Following in the path of Dunwoody the night before, Alpharetta gave an early nod Tuesday to the city's first ordinance allowing the sale of beer "growlers," large, glass containers of beer that can be filled from a tap and carried home.
Alpharetta will take a final vote on the revised ordinance at its next meeting at 7:30 p.m. Monday. The Dunwoody City Council on Monday voted unanimously to allow the sale of growlers.
Alpharetta's proposed ordinance will allow licensed retailers to dispense growlers, which are to hold no more than 64 ounces of beer, and allow patrons to sample 1 ounce of the keg beer before they make a purchase.
All growlers must carry a plastic, tamper-proof seal from the retailer so as to comply with the state's Open Container Law.
According to the AJC’s “Drink: A Beer, Wine and Spirits Blog,” growlers arrived in metro Atlanta in April 2011 at Hop City on the west side, followed in May by Ale Yeah in Decatur.
Last summer, growler stations opened in Whole Foods store on Ponce de Leon Avenue in Atlanta and in the Merchant’s Walk shopping center in east Cobb County.
Like Alpharetta, Dunwoody's ordinance restricts the sale to licensed retailers who do not offer distilled spirits.
"Limiting the number of vendors early on gave us the opportunity to add on later as opposed to leaving it wide open and wishing we could dial it back," Mayor Mike Davis said.
The City of Roswell allows for the sale of growlers, although it has no specific ordinance regulating them.
"Essentially, we look on it as another form of packaging," Assistant City Attorney Bob Hulsey said. "As long as one has a package license and does not allow consumption on the premises, selling beer growlers is allowed in Roswell."
Sandy Springs and Johns Creek are also considering growler ordinances, but neither has placed it up for vote before the city council.
Staff writer David Ibata contributed to this article.
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