Georgia did not become a top state for brewers by accident. Our state’s brewing success is the result of more than nine years of careful, incremental changes to Georgia’s laws. These changes were designed to support the state’s craft beer industry while thoughtfully engaging all stakeholders to benefit Georgia consumers and ensure a safe, fair playing field.
A bill like SB 122 would undermine carefully crafted laws and lead to unintended consequences that would negatively impact other businesses and the industry – consequences that small craft brewery advocates aren’t seeing.
The reality is that craft brewing is now a mature industry. As in all mature business environments, some businesses will fail. In 2024, more craft breweries closed than opened in the US for the first time in almost 20 years. We are sympathetic to craft brewers, but we cannot pass new legislation each time a brewery closes.
Moreover, most Georgians are not interested in changing Georgia’s alcohol laws. In polling last November, fewer than 1% of Georgians ranked changing alcohol regulations as a top priority for them, showing that Georgians understand our current infrastructure keeps children safe, ensures accurate tax payments, and drives variety on the shelves and at the bar.
Additional Background on SB122
“Small brewers”. By defining a “small brewer” as one that does not exceed 15% of a wholesaler’s total sales in the prior calendar year, the bill would allow some of Georgia’s largest brewers to self-distribute. While many of our wholesalers are small businesses, 15% of the total sales for some of them would include a number of national and regional brands.
Self-distribution. The bill would allow “small brewers” the ability to deliver and sell their product within a 100-mile radius of their facilities. Further, brewers would be able to sell, deliver, and ship their product to—and serve product from—other brewers across the state, a change that essentially turns breweries into bars. Under existing regulations, distributors ensure safety and choice for consumers while creating efficiency for brewers and the bars, restaurants and stores who sell their products.
Off-premises sales. The bill eliminates a cap on off-premises sales, putting craft brewers into direct competition with retailers who, by law, are designated to sell beer in quantities to consumers.
Charitable contributions. The bill includes a broad, unnecessary shift in how charitable event contributions work. Today, wholesalers work with suppliers—from small producers all the way up to Anheuser Busch in Cartersville—to coordinate product drop-offs to local charitable events every day, with excise taxes clearly provided to the appropriate local government.