Could local craft breweries be tapped out from higher prices?

From cans to kegs, your neighborhood brewery is bracing for new tariffs on imported aluminum and steel.

Kevin Curtis stands inside the hall of the new and expanded Icarus Brewing on Route 88 in Brick.

“We built at one of the most expensive times to build. Grain prices are going up. Hop prices are going up. Now with new tariffs and stuff, everything is getting more expensive,” said Curtis, the packaging manager for the brewery.

“A majority of our product goes into steel kegs and aluminum cans so any cost that we incur unfortunately gets put into the end user,” he said.

Business analyst Parag Amin says President Donald Trump’s tariffs will eventually help increase U.S. steel production and stabilize costs – but the effects – could take a while.

“In the short term, I think consumers are going to have to brace for higher prices because of this tariff. We can call it a war,” said Amin. “We’ve seen President Trump time and time again negotiate beneficial deals for the United States and so I think we are optimistic and hoping the president will be able to do it here.”

Breweries like Icarus are hoping if these tariffs go into effect they will have some relief – for example - tax breaks - so the higher prices won’t be passed on to the consumers. But the businesses say that nothing is guaranteed.

“I’m hoping that [President Trump] can work something out with Congress that he can actually get something passed that provides relief to small businesses and provides assistance during this trade war,” said Amin.

“Hopefully the administration can come to a happy medium and figure out what works best for all of us,” said Curtis.

The tariffs will take effect March 12, leaving a month of potential deal-making between Trump and the major foreign aluminum and steel providers, before the keg is kicked.