Georgia's burgeoning craft beer industry is pushing for a change in how they can play the game, tapping into a frustration over the state's stringent regulations that they believe are handcuffing their growth. In an impassioned plea for legislative reform, Nathan Cowan, owner of Eventide Brewing, made it clear current laws were foaming over with restrictions, "The thing about breweries, they're really the cornerstone of communities," Cowan told FOX5 Atlanta; he also revealed the tasting room was the lifeline keeping his business afloat over a challenging decade.
These crafty brewers are rallying behind Senate Bill 163, otherwise known as the FOAM act, Fair and Open Access to Market, which would allow breweries to sell their hops directly to local businesses within the county, potentially fermenting growth and community ties, this bill aims to simplify and streamline beer sales allowing small breweries to deal directly with local restaurants and stores, which would undercut the distributor middleman and pour more profits back into the pockets of the industry's entrepreneurs. Joseph Cortes, Executive Director of the Georgia Craft Brewers Guild, hasn't minced words about impact of the old-school regulations, stating "Flexibility for these small businesses across the state to be able to get more product out to their consumers and to their local communities," a sentiment that underscores the guild's push to pop the lid on current legislation that has seen a slew of small breweries tap out recently.
Despite Georgia's craft beer scene doubling in size since a 2017 law went into effect, Cortes argues the Peach State's frothy industry is under-tapped, trailing behind with merely 2.2 breweries per 100,000 residents aged 21 and up, throwing Georgia into the bottom barrel of national rankings. This information was highlighted in a report where Cortes gave the lowdown to Georgia Public Broadcasting, emphasizing their desire to see increments in direct-to-consumer sales and the freedom to distribute directly to stores without the obligatory pit-stop through a distributor.
Armed with the FOAM act and nearly 8,000 public petitions, the craft beer contingent has scheduled a rally at the Capitol at 9 a.m. on Tuesday, alongside bellwether brewer Cowan, who's quoted in the Fox 5 feature as demanding, "We need access to be able to sell to people who live in our neighborhoods, who want to buy our product;" the collective cry of local breweries seeking to froth up interest in their plight before the legislative body. Craft beer enthusiasts are hoping lawmakers chug down the reform and pour out a new era of growth and prosperity for hometown hops.
