Sam Adams Illegal brew

[madscientist451]

Since Citizens can't control themselves, states have established "liquor control boards"
that theoretically keep everything under control.
So liquor control laws/bureaucrats in 15 states have decided that drinking Sam Adams Utopia (28% ABV) is a no-no. Note that its OK in those states to drink shots of Vodka, Rum, Tequila, Whiskey, Gin and every other distilled beverage that is made.
https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/sam...st-and-is-illegal-in-15-states-202117412.html

At $210 bottle, I wont be trying any Utopia, but someday I might try to brew something with similar alcohol strength.
Anyone ever try to hit ABV in the high 20's in a homebrew?

 

[Qhrumphf]

ABV caps aren't anything new. I'd wager most or all are prohibition-era holdouts or religiously based. Hell didn't that Utah brewery (Epic I think) at one point in time send most of their beers out of state since they couldn't legally sell them in-state?

15% is the highest ABV beer I've done personally. I've gone higher with wine/mead/the like (there I think 18% has been the highest).

What makes Utopias unique is that for how strong it is, it's not "eised". Which would make it illegal nationally (they would be federally prohibited from making it). Don't know of anything else that's that strong (though I've had a few in the *low* 20% range) that isn't freeze concentrated.

 

[betarhoalphadelta]

Yeah, this is nothing new. Back when I first moved to Georgia in 2005, they were just in the process of "popping the cap", i.e. allowing beer >6% ABV. They also had restrictions on package size, so anything over 16 oz I believe was verboten. So all those 750mL bottles of specialty beer were not sold in Georgia. Hence Georgia had a VERY poor craft beer market, which immediately boomed as soon as they removed those prohibitions.

These are mostly "blue law" era restrictions. The moralists worry that when you think "beer" you think low alcohol, so you might start swigging bottles of barrel-aged imperial stout or Utopias and not realize that it's not Miller Lite. And then you might engage in even more immoral acts!!!

It's a clickbait headline of "OMG this beer is illegal in 15 states! Click to find out why!", but fundamentally it's a pretty boring old restriction that just hasn't had enough political power to overturn.

 

[bob1852]

ABV caps aren't anything new.

Yeah, this is nothing new.

And, Utopias isn't anything new.

Can't for the life of me figure out why this is suddenly a "story".

Did Sam Adams increase distribution of it recently or something?

 

[Qhrumphf]

And, Utopias isn't anything new.

Can't for the life of me figure out why this is suddenly a "story".

Did Sam Adams increase distribution of it recently or something?

I don't recall it being 28% in the past either (though I admittedly haven't paid attention). Perhaps this version is a little stronger and pushed it over the line in another couple states?

Or, just, you know, clickbait.

 

[Lefou]

Where I live the local shops wouldn't be able to get Utopias even if I asked for it. That stuff would literally pickle me as even one Mad Elf or strong tripel would be my limit. Hell, a six of Victory's Golden Monkey lasted me almost a year and I still have a stash of last year's Mad Elf!
Most often the local shops here do business with distributors who deal in volume. One of the stores I like was selling a year-round German import, Paulaner Marzen, and marketing it as an Oktoberfest seasonal in cases. It's a 5.8% beer and barely moves but is one of my favorite commercials. Besides, YayHoo News is geared for a certain readership demographic and doesn't even hit my news radar, so there's that, too.