Nevertheless, the Georgia Beer Wholesalers Association has relentlessly lobbied—making substantial political contributions along the way—to maintain Georgia’s beer status quo. The state’s laws are some of the most restrictive in the country, and year after year, the GBWA has opted to cling to an antiquated system where they maintain control of the sales of a product they don’t make. In doing so, they’ve stifled growth and turned off many would-be entrepreneurs who opt to open their businesses and contribute revenue to locales outside Georgia’s borders.

When I talked to Atlanta resident Byron Burroughs a couple years ago, he was in a pretty good spot, as far as small beer businesses go. He’d opened a bottle shop in 2007, expanded that shop in 2009 (200 bottles! 50 taps! Growlers to go!), and added a brewpub in 2012. By 2015, he needed a production facility, so he opened one of those, too. Proof Brewing Co. produced 4,500 barrels of beer in 2016 (and is on track for 6,500 in 2017), they recently launched cans of their popular Eightfive-0 Pale Ale and Mango Wit, and are close to maxing out that still-young production facility.

The catch? In order to live that dream, Burroughs had to move out of Georgia. Proof’s located in Tallahassee, where the laws are much friendlier to craft beer and where Burroughs and his company have been leading a city’s beer awakening for a decade now.

"Being from Atlanta, we definitely considered opening there," Burroughs said. "Unfortunately, there is such an antiquated system in place that seems resistant to change and positive growth that it seemed too much of a financial risk."

A lot has changed in the Peach State since I first spoke with Burroughs a couple years ago. And yet, you still can’t buy beer from a Georgia brewery. And, if Mississippi has its way, Georgia will be the only state left in the U.S. with that archaic designation. The Georgia Craft Brewers Guild hopes to affect big change in 2017, but that's no easy task. Historically, it’s been an ongoing fight between the GCBG and the GBWA, but signs are pointing to unprecedented compromise. Could 2017 be the year that changes Georgia beer forever?