4%abv beer is considered mid-strength in the UK. Low alcohol beer is around 3%abv (2.4%abw)
Three Point Two
- Thread starter Gameface
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4%abv beer is considered mid-strength in the UK. Low alcohol beer is around 3%abv (2.4%abw)
And that's just it. I think we have support to make reasonable changes, even among those who do not drink.
I think we (the segment of the population that drinks)need to keep a few things in mind.
First, we're not going to get anywhere if there is the slightest concern that the change will:
-encourage underage drinking
-encourage the over-consumption of alcohol
-increase the rate of DUIs
So just keep that in mind. We should all be proud that Utah has VERY low DUIs, low underage drinking and over-consumption isn't something on public display in most places around the state. We should all strive to keep it that way.
But that leaves a lot of room to make improvements that the alcohol consuming public would appreciate.
The draft abv rules will have no effect on anything. The Zion curtain has no effect on anything (especially since older establishments don't have one anyway). The abv of beer sold in griocery stores and gas stations might, honestly, have some effect, but I believe it will be negligible but may require a compromise that strengthens protections against DUIs.
There is a quiet push to normalize the laws.
That's why you're seeing the catering licenses and resort licenses.
The dumb stuff like distinguishing between where a beer is made, not being able to pour in public (the bartender), can buy shots of tequila, but not a full beer, and even the food requirement are under fire.. but of course it will be a process.
I have been asked to push for some of these things for my new resorts.. some decision makers WANT people to make it an "in their face" issue that they become forced to address vs. them bringing it up... personally. They want their hands forced.
My apologies for my obnoxious use of "them, they're, and they." I'm just not going to say specific names.
The reasons "they" want change isn't simply because they think the laws are dumb or because they personally have a beer interest. It's normally brought up that Utah has an unusual (and at times insurmountable) inability to attract huge conventions/corporate retreats because the perception (reality?) is the lack of night life and the laws are a "drag."
This is obviously a bigger issue in St. George than SLC/PC, but it's a statewide concern.
Anyway, yeah.. I think things will loosen up a bit and become a bit more normal.
That's why you're seeing the catering licenses and resort licenses.
The dumb stuff like distinguishing between where a beer is made, not being able to pour in public (the bartender), can buy shots of tequila, but not a full beer, and even the food requirement are under fire.. but of course it will be a process.
I have been asked to push for some of these things for my new resorts.. some decision makers WANT people to make it an "in their face" issue that they become forced to address vs. them bringing it up... personally. They want their hands forced.
My apologies for my obnoxious use of "them, they're, and they." I'm just not going to say specific names.
The reasons "they" want change isn't simply because they think the laws are dumb or because they personally have a beer interest. It's normally brought up that Utah has an unusual (and at times insurmountable) inability to attract huge conventions/corporate retreats because the perception (reality?) is the lack of night life and the laws are a "drag."
This is obviously a bigger issue in St. George than SLC/PC, but it's a statewide concern.
Anyway, yeah.. I think things will loosen up a bit and become a bit more normal.
Nobody except maybe tourists drinks Fosters in Australia. I'd consider a 3.2% beer a mid strength and a horrible waste of money. Most beer sold here is between 4.5 and 5.5%, unless you're in a stadium and they'll offer a variety of light beers and mid strengths at 9 or ten bucks for 400ml at bars while they sell cans of full strength bourbon and coke or rum and coke next to them at 14 bucks a can. Work that out.
Please keep in mind that when you say 3.2% you are actually talking about a 4%abv beer. 3.2% is in alcohol by weight, which is not typically used in the beer industry, just how the laws were written after the end of prohibition. Since ABW gives a lower number it wasn't as scary for those who wanted to keep prohibition.
That's kind of what I was saying. Although I'd bet Corona is more popular in Mexico than Foster's is in the AU. I just doubt it is far and away the most popular beer in Mexico.
The Zion Curtain will be coming down in Utah. The current bill (which is up to 150 pages 
) seems like it has a good chance of passing. Unfortunately like every liquor law in Utah it is 1 step forward and a couple steps back. By getting the zion curtain dropped we will be upping our liquor markup to 88%, which is outrageous. That vast majority of Utahns want the zion curtain to go away including the majority of LDS people in Utah. It also sounds like the decision makers in Utah (the LDS church leaders) have looked at the bill and will approve it.
I am with GF though. The biggest thing that needs to change is the tap law. I can walk into a bar and have them poor me an 11% beer from a bottle into my glass but it is illegal for them to fill my glass up from a tap with anything over 4%. I can walk into a brewery and buy a cold 6 pack of beer that is 11% but I cant have them fill a growler and cap it off if it is over 4%, even though it is less beer than the 6 pack. It hampers Utah Breweries quite a bit. One good thing is that Utah bars and Breweries are the best at finding loop holes.
Utah also needs to get rid of the rule that the Liquor store cant refrigerate anything. It hurts the quality of liquor that breweries and other liquors have to have their booze sit in a warehouse warm for an extended period of time and then be put on the shelfs warm and then the customer has to refrigerate it to get it back to cold but the product has already been hurt and wont recover. Mountain West Cider gets very grumpy about this fact. They do this so you cant drink the booze right away. But people with real drinking problems or who want to get drunk right away are not buying beer at the liquor store and even if they are they dont care about it being cold. They also need to expand the number of liquor stores or at the very least have bigger parking lots. It is a nightmare to go into many of the stores. If they had more stores, shorter lines, better parking and better hours they would make more money for the state.
) seems like it has a good chance of passing. Unfortunately like every liquor law in Utah it is 1 step forward and a couple steps back. By getting the zion curtain dropped we will be upping our liquor markup to 88%, which is outrageous. That vast majority of Utahns want the zion curtain to go away including the majority of LDS people in Utah. It also sounds like the decision makers in Utah (the LDS church leaders) have looked at the bill and will approve it. I am with GF though. The biggest thing that needs to change is the tap law. I can walk into a bar and have them poor me an 11% beer from a bottle into my glass but it is illegal for them to fill my glass up from a tap with anything over 4%. I can walk into a brewery and buy a cold 6 pack of beer that is 11% but I cant have them fill a growler and cap it off if it is over 4%, even though it is less beer than the 6 pack. It hampers Utah Breweries quite a bit. One good thing is that Utah bars and Breweries are the best at finding loop holes.
Utah also needs to get rid of the rule that the Liquor store cant refrigerate anything. It hurts the quality of liquor that breweries and other liquors have to have their booze sit in a warehouse warm for an extended period of time and then be put on the shelfs warm and then the customer has to refrigerate it to get it back to cold but the product has already been hurt and wont recover. Mountain West Cider gets very grumpy about this fact. They do this so you cant drink the booze right away. But people with real drinking problems or who want to get drunk right away are not buying beer at the liquor store and even if they are they dont care about it being cold. They also need to expand the number of liquor stores or at the very least have bigger parking lots. It is a nightmare to go into many of the stores. If they had more stores, shorter lines, better parking and better hours they would make more money for the state.
I would guess plenty of people there drink it but it is probably way more popular with tourists/vacationers than people who live there. Victoria, Dos Equis and Negra Modela are probably more popular. Although the people I know who live there drink a lot of local stuff only known in their region, oh and lots of Mezcal.
I've spent a ton of time in Mexico and would say 90% of what is drank by Mexicans is Tecate.
lauriandres
Well-Known Member
Krušovice Dark,one of my favourites:
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/1489/10302/
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/1489/10302/
I've had that stuff, its awful, ****ing terrible actually. I drank Crystal while in Cuba (i think its Mexican?) it was a bloody good drop.
I forgot about that one, which is odd because I drink a lot of those. I love the Tecate Diablo.
Ya it's pretty good
we've drank/drunk our share as well..
♪alt13
Well-Known Member
Drinkered
So, a lot has happened.
No movement on the 4%abv limit for draft beer.
No movement on dropping the 4%abv limit on beer sold in grocery stores and gas stations.
But hey, we got a 0.05%BAC limit coming and we're turning the Zion Curtain into a moat.
I just want to reiterate the biggest point of this thread and something I think we should all keep in mind when discussing alcohol content in mixed company:
Most beer available commercially is within 1% of our current limit. This is not a huge earth-shattering change. This will almost go unnoticed. We're all grown ups and we can handle the difference between in-state 4%abv Bud Light vs out-of-state 4.2% Bud Light.
No movement on the 4%abv limit for draft beer.
No movement on dropping the 4%abv limit on beer sold in grocery stores and gas stations.
But hey, we got a 0.05%BAC limit coming and we're turning the Zion Curtain into a moat.
I just want to reiterate the biggest point of this thread and something I think we should all keep in mind when discussing alcohol content in mixed company:
Most beer available commercially is within 1% of our current limit. This is not a huge earth-shattering change. This will almost go unnoticed. We're all grown ups and we can handle the difference between in-state 4%abv Bud Light vs out-of-state 4.2% Bud Light.
I honestly wouldn't consider opening a brewpub in Utah with the 4%abv restriction in place.
It's funny, too, because I brew English beer styles most and those are traditionally* around 2.5%abv-5.5%abv, so only a few out of the bunch would even be above 4%abv. But I'm sort of a purist in things I'm passionate about and I wouldn't put my name on a beer that should be 4.3% because that's the best version of that beer if I had to modify it to be 4%abv to satisfy a stupid law.
If I did open a brewpub it would have a wide selection of "real beer" served according to CAMRA standards. This necessitates serving it on draft.
https://www.camra.org.uk/en_US/about-real-ale
*Actually, the strength of beer in the UK has varied considerably over the last several hundred years. Taxes have shaped what we now consider traditional English beer as much as any other factor. Besides taxes, WWI and WWII are the biggest factors in what British beer is today. Specifically, the strength of beer went down once after the start of WWI and then went down again after the start of WWII and never really came back up again.
It's funny, too, because I brew English beer styles most and those are traditionally* around 2.5%abv-5.5%abv, so only a few out of the bunch would even be above 4%abv. But I'm sort of a purist in things I'm passionate about and I wouldn't put my name on a beer that should be 4.3% because that's the best version of that beer if I had to modify it to be 4%abv to satisfy a stupid law.
If I did open a brewpub it would have a wide selection of "real beer" served according to CAMRA standards. This necessitates serving it on draft.
https://www.camra.org.uk/en_US/about-real-ale
*Actually, the strength of beer in the UK has varied considerably over the last several hundred years. Taxes have shaped what we now consider traditional English beer as much as any other factor. Besides taxes, WWI and WWII are the biggest factors in what British beer is today. Specifically, the strength of beer went down once after the start of WWI and then went down again after the start of WWII and never really came back up again.
