Senate · Introduced · 2025-2026 Regular Session

SB 456: Alcoholic Beverages; regulation of the manufacture, distribution, and sale; provide

Last action February 4, 2026 · Senate Read and Referred

A Georgia Senate bill would let small beer brewers sell limited amounts directly to local retailers, remove the daily cap on off-premises beer sales at brewery taproom, and define what counts as a 'small brewer' under state law.

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The summaries below were written by an AI model (claude-sonnet-5) from the text of the bill and are not part of it. Quote the text, not the summary. The stored text is the Introduced version, the latest the General Assembly's website lists.

In plain language

Georgia's alcohol laws generally require a three-tier system in which manufacturers sell to wholesalers, who sell to retailers, who sell to the public. This bill carves out new exceptions to that system for beer. It creates a legal definition of 'small brewer' as a brewer or brewpub whose sales to its wholesaler make up no more than 15 percent of that wholesaler's total sales in the prior year. The bill removes the current 288-ounce daily cap on how much beer a brewery can sell an individual to take home from its own premises, while sales for on-site drinking remain uncapped as they already were. It also lets qualifying small brewers sell up to 1,000 barrels per year at wholesale directly to retailers in the same county, and lets brewers trade beer with each other. The state revenue commissioner would write rules to carry this out. The rulemaking parts take effect once the Governor signs the bill; everything else takes effect July 1, 2026.

What the bill does

Adds a new legal definition of 'small brewer' to Georgia's alcohol code (O.C.G.A. § 3-1-2), based on a wholesaler sales percentage test.
Removes the existing 288-ounce daily limit on malt beverages a brewery can sell one person for off-premises consumption.
Creates a new exception letting small brewers sell up to 1,000 barrels of beer per year at wholesale directly to retailers in their own county.
Allows small brewers to sell, deliver, and receive shipments of beer to and from other licensed brewers and brewpubs.
Directs the state revenue commissioner to write rules and regulations to enforce the new small brewer wholesale exception.
Clarifies that beer seized as contraband rules apply except where the bill's new exceptions say otherwise.

Who it affects

Georgia beer manufacturers, brewpubs, and small brewers who sell directly to the public or to retailers; licensed wholesalers and retailers who currently distribute beer under the three-tier system; and the state revenue commissioner's office, which must write new rules to enforce the changes.

Why it matters

Breweries could sell more beer directly to customers for takeout without a daily ounce limit, and qualifying small brewers could bypass wholesalers to sell limited amounts straight to local retailers, changing how beer moves from producers to Georgia consumers in some markets.

Key provisions

Section 1 adds a definition of 'small brewer' to O.C.G.A. § 3-1-2, tied to a brewer's sales making up no more than 15 percent of its wholesaler's total sales in the prior year.
Section 2 revises O.C.G.A. § 3-5-24.1 to eliminate the 288-ounce daily maximum on off-premises beer sales at a brewer's licensed premises.
Section 2 keeps the existing annual cap of 6,000 barrels total that a brewer may sell under that Code section across all its licensed premises.
Section 3 creates a new Code Section 3-5-24.2 letting small brewers sell up to 1,000 barrels per year at wholesale to same-county retailers and trade beer with other brewers.
Section 3 directs the revenue commissioner to issue rules to enforce the new small brewer exception.
Section 4 revises O.C.G.A. § 3-5-27 so the contraband rule for improperly acquired beer applies except where other chapter provisions create exceptions.
Section 5 makes the rulemaking provisions effective upon the Governor's signature, with all other provisions effective July 1, 2026.

From the bill

“'Small brewer' means a brewer or brewpub whose sales of products to such brewer's or brewpub's wholesaler licensed under this title, if any, do not exceed 15 percent of such wholesaler's total sales in the prior calendar year.”
This is the bill's new legal definition of a qualifying small brewer.

“Sell per calendar year up to 1,000 barrels of malt beverages produced at the small brewer's licensed premises at wholesale to retailers licensed in this state that are located within the same county as the small brewer's licensed premises”
This sets the limit on how much beer a small brewer can sell directly to local retailers.

Discussed in meetings (3)

The House and Senate meetings that took this bill up, from their machine transcripts. Each account was written by Georgia Commons with AI and is not part of the record; the video is what was said.

Senate Regulated Industries and Utilities Committee, February 10, 2026
From 0:24:40 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel
Summary by Georgia Commons: The sponsor said SB 456 would remove breweries’ daily take-home sales limit of 288 ounces and allow direct distribution of up to 1,000 barrels yearly within their county. The sponsor argued this would help small businesses supply nearby restaurants. A Reformation Brewery witness said wholesalers sometimes reject low-volume products; an Atlantucky Brewing witness said local sales could establish demand before attracting a distributor. Members questioned tax tracking, multi-location breweries and whether brewers could keep profitable local accounts while relying on distributors elsewhere. A brewery owner said monthly excise-tax reports account for every keg. The sponsor offered to consider limiting eligibility to a brewery’s principal business location. The chair explored allowing self-distribution only for producers unable to find distributors; a Brewers Association witness welcomed that possible compromise. A Georgia Beer Wholesalers Association witness argued the bill’s eligibility definition could include very large brewers and that losing local accounts would undermine distributors’ investments. A Georgia Alcohol Dealers Association witness said direct brewery sales compete with retailers and defended equal wholesale pricing. Georgia Alcohol Prevention Alliance and Georgia Baptist Mission Board witnesses argued greater availability would increase alcohol-related harm. Supporters argued limited self-distribution could coexist with the existing system. No substitute or amendment was adopted, and no vote occurred. The chair requested proposed amendments for possible later consideration.
Senate Regulated Industries and Utilities Committee, February 24, 2026
From 0:19:39 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel
Summary by Georgia Commons: The sponsor presented a substitute that would allow brewery take-home sales of three cases per person daily and reduce proposed self-distribution within a brewery’s county from 1,000 to 500 barrels. The sponsor described it as help for small breweries that revitalized downtowns. Brewery witnesses said local distribution would help establish demand and attract distributors, rather than bypass the existing producer-wholesaler-retailer system. A Reformation representative disputed that consumption would increase. A physician and former CDC alcohol-program director warned of increased drinking, illness and public costs. The Georgia Baptist Mission Board also opposed expanded availability. The Georgia Beer Wholesalers Association argued that direct sales would replace retail purchases and let breweries take wholesalers’ strongest accounts. Members questioned whether the small-brewer definition could include major international producers. The sponsor and Georgia Craft Brewers Guild disputed that interpretation; members discussed revenue or production limits, including a one-million-barrel ceiling, but adopted no amendment. Asked about multiple locations, the sponsor said local distribution would depend on brewing in the county. A guild witness said opening a brewery costs millions and often involves personal financial guarantees. A motion to pass received no second and died without a vote.

Read aloud: Senate floor session, February 4, 2026 (legislative day 12), 0:24:01

Status timeline

2026-02-04Senate Read and Referred (Senate)
2026-02-03Senate Hopper (Senate)

Topics

alcohol regulation
craft breweries
beer sales laws
small business
liquor licensing

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Machine-readable https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb456.md · https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md · MCP https://mcp.georgiacommons.org/mcp