COLUMBIA, SC - A new law promoted earlier this week by Governor Mark Sanford allows the sampling and purchasing of craft beers at South Carolina microbreweries, The State reports.

South Carolina law already allowed tastings at wineries and liquor distillers, and Sanford saw no reason to exclude breweries.

"Government has a duty to allow businesses as much freedom as possible," Sanford said. "We see no reason why South Carolina breweries shouldn't be allowed to sell the products they make to consumers, and indeed we'd like to see more of this kind of deregulation in the future."

The new law allows sampling and onsite sales only if a customer takes a tour of the brewing facility, and then limits each customer to one case of beer per day. The law also allows specialty beer and wine retail stores to offer up to 24 samplings per quarter.

Brewers said they hope the sampling encourages future purchases while making the state a travel destination for beer connoisseurs. The state has five microbreweries, with several new ones in the planning stages.

The nation's craft brewing business is expanding. As of June 30, there were 520 microbreweries across the U.S., an increase of more than 15 percent from 2009.