Save Beer in Georgia

Hey everyone. If you love beer like I do, it's time to do your part. Apparently the Georgia Dept of Revenue wants to LIMIT all Georgia breweries from serving beer during beer tours and events!! They think that we should be allowed only TWO OUNCE POURS of beer!! This will drive most of our small breweries to the edge, since they depend on sampling their products to compete with the industry giants. They have spent tons of money on great beer rooms that we all enjoy, and now they will be useless! This is just one more example of giant industry and government trying to kill new ideas and small businesses. WE LOVE AND DEMAND OUR BEER!
These guys add to our life, whether in Athens or Atlanta. We gotta help'em out.

Those at risk are:
Terrapin
Atlanta Brewing Company
Sweetwater

Read below to see what to do...
Thanks!
Mike

Here's What to Do!! ACT BY JUNE 19, 2007

READ CAREFULLY AND FOLLOW WHAT THE STATE SAYS WE HAVE TO DO TO BE HEARD!!!

THE LETTER TO SEND IS IN THE NEXT POST...READ ON.

All Georgia breweries need your help. We recently received notice that the Georgia Department of Revenue has decided to change the rules that apply to tours at breweries in Georgia. The new proposal calls for a limit of a 2oz pour of each beer style on the tour with a maximum limit of only 16oz. The 16oz pour is only possible if we have eight different styles of beer to offer on the tour. If a brewery only has four beers available to taste, then only 8oz can be poured at the tour.

It is the belief of the Georgia breweries, and our wholesalers, that the proposed rule change would effectively kill the tours. Since the breweries have spent significant sums of money on tasting rooms for the purposes of conducting tours this investment would be lost. In addition it would cause the layoff of employees who now operate as tour guides and could cause serious harm to the bottom line of all breweries. The tours are our main marketing tool and by losing the ability to continue tours as they are currently structured we would lose customers, lose sales, and find it much more difficult to continue in business.

If you have enjoyed tours at Sweetwater and Atlanta Brewing in the past and you would like to continue to enjoy tours at at those locations and at Terrapin Beer Company (tours starting this fall; if these proposed changes do not take effect) then please take the time to respond to the Department of Revenue as indicated below.

Atlanta Brewing, Sweetwater and Terrapin have worked together to craft a response to the proposed rule changes. If you agree with us that the proposed rule change is egregious and will harm the brewery tours and thereby harm our businesses, please take the time to send the attached response to the Department of Revenue, as indicated below.

The Department must receive all comments regarding the proposed Rules from interested persons no later than 10am on June 19th, 2007. Written comments must be sent to:

Commissioner

Georgia Department of Revenue

1800 Century Blvd N.E.

Suite 15300

Atlanta, GA 30345-3205

Electronic comments must be sent to regcomments@dor.ga.gov

PLEASE REFERENCE "NOTICE NUMBER AT-2007-1" ON ALL COMMENTS.

Again, attached to this email is a response you can send to the Department of Revenue. If you agree with the Georgia breweries that the rule changes have the potential to harm the brreweries, please send the attacehd response by following the directions above.

LETTER IS BELOW...PLEASE SEND IT!!

Send this Letter to Dept of Revenue by JUNE 19, 2007

PER MY EARLIER POST: THIS IS THE LETTER YOU HAVE TO SEND OUT BEFORE TUESDAY AM!!!!

email to: regcomments@dor.ga.gov


To: Commissioner Graham

Re: Notice Number AT-2007-1
560-2-2-.61



The department has proposed a significant change in the states' long standing policy on service limitations for brewery tours. The proposed new rule will adversely affect the customers and suppliers of the small brewers. It will also put at risk the brewers investment in facilities designed to attract and accommodate tour attendees and severely limit the marketing and sales of their products. I oppose adoption of the proposed rule change and respectfully urge the department to withdraw proposed rule 3a.


Sincerely,

Sign This Petition by JUNE 19, 2007

If you have READ the above letter, UNDERSTAND IT, and AGREE with it...just POST YOUR NAME below...sign this as an online petition to show the state how we feel!!

SEND THE LETTER...AND SIGN BELOW BY MAKING A COMMENT!!!