Over 40 distillers from across the country gathered June 7-8 in Washington, D.C. for the Distilled Spirits Council’s seventh annual Public Policy Conference. The distillers participated in 120 Congressional visits with their home state legislators to urge support for a reduction in the federal excise tax on spirits, and passage of trade legislation to open markets for American spirits products.

The distilled spirits sector experienced a record sixth-consecutive year of market share gain, with supplier sales up 4.1 percent in 2015. The sector supports 1.4 million jobs and generates $141 million in economic activity annually. U.S. distilled spirits exports topped $1.57 billion in 2015.