MonkeyWrench
Well-Known Member
So this question came up in the 3.2% thread and it made me say hmmm;
In these 3.2 states, do they have ABV limits on wine? I've never seen 3.2% wine. Since they require beer above 3.2% to be in a liquor store, does wine have to be as well? No wine in grocery or convenience stores at all?
If they allow wine in grocery/convenience and not beer, do they consider barleywine to be wine, or beer (ya, I know it's just strong beer, but still)? How about mead? How about braggot? Are these in liquor or grocery stores? How do they separate it? If it's grain based, it's beer, anything else is wine? What about wine coolers, Zima (do they still make that?), Mike's Hard, hard apple cider, etc, that don't fit into either category?
Here in WA, distilled products are in the state-run liquor store and everything else is available in grocery/convenience stores (as far as I know, there might be a few exceptions, but I can't think of any). I can't comment on the new 41%ABV beer that recently came out because I don't think we have it here yet, if ever. I also have not seen really high ABV beer either, like DFH 120min IPA at 18%, or Sam Adams Utopias at 27%, but I have had some 11% barleywine from the grocery store. I don't know where, if any, cut off there is for un-distilled products.
If I was in a state that allowed wine, but not "strong" beer in grocery stores, I'd have a real problem with that. Seems like product discrimination. After all, these products are cousins. Both are made by extracting sugars from natural products and then fermenting, bottling, and distributing. I just don't see a difference.
MMMMMMMM!!!! 3.2% barleywine. I can't wait to try that.
In these 3.2 states, do they have ABV limits on wine? I've never seen 3.2% wine. Since they require beer above 3.2% to be in a liquor store, does wine have to be as well? No wine in grocery or convenience stores at all?
If they allow wine in grocery/convenience and not beer, do they consider barleywine to be wine, or beer (ya, I know it's just strong beer, but still)? How about mead? How about braggot? Are these in liquor or grocery stores? How do they separate it? If it's grain based, it's beer, anything else is wine? What about wine coolers, Zima (do they still make that?), Mike's Hard, hard apple cider, etc, that don't fit into either category?
Here in WA, distilled products are in the state-run liquor store and everything else is available in grocery/convenience stores (as far as I know, there might be a few exceptions, but I can't think of any). I can't comment on the new 41%ABV beer that recently came out because I don't think we have it here yet, if ever. I also have not seen really high ABV beer either, like DFH 120min IPA at 18%, or Sam Adams Utopias at 27%, but I have had some 11% barleywine from the grocery store. I don't know where, if any, cut off there is for un-distilled products.
If I was in a state that allowed wine, but not "strong" beer in grocery stores, I'd have a real problem with that. Seems like product discrimination. After all, these products are cousins. Both are made by extracting sugars from natural products and then fermenting, bottling, and distributing. I just don't see a difference.