.
Dedicated to finding additional opportunities for you to introduce your brands to consumers, we are thrilled to partner with Binny’s Beverage Depot in Chicago to co-host the American Craft Spirits Festival, a fundraising event for the STEPUP Foundation. See below to learn more about the festival and STEPUP (applications close on Oct. 6).
And, as we close out the month of September, which is also National Suicide Prevention Month, we know mental health issues are real. They know no boundaries of economic status, geographic regions, education or position. Our community, as a part of the larger hospitality industry, is oftentimes hard hit. To provide support and guidance, we are working with Matt Vogl, CEO of VXVY Mental Health, who will give us tools to help those in need during an upcoming webinar. For those who attended our convention in New Orleans, you likely remember Matt’s extraordinary keynote address and practical approaches to heal.
One more thing, as ACSA prioritizes its state policy agendas—what is the foremost business concern that keeps you up at night? We want to be disciplined in our approach to best help you, our community of craft spirits producers and the suppliers who make our work possible.
Until next time, stay the course with dedication, determination and discipline. Hope to see you at our legislative fly-in in November.
Cheers,
Margie |
