Beer tasting and alcohol sales in Fort Oglethorpe have created a rift on the City Council, with tempers flaring Monday night in what councilmen say was the most contentious meeting in years.
One flashpoint is a change to the city’s alcoholic beverage ordinance that allows businesses to sell three 1-ounce samples of beer per day to a customer. Beverage World on Cloud Springs Road sought the beer tasting to help customers choose among 20 brews on tap for “growlers” — refillable 32- and 64-ounce beer bottles.
Councilman Charles Sharrock doesn’t drink, but he didn’t see any harm in allowing beer tasting.
“They can have three samples in a 24-hour period,” Sharrock said. “It would take four days to drink a [12-ounce] beer like that.”
Sharrock, Earl Gray and Eddie Stinnett approved the tasting in a 3-0 vote at the council’s Jan. 9 meeting.