Big bottles of flavorful liquid will soon be appearing closer to craft beer enthusiasts in the Atlanta area.
The Beer Growler announced Friday it will be opening four new locations. The new stores will be in Alpharetta, Brookhaven, Johns Creek and Suwanee, and will open in the next 90 days, co-owner Paul Saunders said.
The first Beer Growler opened in Athens in 2010. The first Atlanta-area location opened in August 2011 in Avondale Estates, said Saunders, and business has been good.
Saunders said he and his two partners -- Sean Galvin and Dennis Young -- anticipated selling 300 to 500 bottles a week at the Avondale store but have been selling up to 1,500.
"It's doubled our best expectations," said Saunders. "[The Avondale store] has been very busy."
Saunders said he and his partners, all of whom live in Atlanta, decided to open the Suwanee location because of the beer festival there, the largest craft beer festival in the state, which the Beer Growler helps sponsor.
The Beer Growler's attorney worked with the Georgia Department of Revenue to tweak the law to allow the sale of growlers -- 32- and 64-ounce resealable bottles.
"It was not a new law, just a reinterpretation" of existing law, said Saunders. Growlers have to be made of glass and sealed with shrink wrap, and the beer taps have to be operated by store employees, not customers, Saunders said. The changed law also prevents liquor stores from selling growlers of beer, he said.
Locations of the new stores:
- Alpharetta -- 865 North Main Street
- Brookhaven -- 1426 Dresden Drive
- John'Creek -- 300 Old Alabama Road
- Suwanee -- 4140 Moore Road
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