The State of Georgia is one of just four states left that adhere to dated laws prohibiting the sale of craft beer on-site. In Georgia, a craft brewery must sell its product to a distributor and that distributor must sell the product to retailers. There is no exception for on-site sales; but, this may change soon.
A bill that would allow visitors to breweries or brewpubs to buy a pint or to take home a six-pack will be introduced in the Senate during this session. Nancy Palmer, executive director for the Georgia Craft Brewers Guild, has said the Beer Jobs Bill, which aims to drive economic growth through increasing craft beer sales, has secured a total of five sponsors.
The Georgia Craft Brewers Guild believes the craft beer industry can create jobs across the state but antiquated laws are holding back significant growth. According to data compiled by the Brewers Association, Georgia is one of the worst states in the country for the craft beer industry and ranks 47th out of 50 states in terms of breweries per capita. The Beer Jobs Bill could reverse this trend in Georgia.
