The Distilled Spirits Council of the United States (DISCUS), the leading voice and advocate for the U.S. spirits industry, announced a new “State Guild Supporter Program” designed to engage and organize the network of state distillers guilds across the country and alert them to public policy issues affecting the industry at every level of government.
“Over the past decade, the number of small distilleries in the United States has grown from a couple hundred to more than 2,300, representing a significant grassroots base for advocating for policies that benefit spirits consumers and distillers small and large,” said DISCUS President and CEO Chris Swonger. “By partnering with distillers guilds through this new State Guild Supporter Program, we can identify shared advocacy goals and support each other in educating legislative leaders about the economic contributions of our spirits industry and the jobs we create in communities across the country.”
State guilds that join the program will receive numerous benefits, including invitations for guild leadership to participate in DISCUS’ Annual State Summit, monthly policy chats and semi-annual updates; reduced rates on the DISCUS Annual Conference and DISCUS Academy; access to the Spirited Advocate weekly e-newsletter; and promotion of the guild on the DISCUS website.
“It is critically important for distillers of all sizes to work together to help shape this rapidly changing marketplace and advocate for policies that bring spirits consumers greater convenience and access to our products,” said Mike Cameron, President, Texas Distilled Spirits Association and President & CEO of Devils River Whiskey. “In Texas and at the federal level, there are so many important issues where we have common ground, from market access to tax threats. By working alongside DISCUS’ public policy experts, we can help each other by advancing a legislative and policy agenda that creates a more level playing field for distilled spirits.”
In addition to the Texas Distilled Spirits Association, other inaugural members of the “State Guild Supporter Program” include the Tennessee Distillers Guild, Distillers Association of North Carolina and the Ohio Distiller’s Guild.
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