Ahead of Memorial Day weekend and the start of the summer selling season, the Beer Institute and the National Beer Wholesalers Association (NBWA) released its biennial Beer Serves America report on the economic impact and importance of the American brewing industry. The study found that the U.S. beer industry now supports nearly 2.4 million local jobs and contributes more than $409 billion to our economy — equivalent to 1.6 percent of GDP. The beer industry also pays more than $132 billion in wages and $63.8 billion in taxes.