The night Alabama enjoyed their new beer laws.

[corkybstewart]

I saw Danner Kline on Colbert explaining why he had created Free The Hops in Alabama and immediately became the only member from New Mexico, because my roots were in Bama. FTH fought a very hard and long battle to totally overhaul the existing beer regulations strangling craft beer in Alabama. Beer could not be stronger than 6%, or in containers larger than 16 ozs. Beer could only be brewed in buildings that had been breweries before prohibition. Obviously craft beer was being crippled in Bama, but FTH built a coalition of interest groups that pulled Bama into the modern world of craft beer. The governor signed the legislation on the eve of the 2009 Magic City Beer festival and breweries from across the country were there with the first legal "strong" beer in many decades.
My wife and I were visiting my parents and we left Mobile a couple of days earlier than planned so we could attend. And while all the locals were lined up at tents selling beer like Stone that had been illegal the day before, my wife and I enjoyed the offerings from southern states that had similar restrictions or that brewed beer compliant with those restriction. Sweetwater and Magnolia come to mind.
I'm curious if anyone here was also there?
If you're wondering why I brought this up my 15 year old tshirt is starting to show it's age.

 

[Velnerj]

I refuse to believe 2009 was 15 years ago...

 

[Snuffy]

I saw Danner Kline on Colbert explaining why he had created Free The Hops in Alabama and immediately became the only member from New Mexico, because my roots were in Bama. FTH fought a very hard and long battle to totally overhaul the existing beer regulations strangling craft beer in Alabama. Beer could not be stronger than 6%, or in containers larger than 16 ozs. Beer could only be brewed in buildings that had been breweries before prohibition. Obviously craft beer was being crippled in Bama, but FTH built a coalition of interest groups that pulled Bama into the modern world of craft beer. The governor signed the legislation on the eve of the 2009 Magic City Beer festival and breweries from across the country were there with the first legal "strong" beer in many decades.
My wife and I were visiting my parents and we left Mobile a couple of days earlier than planned so we could attend. And while all the locals were lined up at tents selling beer like Stone that had been illegal the day before, my wife and I enjoyed the offerings from southern states that had similar restrictions or that brewed beer compliant with those restriction. Sweetwater and Magnolia come to mind.
I'm curious if anyone here was also there?
If you're wondering why I brought this up my 15 year old tshirt is starting to show it's age.

That was at Sloss, right? I’ve been to a few of those. Pretty sure I was there. FTH was a big deal then. The Big 3 distributors were initially against it but came around once they realized people would pay double for craft beer.

 

[balrog]

Ah Sweetwater. I always try some when I visit family in Knoxville, right nearby.

 

[betarhoalphadelta]

I wasn't there, but when I moved to GA back in 2005 (left in 2007) they were still under the same 6% ABV restriction. It was essentially a craft beer desert, because why would breweries expand into the state if they couldn't sell even remotely close to their full lineup?

Thankfully I think that was eliminated in July of that year, and over the next two years before I moved away I saw a flourishing of craft beer culture in GA. It wasn't until many years after I moved away that they finally legalized Sunday sales as well.

But I do recall at the time our company had an outside sales rep based in Huntsville that we joined on customer visits a couple of times, and he had a kegerator. He said he would drive over the border into TN to get his kegs.

Not to be political, but any time a blue law goes away, I cheer.

 

[Jmspears]

I wasn’t there but I went to a beer festival in Huntsville back in 2012 or 2013 and the scene seemed to be thriving. I remember the relatively new laws being a big topic of discussion even then.

 

[Snuffy]

I saw Danner Kline on Colbert explaining why he had created Free The Hops in Alabama and immediately became the only member from New Mexico, because my roots were in Bama. FTH fought a very hard and long battle to totally overhaul the existing beer regulations strangling craft beer in Alabama. Beer could not be stronger than 6%, or in containers larger than 16 ozs. Beer could only be brewed in buildings that had been breweries before prohibition. Obviously craft beer was being crippled in Bama, but FTH built a coalition of interest groups that pulled Bama into the modern world of craft beer. The governor signed the legislation on the eve of the 2009 Magic City Beer festival and breweries from across the country were there with the first legal "strong" beer in many decades.
My wife and I were visiting my parents and we left Mobile a couple of days earlier than planned so we could attend. And while all the locals were lined up at tents selling beer like Stone that had been illegal the day before, my wife and I enjoyed the offerings from southern states that had similar restrictions or that brewed beer compliant with those restriction. Sweetwater and Magnolia come to mind.
I'm curious if anyone here was also there?
If you're wondering why I brought this up my 15 year old tshirt is starting to show it's age.

I remember when Atlanta's Hop City opened a branch in Bham complete with a nice homebrew supply section. They got raided by the ABC and all that stuff was confiscated. It was over some technicality and afterward (once they figured out who to pay) it was returned, but the HBS section was never set up again.

 

[Rish]

2009 Magic City Beer festival

I live near BHM but wasn't able to make it to the festival. Really wish I could have. Lots of really good beer being brewed in AL now. Thank you FTH!

Hop City opened a branch in Bham

I try to stop by there anytime I have to go downtown. Friendly, knowledgeable beer folks and a great selection of beers, some hard to impossible to find anywhere else around here.

 

[Snuffy]

I live near BHM but wasn't able to make it to the festival. Really wish I could have. Lots of really good beer being brewed in AL now. Thank you FTH!


I try to stop by there anytime I have to go downtown. Friendly, knowledgeable beer folks and a great selection of beers, some hard to impossible to find anywhere else around here.

Yeah. Hop City is the stuff. I even bought the t-shirt. The Pig down near Mt. Laurel is the next best thing. They have a serious selection. And if Russell is there, get to know him and he will order things for you. Got every distributor on speed-dial.

 

[corkybstewart]

I have a lot of Bham history. My dad went to medical school there, I went to Birmingham Southern for a year(Bham is why moved to New Mexico in 1976). But the vibe of 5 Points was so different in 2009 than in 1976,we were almost tempted into thinking we could enjoy living there.

 

[Snuffy]

I have a lot of Bham history. My dad went to medical school there, I went to Birmingham Southern for a year(Bham is why moved to New Mexico in 1976). But the vibe of 5 Points was so different in 2009 than in 1976,we were almost tempted into thinking we could enjoy living there.

I think the vibe is kind of gone in 5 pts now. Or maybe I just don't get it anymore. Used to be cool in a hippie freak safe haven kinda way. I lived there for a year right after HS. Bham Southern is definitely gone now. They screwed up financially somehow and the state backed out on a big bail-out loan so it's for sale.