While Oregon ponders a major increase in their beer excise tax, the state of Michigan has come up with a somewhat opposite plan to help their economy.According to the Associated Press, the Michigan Economic Growth Authority has approved "a nearly $723,00 tax credit over seven years" for the Michigan Brewing Company to help with production of a proposed "Kid Rock beer." What exactly is a Kid Rock beer? A beer branded with Kid Rock's name, attitude and stamp of approval, of course.
The company behind the Kid Rock plan, Drinks Americas, claims that "Kid Rock is a reflection of great American rock and roll music and the American spirit, and we think we can create a beer in that same image." And with Kid Rock being a Michigan native, working with a local craft brewery seems like a positive PR move. So maybe this can work, though no other successful celebrity-branded beers come to mind. (There's probably some example out there... Was Samuel Adams a "celebrity"?)
However, Drinks Americas aren't the ones who'll be questioned: They're just doing what they do. (These are the same guys behind Trump Vodka and Newman's Own Sparkling Juices.) The real question: Do we really need to provide tax relief to make Kid Rock-branded beers in these troubled economic times? Actually, I have no idea: I'm not an economist. And thank god, because -- wow -- too much to wrap my head around this year. I'm grabbing a beer. Preferably one approved by my favorite rap-rock crossover artist...
[via mlive.com and mlive.com]
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