It has been another week in the world of beer. Fast paced, changing every day, but yet starting to settle into a routine, the new normal. About a week ago, Congress passed and the president signed into law an unprecedented $2 trillion COVID-19 response and relief package. Almost immediately, small business owners, including bars, breweries, and others began to debate its merits. There has been fierce debate over some of the small business loan provisions, including the Paycheck Protection Program. That debate will inevitably continue as all the players, from governmental officials to bank loan officers down to small business owners work through the logistics of the few days old law and whether its provisions are a good fit for each company.

At the same time, many brewery owners are starting to consider the long term survivability of an extended shutdown that lasts not weeks but months. It’s been another sobering week. 

For some perspective, our guest today is Julie Verratti, co-founder of Denizen’s Brewing Company in Maryland. Julie has an impressive and multi-faceted background that provides her valuable experience in our current circumstances. An attorney, she has previously worked as a Presidential Management Fellow and senior advisor at the U.S. Small Business Administration, as a political organizer for the Human Rights Campaign, and a former candidate for the lieutenant governship in Maryland. In addition to running Denizens, Julie is also a member of the Board of Directors of the Brewers Association and is the chair of its diversity committee.

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