SB192 is about economic development in Alabama. The legal situation here is not conducive to a thriving brewing industry. To show this, I’ve looked at the numbers in Alabama versus the numbers in the southern states surrounding us.
It’s also helpful to look at South Carolina – which has a very similar population to Alabama and is also a deep south state. In South Carolina, there are 19 breweries according to BeerAdvocate.com. In Alabama, we have 5 listed. So what’s the big difference between South Carolina and Alabama? Brewery laws. In South Carolina, tap rooms are legal. In Alabama, they are not. In South Carolina, brewpubs are legal. In Alabama, brewpubs are so heavily restricted that not a single brewpub currently operates in this state.
Here is a comparison of Alabama to the states surrounding us.
| State | Brewery laws | # breweries |
| Alabama | Tap rooms illegal Brewpubs highly restricted |
5 |
| Tennessee | Tap rooms legal Brewpubs legal |
24 |
| Georgia | Tap rooms legal Brewpubs legal |
22 |
| Florida | Tap rooms legal Brewpubs legal |
64 |
| Mississippi | Tap rooms illegal Brewpubs legal Strict ABV restriction |
1 |
We’re in troubling economic times in Alabama. SB192 might be able to quadruple the brewing industry in this state without costing the public a penny.
