Conservative AL w/ GOP Gov. legislates raise of cap on Beer's alcohol content

I know this is no big thing for many of you who live in states that have laws that have moved out of the 50’s and 60’s, but our llimit on alcohol in Beer of 6% has been in place forever.

For a number of years there has been a grass roots movement called “Free the Hops” that has pushed for legislation to remove that cap as it severely limits the selection of beers we have in the state. The movement got a law before the State Congess and it passed after years of lobbying efforts, fundraisers, and community meetings. There was still fear that our conservative governor would veto it. He had done so on a bill allowing Sunday sales of alcohol in one county (based on old church-y laws that have been around forever as well).

The Governor signed it into law today and I am so pleased with the citizenry and the fact that folks were able to get something changed (in a state that is often a decade or more behind on some things) that I could almost cry.

Hey that’s great.

Send someone a virtual beer: http://www.beermonthclub.com/sendavirtualbeer.asp

When the alcohol cap was raised here, it was a damn revelation as far as beer selection goes. I don’t think I’ve had a beer in the last month that I could have legally bought in NC a few years ago.

Like myself!!

The great thing is that our 2nd annual Brewfest, which benefits the organization that got it passed is in 2 weeks. That bitch is going to be rupturing at its seams. Fistfulls of shotglasses of beers will be consumed and toasts will be made and we will all sing songs from Godspell or something.

Yep. I can-not wait for stuff to start, literally, pouring into the state!!

If it’s anything like here, you’ll be able to buy stuff the moment that law goes into effect.

And supposedly, that is immediately. Immediately!!

Fat Tony how long will it take you to flood this town with liquor?

Utahans are just dreaming of this.

Why can’t you just sell beer with more than 6% alcohol and call it liquor? Wasn’t that half of the reason for malt liquor?

Does this mean Tyjenks is going to tell us how much he loves us in a bunch of threads now?

No, I usually just drink twice as much…so its like I am getting 12% beer. I think about all I have done is posted concert updates while drunk.

Congratulations, Alabama! And is that a bottle of Allagash Dubbel I see in the photo? That’s a 7% beer, so maybe it’s already trickling in.

Newspaper said today it may be up to a week. I imagine folks were hesitant to order a bunch of beer when the whole thing could have gone in the crapper with a Veto.

I wonder if 'Bama gets malt liquor now. There’s still a limit on beer sizes – nothing over 17 ounces.

Of course you’ve always been able to buy Everclear.

That’s a bit like saying “you’ve always been able to stab yourself in the eye”

I’m just saying it’s funny you couldn’t buy beer with more than 6% alcohol but you could go next door and buy ~100% alcohol.

Ha ha, you live in backwards-land! We’ve been able to buy beer and wine on Sundays for almost six months here (although if you want spirits, you still gotta wait until Monday).

Yeah, never made sense to me, but many states had/have these old laws on the books. Craziness.

Our Sunday sales ban was a county ordinance – you could always take a 15 minute drive south to the next county if you were desperate for beer, as the rest of Michigan is much saner.

Could be worse, though – the next town over is still dry (er, almost; it was huge local news when they made a controversial vote a couple years ago allowing restaurants to serve alcohol. Thus far, one pizza place has Budweiser on tap, that’s about it).