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Jay R. Brooks on Beer

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Alabama Passes Homebrew Legislation

May 8, 2013 By Jay Brooks

alabama
This is great news, Alabama may soon become the last state to legalize homebrewing since Prohibition, thanks in large part to the grassroots efforts of Right to Brew. According to the American Homebrewers Association:

The Alabama legislature has passed a bill that, once signed by Governor Robert J. Bentley, will effectively legalize homebrewing throughout the state. Alabama will be the last state in the nation to legalize homebrewing.

“Homebrewing has been an integral part of the history of America, so it’s thrilling to know that soon all 50 states will support this growing hobby and long-standing tradition,” said Gary Glass, director, American Homebrewers Association. “We appreciate the backing of all of the homebrewers, the dedicated grassroots efforts of Right to Brew and the legislators who have worked so diligently to make homebrewing a reality in Alabama. We are especially grateful to Representative Mac McCutcheon who introduced this bill and has fought long and hard for its passage, along with Senator Bill Holtzclaw.”

Alabama is the last state holding out against legalizing homebrewing. In March 2013, Mississippi became the 49th state to pass homebrew legislation. The AHA has been working with Right to Brew for five years in order to get the Alabama bill passed.

Homebrewing became federally legal in 1979, though the 21st Amendment predominantly leaves regulation of alcohol to the states. Therefore, even though homebrewing is federally legal, it is up to individual states to legalize homebrewing in state codes. Once the Alabama bill is signed by Gov. Bentley, it will be the first time since pre-Prohibition days that homebrewers in all the states can legally brew at home.

The next step is for the Alabama governor to sign the bill into law. If you’re in Alabama, please urge the governer to do so. You can find out how to help at the Craft Beer website.

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Filed Under: Beers, News, Politics & Law, Related Pleasures Tagged With: Alabama, Homebrewing, Law

Alabama Beer

December 14, 2011 By Jay Brooks

alabama
Today in 1819, Alabama became the 22nd state.

Alabama
State_Alabama

Alabama Breweries

  • Avondale Brewing
  • Back Forty Beer Co.
  • Chattahoochee Brewing
  • Crazy Dane Brewing
  • Blue Pants Brewery
  • Emerald Coast Beer Company
  • Folklore Brewing and Meadery
  • Good People Brewing
  • Old Black Bear Brewing
  • Olde Auburn Ale House
  • Southern Farmhouse Ales
  • Straight to Ale
  • Yellowhammer Brewery

Alabama Brewery Guides

  • Beer Advocate
  • Beer Me
  • Rate Beer

Guild: Alabama Brewers Guild

State Agency: Alabama Alcoholic Beverage Control Board

maps-al

  • Capital: Montgomery
  • Largest Cities: Birmingham, Montgomery, Mobile, Huntsville, Tuscaloosa
  • Population: 4,447,100; 23rd
  • Area: 52,423 sq.mi., 30th
  • Nickname: Yellowhammer State
  • Statehood: 22nd, December 14, 1819

m-alabama

  • Alcohol Legalized: March 22, 1937
  • Number of Breweries: 6
  • Rank: 43rd
  • Beer Production: 3,459,772
  • Production Rank: 23rd
  • Beer Per Capita: 23 Gallons

alabama

Package Mix:

  • Bottles: 35.2%
  • Cans: 61.61%
  • Kegs: 3.6%

Beer Taxes:

  • Per Gallon: $1.05
  • Per Case: $2.37
  • Tax Per Barrel (24/12 Case): $32.65
  • Draught Tax Per Barrel (in Kegs): $32.65

Economic Impact (2010):

  • From Brewing: $4,057,400
  • Direct Impact: $685,281,037
  • Supplier Impact: $239,545,560
  • Induced Economic Impact: $417,394,346
  • Total Impact: $1,342,220,943

Legal Restrictions:

  • Control State: No
  • Sale Hours: No later than 2 a.m. on Sundays in some counties.
  • Grocery Store Sales: Yes
  • Notes: 13.9% ABV cap on beer

    Beer containers may not exceed 16 ounces (0.47 l)

    ABV > 14.9% wine sold in state stores

    Alcohol may be served 24 hours unless restricted by local ordinances. Twenty-six of Alabama’s 67 counties do not allow the sale of alcohol. However, possession and consumption remains legal within those twenty-six counties. Cities with populations greater than 1000 within dry counties can “go wet” if passed by 50% of voters.

alabama-map

Data complied, in part, from the Beer Institute’s Brewer’s Almanac 2010, Beer Serves America, the Brewers Association, Wikipedia and my World Factbook. If you see I’m missing a brewery link, please be so kind as to drop me a note or simply comment on this post. Thanks.

For the remaining states, see Brewing Links: United States.

Filed Under: Beers, Breweries Tagged With: Alabama

Boycott Under Way On Beer Stocked By Alabama A-B Distributors

April 25, 2011 By Jay Brooks

alabama
Free the Hops, the organization in Alabama that successfully won the fight over hard opposition to allow beer over 6% abv in the state, is calling for a boycott of both Anheuser-Busch products along with those beers distributed by A-B Houses in Alabama. The boycott is a result of A-B distributor lobbyists “blocking the Legislature’s passing [of] the Brewery Modernization Act,” which Free the Hops helped pass “in the Alabama Senate earlier this month.” The Birmingham News has a full account of the story in an article entitled Free the Hops calls for boycott of beers stocked by Anheuser-Busch distributors in Alabama. Free the Hops also has a boycott statement on their website along with a list of the distributors involved. Essentially the law would simply allow brewpubs to no longer be subject to antiquated laws, such as having to be located in “a historic building” or be located in “a county that had a brewery prior to 1918.” Ridiculous stuff. It would be hard to argue that the law as it stands makes any sense or is a fair under any definition. But apparently the A-B beer distributors in Alabama see it as competition that cannot be allowed, despite the fact that in most of the other 49 states, brewpubs and beer distributors happily co-exist with one another.

I was originally in favor of the boycott, as it seems like there isn’t much choice insofar as what the Bud houses are doing. But as several people have pointed out, it will also harm a great number of craft brewery’s business in the state as well. Free the Hops obviously recognizes that fact and their concern is buying craft beer from one of the A-B distributors is still “channeling profits to wholesalers.” So in a way, it’s a bit like chemotherapy. Honestly, I’m conflicted. As Lew Bryson said in an exchange we had on Facebook. “This is odd territory for most beer drinkers: asking them to boycott a DISTRIBUTOR rather than a brand is confusing enough, but asking them to boycott craft beers to help craft beer…? Not going to work. If I were in Alabama, I would directly encourage people not to support a boycott of any craft brands for this reason. This is not the way to do it.” So I think we all agree that boycotting the ABI products is the way to go, but as for the craft brands … that seems like a much trickier, thornier issue. I can see both sides of the argument, and am left unsatisfied by either one. In the end, I think it’s going to be up to everyone’s individual conscience on what to boycott.

Filed Under: Beers, Breweries, Editorial, Events, News, Politics & Law Tagged With: Alabama, Anheuser-Busch, Beer Distributors, Law

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