Craft brewers can now sell their products directly to the public — without the added cost of a paid tour — thanks to a new law that took effect Friday, and Gainesville's only brewery celebrated the occasion with a day-long party.
Left Nut Brewing opened its first cooler where patrons could purchase a six-pack of beer (up to a case) to take home, plus a bar where the bar tenders went from exchanging tickets for samples to taking cash for tall, frosty glasses of beer.
"That opens up a whole new opportunity, just like the wine industry here in Georgia," said Pap Datta, Left Nut Brewing president.
"When people visit wineries, they can buy bottles after they've sampled, and they've captured that whole moment of excitement where they visit (the place) the product is actually made."
Craft beer lovers can now do the same thing with a bottle of beer at Left Nut Brewing, or any other brewery in the state.
Outside of small samples, anyone who found a craft brew they liked needed to find a store where the product was sold, which wasn't always easy.
"That's a great benefit for all the breweries in Georgia," said Datta.
"If you look at some of the smaller breweries that have a smaller foot print, they have now the luxury to have a more viable business. They can sell pretty much everything that they make at the brewery."
Left Nut Brewing, the only brewery in Hall County, is located in the Chicopee area of Gainesville.
The company has four "anchor beers," and a rotation of season beers available for tasting and purchase.
