Page 73 - Walton Living

The Georgia Beer

BATTLE

ew laws in e ect to end choking

regulations on craft beer brewers

By Sharon Swanepoel

s the craft beer industry boomed most areas in Georgia, local communities are
around the country, Georgia’s craft looking to capitalize on the opportunities as
Abeer enthusiasts and entrepreneurs soon as possible.
could only watch in envy from afar. While State ep. Brett Harrell -Snellville ,
there are some micro breweries in some of whose District 1 represents parts of Logan-
the surrounding areas like Athens and Deca- ville, has long been an advocate of getting
tur, legislation in the state was so restrictive this legislation through.
that it was difficult for the industry to get “It provides a generational improvement in
o the ground. With breweries unable to Georgia’s alcohol laws permitting breweries
sell directly to customers except in limited and distillers to sell their products, for the first
quantities, to o er draft in-house or to sell time, to visitors,” Harrell said. “SB 8 allows
growlers, six packs or bombers to go, there breweries to sell up to , barrels ,
just was no real way to recoup the expense gallons per year and distilleries barrels
of operating a brewery. Georgia breweries 2 , gallons per year for both on-site and
got a slight reprieve last year with the passage take-home consumption. Harrell said that
of Senate Bill which gave a sort of work prior to it taking e ect on Sept. 1, 2 1 , visi-
around. Breweries could sell tours at a rate tors are limited to a case a day for take-home
that allowed for attendees to take home sou- from breweries and ml bottles a day
venir amounts of beer, but even that wasn’t for take-home from distilleries.
clearly defined. “Industry leaders from the Georgia Beer
But all that looks to be in the past. Wholesalers, Georgia Craft Brewers Guild,
In the current legislative session, Senate Bill Wine and Spirits Wholesalers, and Distilleries
8 passed easily in February and made it out worked tirelessly together to reach agreement
of the House in March. With a signature by on SB 8 that meets the demands of the
Gov. athan Deal, the law goes into e ect on marketplace, needs of a growing industry,
Sept. 1, opening up the industry for Geor- and preserves a system that is serving Georgia
gia’s burgeoning craft beer industry and, like well,” Harrell said.