Macon Beer Company gets one step closer to opening up its brewery in downtown and with mention of new laws for alcohol distribution. The company's founders are more motivated than ever.

Jeremy Knowles and Corey Smith say they need their building rezoned from commercial to industrial so they can get their beer company up and brewing.

With two bills on the table to make selling their product a little easier, they're trying to move quickly.

Macon Beer Company gets one step closer to opening their doors after meeting with Macon-Bibb County planning and zoning board. "One we had to ask permission to be industrial and we also had to have permission to brew alcohol," says Jeremy Knowles, the co-owner of Macon Beer Company.

Their chosen location had to be rezoned as industrial from commercial to get their brewery up and running. While the company is under construction, so are the laws that would govern them. Senate Bill 174 and House Bill 314, if passed, will make brewing laws more flexible for smaller brewers, like Jeremy’s.

"Legislators are trying to redefine the brewery, right now there’s brew pub and brewery and there are very strict rules one way or the other," adds Knowles.

Current law prohibits the sale of alcohol at the brewery or for at home use, new legislation would change that.

"It would allow us to sell of premise alcohol or in this case beer to anyone that came in and the limit would be 288 ounces," says Knowles. “Which is the equivalent to twenty-four 12 ounce cans of beer or just one large container, growlers,” he adds.

"Jugs basically where you can take the beer take it home with you and drink it from where it came," he adds.

Jeremy and his partner will keep a close eye on the changes to laws for beer and alcohol distribution, but either way, they say Macon Beer Company is soon on its way.

Jeremy and Corey hope to have Macon Beer Company up and running by late spring for tours and tastings.