Booze bill heads to Deal’s desk
Georgia Senate’s passing of SB 85 today means direct sales for craft breweries and distilleries are imminent
Already passed by the House, SB 85 is now on its way to Gov. Nathan Deal. If he signs the bill into law, customers will be allowed to buy up to a case of beer a day directly from any licensed brewery. In addition, licensed distilleries in Georgia will be allowed to sell up to 500 barrels of spirits per year for consumption on or off their premises.
Gov. Deal is expected to approve the bill, bringing the new law into effect Sept. 1, 2017, according to the AJC.
The law would be a major victory for local producers, who have been fighting for decades against the state’s beer wholesalers, who maintain a Prohibition-era role as middlemen between manufacturers, retailers and consumers.
“We’re thrilled that Georgia is seeing fit to offer basic freedoms to our breweries, which are such great assets,” says Nick Purdy, president of local brewery Wild Heaven. “We generate manufacturing jobs, tourism and pay excise taxes. This new legislation will result in Wild Heaven Beer remaining committed long-term to Georgia, thinking more aggressively about expansion and hiring. But most importantly it assures our fans of access to more different exciting beers!”