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The latest on the Key Bridge collapse, New York puts forth legislation to get clean energy projects on the grid and Wisconsin and other states join a federal summer food program to help feed kids across the country.

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Tennessee Economic Development "Hopping" on Craft Beer Wagon

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Monday, October 26, 2015   

KINGSPORT, Tenn. - Tennessee is home to an increasing number of craft breweries, with more opening every month across the state. While craft beer lovers have been "drinking the kool-aid" - or beer, in this case - for quite some time, the state's economic development engines are taking note, at least in one part of the state.

This month the convention and visitors bureaus from Bristol, Kingsport and Johnson City unveiled the Brewly Noted Beer Trail. Jud Teague, director with the Kingsport Convention and Visitors Bureau explains why they're supporting the effort.

"They'll be some businesses begin to jump up whether it's restaurants or vendors that sell to the brewers," says Teague. "And the brewers hopefully become more distributed which only leads focus back to those communities."

The Brewly Noted Trail is the country's first two-state collaboration between breweries. Participants can sign up for a trail log and collect stamps at the nine participating breweries. If they visit all locations, they receive a shirt. Other Tennessee cities, including Nashville, are in the process of developing a similar trail.

According to organizers, the Tri-Cities has the highest rate of craft brewery growth of any part of the state, including major metropolitan areas such as Knoxville and Memphis. Director of the Brewly Noted Trail Andrew Felty says the success of the trail proves that craft beer is an economic driver.

"It's a really good opportunity to see that craft breweries are something to get behind," says Felty. "These guys are small-business owners and they bring in revenue for the cities, whether it's people going just visit the breweries or to go visit area restaurants or even stay in hotels."

Teague says some of the growth of craft beer can be attributed to festivals and other events that have exposed the community to the craft beer culture. Kingsport is home to Tennessee's Oktoberfest, one of the largest craft beer events in the state.

"Not that long ago, beer sales and all of that was not even established in the Tri-Cities," says Teague. "The Oktoberfests and the other festivals that go on in our downtowns, it's created a lot of synergy. It's just been a lot of progressive thought that has moved the needle over the last 10 or 12 years."


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