Well Crafted

Make no mistake. Beer is big business. Even if you are small.

Craft breweries—those that are independently owned and max out at 6 million barrels of beer a year—are increasingly major players in the economic and cultural trends of the state of Georgia. Since 2011, Georgia’s craft breweries have grown nearly six-fold.

Today, nearly 54,000 Georgians are employed in jobs related to the state’s 130 craft breweries, and the industry contributes $8.6 billion of economic impact to the state every year. Some are anchors of their communities and many have been founded or are run by UGA alumni.