Beer War Pits North Versus South

Georgia convenience store bans the sale of Massachusetts-based craft brew, Sam Adams.

January 30, 2017

NEW YORK – Let the games begin! Last week, Viral Chhadua, owner of an Exxon station in Gainesville, Georgia, responded to a Boston Globe column that kicked off with, “It's hard to get pumped up about a Super Bowl against ... Atlanta,” adding that the city has “absolutely zero enthusiasm for professional sports.”

“I was already pumped that we were in the Super Bowl and matched up against living legends in Bill [Belichick] and Tom [Brady]," Chhadua told Yahoo Sports. “Then this article pops up and belittles our sports teams and fan base. I was irritated at the shots this guy (Boston Globe columnist Dan Shaughnessy) took at the fan base and Atlanta as a whole.”

In response, Chhadua decided to show "America and Dan that Atlanta has a passionate fan base” by halting the sale of Boston Beer Company’s Sam Adams craft brews until after the February 5 Super Bowl. 

A sign posted at Chhadua’s store went viral via Twitter, and Sam Adams responded:

“It's fun and playful and [Boston Beer founder and CEO Jim Koch] seems like a down-to-earth dude, so no harm,” Chhadua told Yahoo, adding that he loved the Twitter response.

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