This is a guest blog post by my childhood bestie, Katie Kalk who runs No Keg to Stand On – go check out her blog!

One of the great simple pleasures in life is sitting outside on a hot day drinking a cold drink. In my case the drink is often a beer and outside is often a brewery patio. Moving from Vancouver to Atlanta, I was guaranteed better weather but what about a better beer drinking experience?  I was shocked to discover when I moved to the Peach State that I can’t get a local pint in a brewery. So how do you drink local in Georgia?

Georgian breweries are not allowed to sell their beer on site. This means that I can get free drink tickets with my Westside 10 Registration, or can buy a “specialty glass” to fill with anything I please. What I can’t do is order a pint at the bar. To quote Wyatt Williams in his Creative Loafing article about sampling Georgia breweries:  “Owing to a bizarrely specific set of regulations set by the Georgia Department of Revenue, attending a brewery tour in Georgia is like performing a complicated mating ritual specific only to the indigenous beer drinkers and brewers of our region… Remember, the beer is the part they’re not allowed to sell.” Hence purchasing the specially glass. The strangeness doesn’t end there; local breweries can only pour for two hours a day. They also can’t “give away” more than thirty two ounces per person, although those ounces are often divided up into roughly measured samples. The entire experience is based on the free brewery tour which very few people tend to actually take part in. This results in an atmosphere which is crowded, rushed and nothing at all like the relaxed patio drinking of my fantasies. Everyone wants to get their “free samples worth” so you end up drinking in line while waiting for your next beer. I’ve been to three different two-hour “tours” at Red Brick, Monday Night and Sweetwater, which atmospheres I enjoyed in that order. I’ll be sure to write about Sweetwater in the future as that bro-ridden place deserves it’s own post.

Georgia is one of five states in the Union where you can’t buy brew at a brewery. If I want some local beer, I have to buy it from a third party distributor. The Peach State ranks 47th in breweries per capita. The only states that rank below us are Mississippi and Alabama, two states you never really want to be grouped too closely with. The Beer Jobs Bill, or Senate Bill 63 hopes to change all of this. The Beer Jobs Bill would allow breweries to sell 72 ounces per person onsite or 144 ounces in a to-go growler. The bill would also change the definition of “brewpub” to allow brewpubs to sell beer for limited offsite consumption. Finally the bill would change the ridiculous time limit currently placed on breweries, classifying them similarly to brewpubs. You can read the full text of the bill here.

After years of local activism, Senate Bill 63 was introduced this January by Georgia State Senator Hunter Hill.  Beer activists in the Georgia Craft Brewers Guild say that the bill “will help drive jobs, tourism and economic growth”. The bill seems like it should be an automatic home run. Who stands against Bill 63? Our mustachioed villain is the Georgia Beer Wholesalers Association.

The GBWA has a three-tired system of selling beer within the state. The three tiers are the producers, distributors, and retailers. This means that the distributors are the only ones who can buy from the breweries as well as the only ones who can sell the product to large and small scale retailers. Why is only beer affected while Monday Night Brewing can sell T-shirts to it’s hearts content? The entire system is a Prohibition style rootbeer hangover. While the majority of states have a tiered system, which control taxes and the ilk. Georgia’s system is particularity rigid. This rigidity extends beyond distributors for example, happy hours are illegal in the state. No beverage can be sold at a reduced price during a particular time of day (daily drink specials are allowed).

Big whoop, you say. No happy hour and relying on distributors isn’t that unusual. Why can’t I buy a pint at a brewery, what is the big deal with this bill away?  The deal is this: right now a brewery has to sign a contract with a distributor to sell their beers offsite. Once a contract has been signed, a brewer can not decide to change distributors. These contracts are why Atlanta brewpubs can sell their own beer but are unable to sell any beer outside of their establishment (including festivals). Breweries are a different story as they are designed with the intent to sell offsite.Once a brewery signs a contract with a distributor, they rely on them nearly exclusively for sales income. If breweries could sell their own product onsite, it would give them a little more power in their relationships with distributors. On a personal selfish note, if the Beer Jobs Bill passes, I’ll be able to split a pitcher with friends on the patio even if it takes longer than two hours.

A lot has changed since this 2008 article when only five Georgia breweries where distributing offsite but the outdated contracts still exist. Need anymore proof that Georgia is living in the Prohibition past? Check out this photo tweeted by the GBWA  meeting with Governor Deal. Woof.

How can I help?

Whether or not you live in Georgia, it’s important to encourage local craft brewing culture. Please sign the petition at gabeerjobs.com and keep the conversation buzzing with #SB63 on Twitter. Thank you for reading and keep drinking local!

“Most fun book ever!”

 January 23, 2014      While most of us are resolving to eat and drink less in the new year, two Washington, DC men are doing things a little differently. They’ve set a goal to sample – and tweet about – each of the more than 100 beers featured in award-winning Eugene-raised writer Adem Tepedelen’s recently released and highly acclaimed Brewtal Truth Guide to Extreme Beers.

Will Cook (@PCBCBrewMetal) – who calls Tepedelen’s guide “the most fun book ever” – is a brewer at the Port City Brewing Company in Washington, DC. John X (@whitecluster69) is a DC-based DJ and craft beer lover.

Their tasting project has created a unique and entertaining Twitter conversation that has drawn in craft-beer lovers from across the continent. On December 7, for example, they took part in a discussion about a particularly spicy beer featured in the book:

@PCBCBrewMetal – Just drank hottest beer ever! Ghost Face Killah by @TwistedPine from @BrewtalTruth Guide to Extreme Beers! pic.twitter.com/d2exVmq80A

‏@dan_tilford – Tried this the other day! literally felt like my mouth and throat were exploding! poured half out!

‏@PCBCBrewMetal – Quitter! Ha ha. I loved it!

“It’s pretty satisfying to have people not only liking the book, but really engaging with it,” says Tepedelen. “And, of course, the publicity it’s generating is pretty great, too.” Will Cook and John X have already sampled more than 40 of Tepedelen’s featured beers – and have been joined in their quest by numerous other beer lovers.

Tepedelen’s book is also receiving widespread acclaim from critics. Vancouver’s Province newspaper calls it “a wildly entertaining read.” Invisible Oranges says it has “definite classic potential.” And the Minneapolis Star Tribune says “Tepedelen is just the writer to introduce drinkers to severe suds.”

Tepedelen is a winner of the prestigious Michael Jackson Beer Journalism award, which celebrates excellence in reporting on American craft beer. He is also co-author of Island Wineries of British Columbia, named best wine book in Canada (and third best in the world) by the 2011 Gourmand Awards. Tepedelen is the Divine Drinks columnist for YAM Magazine, the Brewtal Truth beer columnist for Decibel Magazine and a regular contributor to other publications locally and across North America, including Fine Cooking, Imbibe and Northwest Palate. Also a highly respected music writer, he was editor of Seattle’s The Rocket during the height of the grunge movement and has since written for dozens of other magazines and websites including Mojo, Rolling Stone, Revolver and Warp.

BrewTrail.com Maps and Details of Every Brewery in the Country

New Haven, CT – November 13, 2013 – Beer lovers, your prayers have been answered – visiting breweries just got easier.  Brew Trail (www.BrewTrail.com), the ultimate compilation of brewery information, has gone online and promises to make beer tourism a one-stop planning experience.  According to the Brewer’s Association, there are 2,538 breweries and brewpubs operating in the country (the most since the 1880s) and only one website – Brew Trail – has tracked them all along with the meticulous key details like their brewery tour and tasting room schedules.  Never before has so much detailed brewery data been available on one site.  With Brew Trail’s Trip Planner, aficionados can plot out a multi-state tour or simply check out some new breweries in town, easily incorporating each brewery’s schedule to cover ground most efficiently.  It’s all free, and it’s optimized for mobile devices.  From pilsners in Portland to stouts in St. Louis, Brew Trail will help plan a fantastic expedition along America’s beer trail.

“It’s been a true labor of love.  A very, very detailed labor of love,” said Brew Trail co-founder Chris Margonis.  “Why did we start the site?  My buddy and I love beer, it’s as simple as that.  And when we realized there weren’t any sites like this – a one-stop spot for all the brewery details along with brewery tour and tasting room times, we devoted ourselves even more to our hobby.  We want Brew Trail to be seen as a promotional asset for all craft breweries – to help them level the playing field and gain recognition among the big boys.  And we think Brew Trail also has the potential to become an excellent tool for state and local tourism boards as more and more localities launch their own beer trails.”

The US craft beer movement has been exploding, with an astounding 10% annual growth – even while overall beer consumption has been declining slightly in favor of wine and spirits.  Although it makes sense given that craft beers have similar complexities and food pairings as wine.  Five out of ten fastest growing beer brands are craft (Dale’s Pale Ale, Lagunitas, Ranger, Torpedo, Shiner) and several of them  have been seeing a mind-boggling 45% growth in sales.  With this new, overwhelming beer awareness, Brew Trail arrives at the perfect time to make a potential mark on the scene and establish itself within the craft beer culture.

About Brew Trail (www.BrewTrail.com)

Visiting breweries just got easier.  Brew Trail compiles every brewery and brewpub in the country – over 2,500 – allowing beer lovers to quickly and seamlessly plan their ultimate tasting trip.  Tour schedules, tasting room hours, fees and other info is all available on one site for the first time ever.

Sources:

Brewers Association (http://www.brewersassociation.org/pages/business-tools/craft-brewing-statistics/number-of-breweries)

Demeter Group (http://www.demetergroup.net/docs/perspective/Craft_Beer.pdf)

Has anyone tried Brew Trail yet?  What do you think?

My name is Matthew Zajechowski and I work at Digital Third Coast.  A client of mine Kendall College has done a study on craft beer and made this infographic to share the results with fans of craft beer.

At Kendall College, students pursuing degrees in Hospitality Management have a variety of career goals, including food and beverage manager jobs. Earlier in 2013, Kendall announced a new concentration in the School of Hospitality Management, Beverage Management, as well as a new relationship with Siebel Institute of Technology.

The School of Hospitality Management will be offering six new courses as part of a new Beverage Management concentration, including:

•    Introduction to Wines, Beer and Spirits
•    Intermediate Wines
•    Advanced Wine Knowledge
•    The Business of Beverage Management
•    Beer and Fermentation
•    Spirits and Mixology

More and more people across both the United Stated and the World are enjoying craft beer more than ever.  Sales are on the rise in both in the U.S. and across the world. Kendall College School Of Hospitality assistant professors Phil Mott and John Laloganes have researched a study on the rise of craft beer which is represented in this infographic that was put together that was based on a study they completed that details the growth of the craft beer industry in general along with interesting facts about craft beer demographics along with food pairs in which to enjoy different styles of craft beer with. Some of the interested points included in the infographic are as follows:

• 36% of consumers drink what’s considered craft beer
• Just short of half (45%) of all consumers would try more craft beer if they had more knowledge about it
• Saisons pair well with salads where Brown Ales pair well with grilled cheese.
• Sales of craft beer in 2012 was 12 billion worldwide.  Experts expect that number to triple by 2017.
• Craft brewers provide an estimated 103,585 jobs in the US.
• The number of breweries in 2012 was 2,403 which is the highest number since the 1880s.
• 43% of Millenials (ages 25-34) prefer the taste of craft beer as opposed to 32% of baby boomers.