Latest news with #CraftBeerandLocalEconomyRevitalizationAct
Yahoo
12-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Georgia craft beer industry says brewery closures put them at crossroads
Georgia's current laws don't let small brewers or brewpubs sell their own beer in stores without a distributor. Now, members of the state's craft beer industry say they're at a crossroads, as local breweries close at an alarming rate. In a bid to help save the industry, and the small businesses here that make it, there's a push at the capitol to change the laws so they can compete. An example of a brewery closing close to home is Torched Hop, which had sat on Ponce de Leon but closed at the end of the year. It's one of nearly a dozen to do so in the metro Atlanta area in 2024. Channel 2′s Steve Gehlbach spoke to proponents of the craft beer bill to see what the proposed legislation would do, and how it would help their businesses. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] TRENDING STORIES: Bipartisan 'Guest Worker' bill filed to have immigrants work in GA, resolve labor shortages North Georgia man reported his mom missing. Deputies say he was hiding her body 17 arrested in statewide operation targeting child sexual exploitation 'Georgia breweries should be able to self-distribute like 40 other states and the District of Columbia,' Joseph Cortez, Executive Director at the Georgia Craft Brewers Guild, said. Cortez is the head of a nonprofit created to protect and fight for the interests of breweries around Georiga. He said the current laws are dated all the way back to the prohibition era and hinder businesses' ability to grow and compete in the market. Currently, if a small brewery, like a brewer or brewpub, wants to sell their beer in grocery stores or restaurants, they have to go through a large distributor, even if where they want to sell is across the street. Now they're pushing for state lawmakers to pass the Craft Beer and Local Economy Revitalization Act to provide a path to keep business brewing. It would 'provide some much-needed relief and flexibility for our small business around the state,' Cortez told Channel 2 Action News. The bill first needs to be heard in a committee before it can move forward. In the past two years, similar legislation failed to make it to the floor for a vote before the end of the legislative session. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
Yahoo
07-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Georgia lawmakers work to reform state brewery regulations
Current Georgia law does not allow small brewers, such as brewpubs, to sell their own products on the market. Senate Bill 122, the Craft Beer and Local Economy Revitalization Act, proposed in the 2025 legislative session would change that. The bill would allow brewers and brew pubs to have a limited wholesale license to sell their own products, though it comes with conditions. To have a wholesale license as a small brewer, sales of the products must not be higher than 15% of their overall sales in the previous calendar year. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] Additionally, the bill creates a provision to allow event holders selling drinks for charitable events to sell alcoholic drinks on site, so long as they are properly permitted for a 'bona fide nonprofit civic organization.' Brewers and brewpubs will also be able to donate malt beverages to charitable events, though the legislation stipulates that how much is donated 'shall not exceed the amount necessary' for the event itself. Any beverages not consumed during the event must be returned within 24 hours of the event's closure or when the event permit expires, whichever comes later. Sales of malt beverages by brewers will also no longer be subject to a daily maximum if the bill passes. Current law sets a maximum of 288 ounces sold per day. TRENDING STORIES: Cobb County to hold special election for empty commission seat after judge's order Little Caesar's manager defends sign saying suspicious people will be reported to ICE GA lawmakers move to make threats against schools by teens transfer from juvenile court to adult However, they would still be limited to a 6,000 barrels per year cap 'among all brewer's licensed premises making such sales.' In any given calendar year, if SB 122 passes, brewers would be able to sell up to 3,000 barrels of malt beverages produced at their licensed premises to wholesale retailers in Georgia, so long as they are located within 100 miles of the brewery. The businesses will also be able to sell, deliver and ship to other licensed brewers, as well as receive and acquire shipments from others. The Georgia Craft Brewers Guild has come out in support of the legislation, citing both its strong bipartisan support and how they say it would modernize the current craft beer laws in the state. The guild said breweries 'serve as economic drivers, providing jobs, fostering tourism, and creating vibrant community spaces,' but that current law limits their ability to succeed, causing small breweries to 'close at an alarming rate.' RECENT BREWERY CLOSURES: 2 more local breweries to close to end 2024 as craft beer sales struggle Beloved brewery on Atlanta's westside shutting its doors Torched Hop Brewing Company to shut its doors this month Georgia brewery plans to close, says 'prohibition-era' law is holding them back Beloved north Georgia brewery fighting to stay open despite being $1.1M in debt 'Georgia's craft breweries are more than just places to grab a pint—they are vital to our communities. When a brewery closes, it creates a ripple effect that harms local economies and limits consumer choice. Nearly every other state gives breweries more flexibility to grow, and it's time for Georgia to catch up,' Joseph Cortes, Executive Director of the Georgia Craft Brewers Guild, said in a statement supporting the bill. Roswell State Sen. John Albers said he introduced the bill as a way to support Georgia small businesses, saying that 'our breweries deserve an equal chance to compete and deserve our support by reducing burdensome and inconsistent regulations.' [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
