Sunday, August 17, 2008
Editorial: Brewery will increase Floyd's appeal
State officials should issue a permit despite opposition from neighbors.
From the RoundTable blog
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Brett Nichols runs an organic vegetable farm just off the Blue Ridge Parkway east of the town of Floyd. He and partner Ray Jones want to open the Shooting Creek Farm brewery on the site. They would handcraft several beers, operate a tasting room and sell their upscale product to go. If things go well, they would ship beer to retailers, too.
Some people are not happy about those plans. Neighbors and ministers have been trying to rally local opposition and have asked Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control not to issue a required permit. If they block the brewery, it will be Floyd County's loss.
Most communities with unemployment problems and scarce prospects for growth welcome new business. A microbrewery is not about to end the area's economic woes, but its synergy with existing attractions would increase the county's appeal as a weekend getaway.
The brewery would be neither bar nor restaurant. Visitors would arrive, try a few sips and, if they like what they taste, buy some beer to take home.
It would fit in well in an area that is gaining a reputation among fans of upscale alcohol. Parkway drivers can already stop at Château Morrisette and Villa Appalaccia wineries, Blacksnake meadery and Foggy Ridge cider mill. Once local beer is on tap, all that will be missing is a whiskey distillery.
Weekend visitors from Charlotte, Northern Virginia and other not-too-far locales who come for the beverages and scenery will also spend money on food, lodging and other sundries. These days, tourism is one cornerstone of the Floyd economy.
Yet nearby residents have rallied against the brewery. ABC officials held a hearing in Roanoke last week to hear their complaints and supporters' comments.
Opposition primarily takes two forms, neither of which is convincing. Neighbors worry about traffic, drunken drivers and the end of peace and quiet. Meanwhile, a few Christian ministers argue alcohol is evil.
The Christian case does not fly in a county where alcohol is legal. The teetotalers lost their attempt to impose anti-alcohol morality on everyone else nearly a century ago.
The concerns of neighbors, on the other hand, offer only not-in-my-backyard arguments.
A small craft brewery with a tasting room will not affect the peace of the area. People will not visit to get drunk, and Virginia Tech and Radford students will not pile in their cars for a night out at Shooting Creek. Cheap alcohol from a convenience store is better suited to their needs.
Customers will mostly be the same sort of people with disposable income who already patronize the wineries, meadery and cider mill. Most will consume responsibly and have designated drivers.
Even if the brewery succeeds, it will not likely generate bumper-to-bumper traffic. Except when nearby wineries host special events, their traffic is hardly noticeable.
One brewery is not responsible for everyone who abuses alcohol, and it should not face condemnation because its product offends the faith of a few. ABC officials plan to rule in a month or so. They should help the Floyd economy by awarding a permit to Shooting Creek.
