Get details on what Senate Bill 456 could mean for Georgia’s craft breweries and the Atlantans who love them, Creature Comforts expands into North Carolina, a North Georgia resort hosts a Friend’s of James Beard dinner and more from the metro area dining scene.
Updates from the Georgia craft beer industry
Metro Atlanta’s beer scene has faced challenges in the past few years as reports of brewery closures persist. Here are a few beer-related updates to know, starting with Senate Bill 456, which was introduced to the Georgia Senate on Feb. 3 and seeks to ease some of Georgia’s restrictions around breweries and what consumers can buy from them.
What Georgia Senate Bill 456 says
Senate Bill 456 would, in part, “authorize manufacturers of malt beverages to sell the malt beverages they produce, subject to certain limitations and conditions; to increase the daily maximum of malt beverages per individual per day of sales for consumption off the premises; to permit small brewers to sell a limited quantity of malt beverages at wholesale.”
What does that actually mean?
Thomas Monti, the co-owner of Schoolhouse Brewing in Marietta, explained in a recent Reddit post how the bill would affect a small brewery like his. In a phone call with The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, he said there are really two big pieces to the bill.
Currently, craft breweries can sell their taproom customers only one case of beer per day to take home, which is about 24, 12-ounce cans of beer (or 288 ounces), Monti said. The bill would remove that daily cap.
He offered this scenario as an example: Say a customer of Schoolhouse Brewing comes in to buy three cases of beer for a party they’re hosting later. Schoolhouse can sell them only one case. Under the new bill, Monti could complete that order and sell his customer all three cases.
The other side of the bill is about Georgia’s three-tier distribution system, which currently requires breweries to use wholesale distributors to sell any of their beer to restaurants or retail establishments.
Senate Bill 456 would allow breweries to self-distribute their beer within the county in which they operate, with a cap of up to 1,000 barrels a year.
What this means: Monti’s distributor is in Cumming, so currently, if he wants to sell a keg of beer to a neighboring restaurant in Marietta Square, the distributor would have to pick up the keg from Schoolhouse Brewing, drive it back to Cumming, “put it in their warehouse, inventory it, then drive it back to Marietta,” he said.
“I basically have one customer. My customer is my distributor,” Monti said. “My beer is in over 150 locations at any given time throughout the state, but I don’t sell to them. I have to sell to a middleman, (who) then has to go to the bar and restaurant.”
This process takes time, he added, which could affect the quality of his product because craft beer is meant to be consumed when it’s freshest. Under the new bill, brewers could self-distribute their beer within their own county. To move their beer anywhere else in the state, they would still need to use wholesale distributors.
According to a statement the Georgia Beer Wholesaler Association provided to the AJC, the organization, which advocates for wholesale beer distributors in the state, does not support this bill because they believe it “weakens Georgia’s regulatory system by expanding self-distribution in ways that complicate state oversight, create operational challenges for retailers, increase compliance risks and could ultimately raise costs for Georgia consumers.”
“Georgia’s proven system works best when breweries focus on making great beer, wholesalers ensure it is delivered safely and efficiently statewide and retailers focus on serving customers responsibly,” according to the statement.
What’s next for the bill?
About a week ago, the Georgia Craft Brewers Guild attended a hearing for Senate Bill 456 in front of the Senate Regulated Industries and Utilities Committee. If it dies in the committee, Monti said that will likely be the end of the bill for this year, and they’ll have to wait until 2027 to bring it up again.
The AJC will have more coverage on Georgia’s craft beer industry in the coming weeks, so stay tuned.
Credit: Handout
Credit: Handout
In other beer news …
Athens-based brewery Creature Comforts has announced it is launching distribution in North Carolina this month. The brands in its launch will include Tropicalia, Classic City Lager, Flash Cat and two variety packs.
It will make its debut at the Rare & Vintage festival in Durham, followed by a string of events in the coming months, according to a news release.
Creature Comforts also distributes its beer in Georgia and cities in South Carolina and Tennessee.
Ale Sharpton, an Atlanta-based craft beer advocate, will hold a birthday party celebrating the launch of his Piano Keys beer in collaboration with Creature Comfort on Monday at Terminal West.
Piano Keys is a chocolate and vanilla imperial stout featuring cocoa nibs from Condor Chocolates and a blend of vanilla beans from around the globe. The brew commemorates Sharpton’s first beer article, published in 1996, according to a news release.
Ale Sharpton’s birthday celebration. 7-10 p.m. Monday. 887 W. Marietta St. NW, Atlanta.
creaturecomfortsbeer.com/beers/piano-keys
Pat Pascarella to open Italian ‘red sauce joint’
Pat Pascarella has announced his new restaurant concept, Rosso, a “red sauce joint,” according to its social media page, which took over Alici Oyster Bar’s Instagram account after the coastal Italian restaurant closed in January.
This new concept will be family-friendly with “old school Italian” dishes, according to a social media statement. Expect a menu with Sunday sauce, baked pastas, meatballs, garlic bread and wine.
“Rosso is a place where families don’t have to choose. Where kids are genuinely welcome, parents can relax and the food matters,” the statement said.
Credit: Courtesy of Barnsley Resort
Credit: Courtesy of Barnsley Resort
Other news of interest
Barnsley Resort in Adairsville is hosting a Friend’s of James Beard dinner Feb. 28 as part of its culinary-focused weekend in honor of the James Beard Foundation. The dinner will take place at chef Shaun Doty’s Barnsley Resort restaurant Jules. The five-course dinner will feature participating chefs Brandon Carter of Savannah’s Common Thread; Duane Nutter of Southern National; Meridith Ford of Cremalosa; and Michael McNeill, a master sommelier.
6 p.m. Feb. 28. $220 per person. 597 Barnsley Gardens Road NW, Adairsville. 770-773-7480, barnsleyresort.com/friends-of-james-beard
Downtown Atlanta is set to receive a new entertainment district with multiple restaurants.
The CNN Center has announced several new concepts joining its food hall.
Amore e Amore co-founder Giovanni Ferro died Feb. 11. Read about his impact on Inman Park here.
Restaurant openings
Burger chain Whataburger will open a location in Johns Creek on Monday, according to a news release. The first 50 guests to visit will receive free Whataburger for a year.
5825 State Bridge Road, Johns Creek. 470-375-0904, locations.whataburger.com
Muchacho, a cafe and restaurant from Electric Hospitality, has opened its second location, in west Midtown. It offers a coffee menu, cocktails, breakfast burritos, tacos and sandwiches. Electric Hospitality is also set to open a second location of its popular Beltline concept Ladybird, also in west Midtown.
1145 Hemphill Ave. NW, Atlanta. muchacho.com
Raising Cane’s, a fried chicken chain, opens Tuesday in Conyers. The grand opening starts at 8 a.m. and will include giveaways, like free Cane’s for a year, and music.
1524 Highway 138 SE, Conyers. 470-970-5490, raisingcanes.com
Editor’s Note: This story has been updated to include a statement from the Georgia Beer Wholesaler’s Association about Senate Bill 456.
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