Summary: Okay, let's get [sort of] serious for a second. This is an important and timely episode for fans of craft beer in Georgia. In addition to our standard audio tickle fight, we are joined by the one and only Austin L. Ray to talk about the current state of beer legislation in our fair, um, state. *There are several links in this post, so if you're reading this in iTunes, head on over to the website for supplemental #content.* Austin is a writer by trade and recently penned a long, thoroughly-reported cover story for Creative Loafing wherein he explains How Georgia's restrictive beer laws are some of the worst in the nation and how they are materially affecting Georgia's economy, and Why an impending piece of legislation proposed by the Georgia Craft Brewers Guild is the best opportunity since 2004 to make meaningful changes to the craft beer landscape in Georgia. Oh and we also drink a newly-bottled beer from Burnt Hickory up in Kennesaw, GA, and Russ supplies a song from The Whigs, who originally hail from Athens, GA, officially making this episode GEORGIA AS HAIL. Speaking of Georgia, one way to keep up with interesting Georgia craft beer news is to subscribe to Austin's very excellent Georgia Brewsletter. Couple of show notes: 10:09 - I momentarily forgot Ted Hull's name. Inexcusable. 10:59 - I said Sweetwater was one of the big breweries to open a facility in North Carolina. OBVIOUSLY, I meant Sierra Nevada. Obviously. 30:26 - I semi-confidently recall the piece of legislation that raised the maximum ABV% in beer from 6% to 14% in 2004 as HB 345. It is actually HB 645.
