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Government shutdown keeps brewery from filling kegs

The government shutdown is keeping Volusia County's newest brewery, Tomoka Brewery, from filling their kegs.

Owner Peter Szunyogh and his wife opened the brewery with tap beer as their main focus, but that focus has now been put on hold.

Two months ago, they applied for their federal brewing license, but the extension of the Treasury Department that approves those licenses was shut down.

"It's such a disconnect between government and people," Szunyogh said.

The owner already made space in the kitchen for the brewing equipment, but even then they won't be able to make their own beer.

"We're basically just standing here and doing nothing and just waiting," Szunyogh said.

Since the brewery opened in July, it has been selling other beers from around Florida.

"Some of them are specialty beers and those are already expensive," Szunyogh said.

Szunyogh also wants to replace the Florida kegs with his own beer creations because it would cut his costs in half.

"Every week that they're shut down they're just basically holding us back," Szunyogh said.