3.2% in Colorado?

Just moved to Colorado. Might as well be Utah. They say that you can only buy 3.2 beer in the grocery stores here. So I see all the big brands in full strength and lite (GHTs included)...

For a minute, I think that it was all a conspiracy and that all the major brands are 3.2 beers. Bud, Miller and Coors light taste watered down enough. You can drink 12 of them and sill pee straight! They could be...? Right?

Then I go on realbeer.com and check out the percentages and I was surprised to see Budwiser at 5%. What gives? Do the major breweries really brew special batches with lower alcohol content for Utah and Colorado grocery stores? Or, am I confused about Colorado's laws? When I buy cheap beer at the liquor store, am I buying 3.2?

I love how people make fun of utah like its the only state with tough alcohol laws.

That just seems wierd with all the small/mid size brewery's in CO. Don't know the answer though other than yep, BMC's make 3.2 for these states. But, since you're here, I assume you brew?

Yah, I moved to Oklamhoma after going to school in Indiana. I was drinking Buds at home wondering if I was turning into an alky. Drink a 12r w/o issue. I used to go out on Mondays after work and put down 2-3 large mugs at a place called Garfield's then come home feeling like a lightweight.

I mentioned this to somebody at work and I was told about the 3.2 at grocery store and like 4.8 at the bar. I though OK that explains it to me.

I though it was really stupid. Let people drink low ABV at home but let them drive home with higher ABV from the bar or resturant.

It would be so easy to get a DUI this way. Its really a$$backwards.

desertBrew said:

That just seems wierd with all the small/mid size brewery's in CO. Don't know the answer though other than yep, BMC's make 3.2 for these states. But, since you're here, I assume you brew?

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I brew. Saves the day sometimes. X-mas was on a Saturday followed by a Sunday. Liquor stores were closed for two WEEKEND--HOLIDAY days! Luckily, I had a stash of some home brews hidden in the closet.

Yea man, i live in washington state and our beer sux here. My pops is from South Dakota, where you can get some "high-point" beer as they call it. Its impressive. You think you only drink a 6-pack but its all of a half case washington beer. Odd thing is, its the same beer, bud light, coors light, all those are just pumped full of booze compared to wash, ore, idaho. no clue about the brewery thing, but im sure it is since they are high alk content. We just have more micro brewerys than you can shake a stick at around here so i enjoy their beer. Soon to enjoy my own.

I couldn't believe it when I heard it, but it seems this is the case:

Today the term "near beer" has been revived by some people to refer to modern versions of non-alcoholic beer. The term is also sometimes used derisively to refer to beer deliberately brewed with lower alcohol content. For example, in some jurisdictions (Minnesota, Colorado and Utah, for example), beer sold in some establishments (such as supermarket chains and convenience stores) must be less than 3.2% ABW (4% ABV). This style of reduced alcohol beer is also referred to as 3.2 beer (Minnesota has a full-service alcohol license, permitting sales of beers up to the normal alcohol level, but 3.2 licenses are easier to obtain).

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Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Near_beer

Back in the day we had 3.2 nightclubs that you had to be eighteen to enter. Lots of them had drink and drown nights. I can tell you that it is very possible to get s*** faced if you drink enough 3.2 beer. What a god awful hang over though.

Then there was the Bare and Boogie 3.2 strip club...

Yea man, i live in washington state and our beer sux here. My pops is from South Dakota, where you can get some "high-point" beer as they call it. Its impressive. You think you only drink a 6-pack but its all of a half case washington beer. Odd thing is, its the same beer, bud light, coors light, all those are just pumped full of booze compared to wash, ore, idaho. no clue about the brewery thing, but im sure it is since they are high alk content. We just have more micro brewerys than you can shake a stick at around here so i enjoy their beer. Soon to enjoy my own.

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You folks east of the mountains need to catch up. Since the big beer law passed in Washington State two years ago, we can buy any beer in the supermarket 7 days a week. The local grocery store sells DogfishHead Worldwide Stout and a ton of Belgians that the alcohol levels are pushing 10% and beyond. There are no longer limits on the alcohol content on beer able to be sold in this state.

Schlenkerla said:

Yah, I moved to Oklamhoma after going to school in Indiana. I was drinking Buds at home wondering if I was turning into an alky. Drink a 12r w/o issue. I used to go out on Mondays after work and put down 2-3 large mugs at a place called Garfield's then come home feeling like a lightweight.

I mentioned this to somebody at work and I was told about the 3.2 at grocery store and like 4.8 at the bar. I though OK that explains it to me.

I though it was really stupid. Let people drink low ABV at home but let them drive home with higher ABV from the bar or resturant.

It would be so easy to get a DUI this way. Its really a$$backwards.

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Yep, still is. However there is that is supposedly circulating a petition to get a bill on the ballot that let's you sell wine or strong beer at grocery stores. They're not doing a very good job, though. I've been trying to track them down for several months, but can't.

I guess you have to go back to weed for the "Rocky Mountain High"...

bummerkit said:

I love how people make fun of utah like its the only state with tough alcohol laws.

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I lived in Prozac, Utah (Happy Valley) for 5 years. I had to go to the State Liquor store to buy "Real" beer which is sold by the bottle at about $2 a bottle. BOHICA! I home brewed out of necessity and principal. It's still illegal in Utah to brew your own. As soon as you pitch the yeast, you've committed a Class B misdemeanor.

Pennsylvania has wacked beer laws too. You have to go to a special store to buy beer and you have to buy it by the case. I guess this cuts down on excessive drinking. :cross:

I went to see my BIL back in the mid 80's in Hamden Conn. On that Friday of my arrival he was in a hurry to buy me beer before the close of the business day. I thought he said you can't buy beer from the packy, as they call them, until Monday. Closed all weekend. The only place to buy beer was from the bar and No walk-outs allowed. Just back alley deals...

I thought this was really weird. Didn't know if it was just a county thing. Hamden's also a college town. I believe Yale is there. Go figure???

I've actually never had a problem here in Colorado. The liquor stores are all open 6 days a week (Closed Sundays). I have 4 liquor stores within 5 miles of the house with good selections. If I didn't think far enough ahead to get my beer before Sunday then it is my bad. I don't buy 3.2 beers from the supermarket because they don't sell any good beer.

Schlenkerla said:

I thought this was really weird. Didn't know if it was just a county thing. Hamden's also a college town. I believe Yale is there. Go figure???

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Yale's in New Haven... (I guess you didn't graduate, huh?)

No I didn't go to Yale. I went Purdue for engineering!!! Come to think of it, it could have been New Haven. Sister lived in both places....

They don't brew special 3.2% beer for 3.2 states. They litterally water it down to 3.2%. I read about the process in The Classic Beer Series on Stouts. They talked about how Guinness does it. They brew the beer like normal. Then the beer they are shipping to communities that have 3.2% statues, they add sterilized water to it to bring the ABV down.

Its the most depressing thing I've ever read about beer.

RichBrewer said:

I've actually never had a problem here in Colorado. The liquor stores are all open 6 days a week (Closed Sundays). I have 4 liquor stores within 5 miles of the house with good selections. If I didn't think far enough ahead to get my beer before Sunday then it is my bad. I don't buy 3.2 beers from the supermarket because they don't sell any good beer.

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x2, it really isn't that hard...the selection at the Supermarkets stinks anyway...I am used to liquor stores being closed on sunday, they are closed in NY and MA too...both places I have lived besides CO.

In my old local pub back in Scotland we used to laugh at Americans coming in, drinking several pints of Bud and then falling over as it was 5.2%, not 3.2% like they were used to.

Also used to laugh at English people to as they thought that the pub would close at 11pm so by then they were well pished and ordered their last drink. When the bell did not go we told them they still had another 2-3 hours to go. They never lasted! At least they drank good beers though.

Brewtopia said:

You folks east of the mountains need to catch up. Since the big beer law passed in Washington State two years ago, we can buy any beer in the supermarket 7 days a week. The local grocery store sells DogfishHead Worldwide Stout and a ton of Belgians that the alcohol levels are pushing 10% and beyond. There are no longer limits on the alcohol content on beer able to be sold in this state.

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Please excuse my fellow eastern washingtonian. The beer drinkers a couple hours south of him are *well* aware of the plethora of beer available to us around here. Of course, I just happen to be of the opinion that the best beer isn't at the grocery store...

I haven't brewed a homebrew yet that was under 6% ABV and most have been around 8% but it isn't on purpose. Homebrew ROCKS!

You still can't buy beer after 8pm in CT.

shbrewer said:

You still can't buy beer after 8pm in CT.

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They switched it to 9pm a few years ago. Still nuthin on sundays though....

dang and i thought michigan was bad 7am-2 am mon-sat, noon -midnight on sun
liquor must be bought at a store w/ a package license (not that hard to find)

I remember when I moved from Miami to New London, CT and I purchased beer ath the grocery stor. It was my first night in CT and I was waiting at the check out for about 5 minutes. When it was my turn the register person said you can't buy that. I knew I was old enough (25). She said that you can't buy after 8pm. I showed her my FL drivers permit and said that I have been waiting in line for the last 5 minutes or so. We had a back on forth, me getting more and more pi*&ed off. Finally the person behind me called for the manager. He told him what was going on and he let me purchase. I could not believe that they were so strict. It was the first time in my drinking life that I had to actually look at my watch or check what day of the week it was in order to purchase beer.

Most of these laws date back to the end of prohibition and the Gov protecting us.
There are still people out there who think you shouldn't drink beer at all ( misguided souls to be sure)

As stated earlier in Colorado you can only buy beer on Sun at the Grocery store and that is why they only sell 3.2.
The other 6 days aweek you don't buy beer at the grocery store and you get good beer.

I was really appalled to find out I couldn't buy NON ALCOHOL Beer on Sun before 12 noon.
yes I did drink that stuff for awhile ( health reasons, I have since changed my health program.)
I Live in Michigan

Typically, I buy enough beer early on in the week to get me clear through Sunday. Something happens to it on Saturday, though...I think I have elves, or dwarfs, or gnomes stealing it from my fridge and hiding it in the crawl space under my house, or something...I don't know...No matter how much I prepare, a lot of beer disapears on Saturday. Wierd.

Same system here in MN. 3.2 at gas stations and grocery stores. And liquor stores closed on sundays. But I live 10 min from Wisconsin, so we just drive over there and buy beer on Sunday. Then if it is too late for their liquor stores you just go to an off sale bar.

I was in Madison and they wouldn't sell it after 9pm. And nothing on Sundays. That pissed us off royally because we got into town at like 10.
Here, everything is open till 2am, everything is full strength and you can buy what ever the hell you please, afaik. The bars here even let anyone drink if they get in the door (19 to get in), they just can't order anything.
I guess I'm lucky to live where I do.