PALM BEACH COUNTY, Fla. — The partial government shutdown is holding up business at breweries and wineries across the country, including stalling 80 kegs worth of wine in California that is destine for West Palm Beach.
"With the government shut down, it really just has the whole project in limbo," said Joel Kodney, head brewer at West Palm Brewery and Wine Vault on Evernia.
West Palm Brewery and Wine Vault in Downtown West Palm Beach makes a lot of its beer on site, but all of the wine comes from a vineyard in California specifically for the business.
“We definitely want to get it over here and get it on tap as soon as possible," Kodney said.
Right now, the business has 80 kegs worth of wine waiting in California to be labeled, packed up and shipped to Florida.
However, the label is holding up the whole process because the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau, or TTB, can't approve the labels for the kegs of wine to go out of state.
“If we can’t get the label approval, we can’t get the wine," Kodney said.
Putting wine on tap is actually more affordable for customers because it involves less hardware than a traditional bottle.
“It offers a savings to the customer because there’s no bottle, there’s no cork, there’s no foil or labels," Kodner said.
For now, rose is on tap at West Palm Brewery and Wine Vault, but hopes to add more options are on hold.
“We were aiming for late this month and we just don’t know when it’s going to happen," Kodner said.
Due South Brewing and Saltwater Brewery said they aren't experiencing any labeling issues from the partial government shutdown because their products mostly stay within the state.
