Craft beer to-go a no-no in Tennessee

Tennessee has seen its fair share of craft beer controversy in the past month. To add a new dynamic to the laws impacting craft beer in the state, the Tennessee Alcoholic Beverage Commission (TABC) is cracking down on “to-go” beer sales, WBIR.com reported. The law apparently went into effect in the mid-90s, but is now affecting the sales of craft beer in a strange way.

While the Smoky Mountain Brewery in Mayville is no longer selling beer to go, breweries in Turkey Creek, Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg are complying with the law that limits beer sales by leading customers through the brewery to buy beer in the back and then escorting them out the backdoor. Before enforcement, customers could buy craft beer in the front of the brewery and exit the main door like a typical customer.

“It felt kind of strange having to be let out through the back door. It was different. Felt like I was doing something wrong or something,” Jackson Griffith told WBIR.com.

The TABC fined several Copper Cellar restaurants last summer, and breweries, including three Calhoun’s restaurants, have stopped selling beer to go altogether. Brewers are urging people to contact their local state representative in an attempt to get the law changed. For the full story, head over to WBIR.com.