Strangely, I can find very little info on this yet. I guess all the wordsmiths are spending all their energy writing missives about LaVista Hills and Tucker?
Luckily that never stopped skilled aggregators such as myself.
There is this post on the Georgia Craft Brewers Guild Facebook page…
SB 63 has passed with 40 minutes left in the session. This bill is far from ideal but it is a small step towards helping Georgia breweries and we look forward to Governor Deal signing it into law.
The most detail I can find is in this Atlanta Reddit thread. Here are some of the details according to that post…
There have been a lot of changes through the process on this bill however we did finally get a version passed that will allow taking beer home from breweries.
It’s kind of convoluted, as the lawmakers were careful not to word it where breweries can have “sales”. Instead they will be able to offer variable pricing on tour packages that can include “free souvenirs” of beer in “a container or containers” up to 72 oz.
The bill also allows brewpubs to can/bottle their beer, under current law they can only offer draft beer outside of the brewpub. There was a section to allow brewpubs to have growlers to go but it was removed in the process. You still will not be able to buy beer to go at a brewpub.
It’s a small step for GA beer but HUGE in the political sense. With the three-tier system and power players like Bud, Miller, and Coors opposed to this legislation – it’s amazing this was passed.
The public was very active on this bill with tons of phone calls and emails to lawmakers. One lobbyist said he’s never seen public support for a bill as strong as he has for this one. Way to go, Georgians!
Three cheers for Georgia beers!
In a follow up, one of the commenters on Reddit said that if Gov. Deal signs the bill in law, the change could take effect as early as July.
Photo courtesy of Three Taverns Facebook page
I guess something is better than nothing, but from a consumer point of view, I would have preferred to be able to buy growlers from brewpubs than from breweries (if I had to choose). I can’t buy Wrecking Bar’s stuff in stores like I can Wild Heaven’s.
Government is just another word for things we do together, like prohibit one another from buying beer at a brewery, then passing a Byzantine bill that kinda sorta repeals the original ban.
Even better was the last minute tax credit that a legislator got for the Baptist college–oh, and he happens to be a board member of that college.