All ETDs from UAB

Advisory Committee Chair

Erin L Borry

Advisory Committee Members

Peter A Jones

Nevbahar Ertas

Document Type

Thesis

Date of Award

2021

Degree Name by School

Master of Public Administration (MPA) College of Arts and Sciences

Abstract

Brewing and beer production historically have been intertwined with government, politics, and regulation in the United States. With the growth of the craft beer industry, discussions surrounding brewing regulation have refocused on their impact on smaller businesses and this growing segment of the alcohol beverage market. The history of beer and craft beer in the United States has been studied, as well as the impact of taxation and regulation on business, but research on craft brewing regulation has been relegated to broad studies of specific regulation or case studies of cities and states covering several regulations. This present research seeks to fill the gap in the literature related to the overall state of craft brewing regulation and the relationship of regulation at different levels of government. This thesis takes a multi-faceted approach to understand the state of craft beer legislation and trends across the country; it reports on a content analysis of the legalization of brewing and breweries, existing regulation, and number of craft breweries, as well as three case studies of cities in the United States. The content analysis and case studies indicate that states and local governments approach craft beer regulation differently, including the application of federal and state regulations, concluding that more research is needed to understand these relationships.

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