10 replies to this topic

[BarelyBrews]

I racked my Stout to a keg yesterday and it finished with a 3.1% alcohol, and it reminded me of the 3.2% beer they had in Colorado when i was there in 88.You had to go to the liquor store and buy normal beer there at a premium.Is that still the law there? Just curious of this thanks.

[djinkc]

Kansas still sell 3.2 in grocery stores. I don't remember if CO still does or not. And that's 3.2 % ABW which is closer to 4.0% ABV. Leftover laws from prohibition towards the end. Cullen-Harrison Act.

[chefmiller]

Yes, the law is still that you can only get 3.2 anywhere except liquor stores. They have been trying to get rid of that law for years now, but to no avail. The funny thing is (to me anyway), that the craft brewers are some of the biggest nay-sayers to changing the law. They are trying to claim that if the 7-11 has full strength beer, that they will lose business to the big boys. It seems to me that the people who drink craft beer are going to buy it regardless, and the people who drink swill are going to do the same, and the more places there are selling beer, the more beer will be sold, no matter what type it is.We only recently changed the law so that liquor stores can stay open on Sunday, and most of them are now, but with severely limited hours, which also seems retarded to me.

[Breakpoint]

MN has the same archaic laws - at one time, there was a movement to Wisconsin-ize the MN beer laws. I left a year ago, so I don't know if anything happened.I am appreciative of the wider ability to purchase decent beer at the grocery store here in MI, but it seemed like there was a wider selection of good beers and more beer stores. Of course, I was in Minneapolis there and K-zoo here, so there's a *slight* difference in city size which can account for the variation in availability. I do, though, hear that Larry Bell is a bit of an a**hole with trying to limit beer selection around here.

[DaBearSox]

yep....been out here about 5 years now and only had 3.2 a few times in college cause at that time liquor stores were closed on Sunday....they just were allowed to open on Sunday a few months ago...The weird thing is that I just picked up a 6er of Sam Adams Noble pils at the Target near me...its a super target and sells beer, wine, and alcohol...i dont understand why they can sell full strength at this Target but no other grocery store...

[chefmiller]

yep....been out here about 5 years now and only had 3.2 a few times in college cause at that time liquor stores were closed on Sunday....they just were allowed to open on Sunday a few months ago...The weird thing is that I just picked up a 6er of Sam Adams Noble pils at the Target near me...its a super target and sells beer, wine, and alcohol...i dont understand why they can sell full strength at this Target but no other grocery store...

Is it in a separate room?

[tag]

It is probably a liquor store. Colorado doesn't allow chain liquor stores. So one Safeway grocery store has a liquor store and one Sams' club has a liquor store, etc.I am a little worried that the grocery stores won't have good beer, and the mom and pop liquor stores will go out of business and we'll be up the creek. Anyone have experience in other states like that? I often go right to the brewery now, but might have problems getting out of state beer.

[DaBearSox]

Is it in a separate room?

nope...next to the groceries

[tag]

What? Are worried that independent liquor/beer stores will go away? That will never happen. I've lived in Arizona where you can get liquor at Albertsons and there are still plenty of independent stores.

Excellent. Good to know.

[DaBearSox]

i just found out that when they passed the law there were a few places that were given a pass and were allowed to sell. My Target was one of them.