Was 2023 a good year for beer in Georgia? It depends on whom you ask.
Our state has some of the most restrictive brewery laws in the U.S., which likely contributed to a record number of Georgia breweries closing in 2023.
That includes Anderby Brewing, Atlanta Brewing Co., Blackbird Farms Brewery, Burnt Hickory Brewery, Candler Rail Brewery, Hippin Hops Brewery’s East Lake location, Orpheus Brewing and Second Self Beer Co.
In July, I wrote about some of those breweries, and I interviewed Joseph Cortes, the executive director of the Georgia Craft Brewers Guild.
“The brewery closures really highlight the sense of urgency in the industry,” Cortes said. “I think it’s pretty easy to say that none of these breweries closed for one single reason, but I think it’s also pretty easy to say that small breweries in Georgia operate in a highly restrictive system.”
In late October, Pontoon Brewing closed both its Sandy Springs taproom and the Lodge brewery and taproom in Tucker. However, earlier this month the company worked out a plan to reopen in Sandy Springs in the coming months.
CEO and co-owner Sean O’Keefe explained that Pontoon filed for bankruptcy because a beverage company owed the brewery hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Credit: Bob Townsend
Credit: Bob Townsend
“The last two months have been pretty awful,” he said. “That’s really what caused us to close. We lost 60 percent of our revenue. We filed insurance claims, and that helped us restart the company. We’re bringing it back to where we started and turning lemons into lemonade.”
Ironshield Brewing in Lawrenceville closed its taproom in early December, but said on Instagram that it will keep Ironshield beer available in the market via restaurants, pubs and retailers.
Ty Gilmore, president of U.S. beer for Tilray Brands, parent company of SweetWater, told me in March that he has plans for the brand to become the fastest-growing U.S. beer company by December 2024.
“We’re going to be disruptive,” he said. “We’re going to be thoughtful. We’re going to do the basics really well. We’re going to invest in our core brands, and we’re going to take back Atlanta and Georgia.” (Tilray also owns Alpine, Green Flash and Montauk Brewing.)
Monday Night Brewing celebrated its 12th anniversary this year, and CEO Jeff Heck talked about the state of the beer business, noting that the market has matured. “So, 10 years ago the industry was growing in double digits every year, but what’s happening in craft (brewing) with the slowdown of the industry is normal. No industry runs at a 15% annual growth rate for 20 years.”
On a more positive note, Doug Farrell, one of the owners of Powder Springs’ Skint Chestnut Brewing Co., which opened in 2022, said its reception in that community has been “fantastic.”
Credit: Bob Townsend
Credit: Bob Townsend
Still, in another sign of the times, Biggerstaff Brewing announced recently that it was closing and is up for sale, priced at $1.5 million. Clay and Sarah Davies’ stunning contemporary brewery-restaurant on Edgewood Avenue in the Old Fourth Ward focused as much on food as it did beer.
“We dearly love Biggerstaff, but circumstances beyond our control are making us close our doors,” Clay Davies said in a statement shared with The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “We’ll miss seeing our amazing staff and the wonderful people we had the pleasure of serving each day.”
Leading up to the 2024 Georgia legislative session, the Georgia Craft Brewers Guild is planning a more aggressive push for changes in state law concerning breweries. But, as in previous years, it will be an uphill battle, because beer distributors oppose changing the law and have a lot of lobbying money and influence.
“We have a pretty strong case to make,” Cortes said. “All the economic and market pressures that everyone’s facing are compounded by the need to operate in a system that’s fair.”
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