Free the Hops

Alabama is one of only four states in the country that limits alcohol by volume (ABV) for beer to only 6%, and the only state that limits beer containers to a size of no more than 1 pint (16 American ounces).

So begins the front page of the Free The Hops website, a grass-roots organization of “Alabamians For Specialty Beer”.

In spite of the 21st Amendment, the Temperance movement is still alive in this country, and Alabama has some of the strictest anti-alcohol regulations around. The website also points out:

• Barleywine, dubbels, and trippels are not available because of the alcohol limit. So too are any “Imperial” styles.
• Some brewers make few to none of their beers available in 16 oz. or less containers. Most of Rogue‘s beers are in 22 ounce bottles, while a good number of imports only offer theirs in 500ml or 750ml bottles.
• “Of the Top 100 beers at BeerAdvocate.com, 98 aren’t found anywhere in [Alabama].”

Such efforts can succeed. Alcohol limits in other states have recently been increased due to efforts such as this.

(via: Mississippi Brew Blog)