Martin Smith is the Assistant Director of the Georgia Beer Wholesalers Association.

Mr. Smith seems to think you need protection from the craft breweries in Georgia. According to a report by Walter Jones for the Morris News Service, Mr. Smith said, “The three-tier system has been beneficial to consumers because it allows all brewers, large and small, equal access to consumers.”

That three tier system is the system that prohibits craft breweries from selling their product on their own premises. State Senator Hunter Hill has prepared legislation to allow breweries to sell 144 ounces of their beer at their brewery. That equates to about a 12 pack.

As one brewer pointed out, “When you visit a winery, you don’t go back there when you want a bottle, you go to the retailers.” But Mr. Smith responds that is nonsense and gives away the game with “It simply shifts existing jobs and revenue.”

See, allowing breweries to sell to the on site customers deprives Martin Smith’s distributors of money. He doesn’t really care about you.

And the Georgie Beer Wholesalers Association has taken Governor Deal to breakfast and given more than $1 million in contributions to members of the Georgia legislature.

So I suggest you call Martin Smith at (404) 231-4292 and tell him to stop claiming he knows what is best for consumers.

Then I suggest you go here, put in your address, and call your state representative and state senator to demand they support Senator Hunter Hill’s S.B. 63.