Georgia Senate Hearings on 3-Tier / Growlers, ETC

[br1dge]

Have not had a chance to digest, but for your casual reading pleasure.

http://www.senate.ga.gov/sro/Documents/StudyCommRpts/13BrewpubsStudyCommitteeReport.pdf

 

[flars]

Interesting reading. No mention was made on how the three tier system can inhibit competition. Mainly large producers, through distributors, by offering incentives or removing incentives on products.

 

[brewerelated]

There isn't much mention of how the 3-tier system inhibits competition because most of the supporters of this bill are presenting a moderate stance.

The supporters of the bill are pretty much local craft brewers. These local brewers are asking for an exemption to the 3-tier system, but they are not asking for the 3-tier system to be dismantled.

If you give testimony that the 3-tier system is anti-competitive then you may be perceived as an extremist on the position and that you are pushing for full deregulation or removal of the 3-tier system. If you take an extreme position the committee may not be open to your testimony.

From reading the report it seems that committee is also moderately conservative on the issue of the 3-tier system. Their findings recommend that growlers should be allowed for sale with the purchase of food and that part of the growler needs to be consumed on premises. They are treating the growler the same way that a bottle of wine is treated in a restaurant. That is you are eating dinner and if you don't finish your bottle of wine then you can take it to go. Merlot-to-go is the term that they used. They recommend that growlers be treated the same way.

I think most of the supporters of the bill might be afraid to take an aggressive stance on the 3-tier system. That is my humble interpretation from reading the study.

I live in California by the way and in California you can buy a growler, but you are NOT allowed to consume any of it in the tasting room. Also tasting rooms are not allowed to sell food.

Interesting reading. No mention was made on how the three tier system can inhibit competition. Mainly large producers, through distributors, by offering incentives or removing incentives on products.