Growler Containers Delay Sampling Malt Beverages in Forsyth

Forsyth Commissioners seemed OK with the changes to the county's alcohol ordinance that would allow tastings at growler stores, but they want some changes to what types of containers can be used as growlers, which customers will take home filled with malt beverages such as ales drawn from kegs.

Forsyth County Attorney Ken Jarrard will draft new language for the amendment before the commission votes on it.

Forsyth County Growler Stores

• City Growler, 214 Atlanta Road, Suite C, Cumming
• Crafty Draught, 415 Peachtree Parkway, Suite 215, Cumming
• Cumming Growler Shop, 1770-B Buford Highway, Cumming

Because substantive changes were being made to the ordinance, it will require another two public hearings before it can be adopted into law, according to Jodi Gardner, director of Communications for Forsyth County. Those public hearings will be advertised in the Forsyth County News and on the county's website: Public Notices.

Forsyth County has proposed allowing customers to have more ounces of each malt beverage sampled than neighboring municipalities, such as Alpharetta. Forsyth's proposed amendment will allow 8 ounces to be sampled in a 24-hour period, while Alpharetta limits tastings to 3 ounces. And Forsyth lets each sample to be 2 ounces of beverage, or 4 separate samples. Alpharetta limits each sample to one ounce, which works out to 3 tastes.

But with the additional ounces to taste, Forsyth growler stores have a limit that many other governments don't impose. According to the proposed amendment, "Growler tastings shall be conducted in a separate room, capable of being rendered completely inaccessible from the remainder of the licensed outlet premises. Such room...shall be deemed by Forsyth County to be a separate premises from the remainder of the licensed outlet."