Beer distribution companies in Hawaii employ about 850 people and generate an estimated $200 million a year in economic activity, according to a report released today by the National Beer Wholesalers Association.

 Hawaii beer distributor activities also contribute $42 million to the federal, state and local tax bases, the NBWA reported. That total doesn’t include an additional $62 million in federal, state and local alcohol excise and consumption taxes on beer sold in Hawaii, according to the NBWA.

Trade association officials said the report, titled “America’s Beer Distributors: Fueling Jobs, Generating Economic Growth & Delivering Value to Local Communities,” is the first comprehensive analysis of the impact beer distribution companies have on national and state economies.

The report was conducted for the NBWA by the Center for Applied Business & Economic Research at the University of Delaware.

“The beer distribution sector is a hidden gem that has been tremendously undervalued in previous economic reports,” said Bill Latham, one of the report’s authors.