James May-June 2023 web - Flipbook - Page 15
BY BAKER OWENS
ome 20 years ago, if you wanted to buy locally made alcoholic beverages in Georgia,
your best bet was probably the Anheuser-Busch factory in Cartersville. You couldn’t get beer there,
but you could buy beer that was “made in Georgia.”
Other options were very limited. Not that long ago,
the legendary Smokey and the Bandit got the best of
Big Enos and Little Enos by bringing in bootleg Coors
Light from Arkansas— the closest place it was legally
sold at the time.
Thanks to a relaxing of a number of state laws around
the industry, and some relaxing of the old “Blue
Laws,” the beverage business is booming in Georgia.
Wine began the trend some 20 years ago and after
many battles at the State Capitol, beer and spirits
would follow within the last ten years. For all intents
and purposes now, a trip to the local brewer feels just
the same as a visit to your local bar or restaurants.
As part of our annual Sippin’ Local feature, James
asked readers to vote for their favorite brewery, distillery and winery across the state. This year, we received
the most votes ever in the contest and our winners
have very different origins. The two things they have
in common, though, are loyal customers and success.
We feature here a little bit about each winner, plus listing all the top 10 vote getters in each category.
Congratulations to all the winners!
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