“Because We’re Thirsty, Dummy”

When it comes to beer, Georgians can no longer say, “Well, thank goodness for Mississippi!” With the passage of pending legislation that is the result of negotiations between the Mississippi Brewers Guild and the Mississippi Beer Distributors Association, craft breweries in Mississippi will be allowed to sell their beer directly to their customers, which leaves Georgia as the only state where beer drinker cannot buy beer at any of Georgia’s 40+ craft breweries.

From the Beer Guys*:

Upon passage of this proposed legislation in Mississippi, Georgia will remain the sole state in the country where a brewery may not sell beer to the general public. As has been for decades now, the craft brewers of Georgia have one customer – their wholesaler. While consumers, economic developers, entrepreneurs, and state legislators have called for the ability to buy beer at a brewery that privilege is reserved for the 13 businesses that wholesale Georgia craft beer.

Last week, a friend excitedly told me about her plans to stock up on Tropicalia during an upcoming visit to Creature Comforts Brewing Co. in Athens. Ever the dream-killer, I explained why she could not, and directed her to a local retailer who is happy to sell the tasty IPA by the case. Last I heard, it’s not illegal in Georgia to transport tasty craft beer across county lines – but it’s only September, and there’s no telling what Georgia’s wholesalers might try to brew up between now and January.

*Yes, this source name may have less gravitas than the usual sources cited here. But as the Beer Guys are the leading source for Georgia beer news, they are the source for this post. The headline my similarly lack the gravitas to which you are accustomed. To that, I say that your concerns are not germane to this situation.