Or maybe that should be “The Devil Went Down to Georgia”.

Georgia is not a state for beer enthusiasts. A decade ago there were eight breweries in Georgia. Now, there are three. Colorado, with half the population, has 44 breweries.

And it could get worse.

Fortune Small Business: Georgia breweries dry up

New rules governing brewery tours could reduce that number to zero, says Fred Bensch, owner of Sweetwater Brewing (sweetwaterbrew.com) in Atlanta, by driving away thirsty crowds and eliminating the brewers’ best marketing tool.

“This would totally cripple us,” he says. The dispute has been fermenting since May, when the Georgia Department of Revenue proposed limiting tastings to two ounces per brew. Under pressure, the revenuers raised the limit to 24 ounces, but with stipulations: Breweries can’t serve samples until tours are over, they can’t pour any beer if they charge admission (Sweetwater charges $8), and Sunday tastings are verboten.

It seems the entire Southeastern United States, excepting perhaps, Asheville, North Carolina, is rather hostile toward beer and alcohol. I guess none of us should be surprised that the NeoProhibitionists are so strong in the Bible Belt.