6 replies to this topic

[cbbrown40]

So my wife bought a Bottle of Boones Farm Watermelon Malt Beverage. So I ask is this a True Beer or a true wine or what is it legally classified as? Thoughts anyone or anyone know the history behind this?

[stellarbrew]

I don't know specifically about that beverage, but usually a "malt beverage" is classified as a beer. For example, Mike's Hard Lemonade is officially classified as beer around these parts. I think some of those sweetened wine-cooler type beverages, like Smirnoff Ice add spirits, and aren't considered beer, but rather pre-mixed spirits.

[ncbeerbrewer]

Here is a what wikipedia says about malt beverage. I think paragraph two says a lot and seems to fit even though I have never tried this beverage before too. I vote beer or malternative. Malt beverage is an American term for both alcoholic and non-alcoholic fermented beverages, in which the primary ingredient is barley, which has been allowed to sprout ("malt") slightly before it is processed. By far, the most predominant malt beverage is beer, of which there are two main styles: ale and lager. A non-alcoholic beverage brewed in this fashion is technically identical to "non-alcoholic beer." Such a beverage may be prepared by either removing alcohol from the finished product or by using a slightly altered brewing process which yields very little alcohol (technically less than 0.5% by weight).The term "malt beverage" is often used by trade associations of groups of beer wholesalers (e.g. Tennessee Malt Beverage Association) to avoid any negative connotations associated with beer. Additionally, the term is applied to many other flavored beverages prepared from malted grains to which natural or artificial flavors have been added to make them taste similar to wines, fruits, colas, ciders, or other beverages. This subcategory has been called "malternative," as in Smirnoff Ice (US & French version), or "maltini," as in 3SUM, which also has energy components like caffeine. Marketing of such products in the United States has increased rapidly in recent years.In most jurisdictions, these products are regulated in a way identical to beer, which allows a retailer with a beer license to sell a seemingly wider product line. This also generally avoids the steeper taxes and stricter regulations associated with distilled spirits.

[Lagerdemain]

No doubt this is a product that, like Zima, is membrane-filtered such that all traces of its malt origin are eliminated and all that remains is the alcohol. Then they add whatever flavor extracts they need to produce whatever flavor they're trying to achieve. That way they can avoid all of the taxes that accompany distilled spirits.

[Sidney Porter]

The malt based wine coolers were popular in the early 90's. This is when a lot of states were changing the dringing age from 19 to 21. But if you were 19 (but not 21) before the law changed you were grandfathered but often lkimited to beer / malt based beverages. At the same time regular wine coolers were also popular, but these malt based were specifically targeted toward the college age specifically the 19-20. They were cheap and often came in large packaging Sun country came in 2l bottles, white mountain (or something like that) came in either 32 or 40 oz bottles.Products like Smirnoff Ice I beleive are malt based and do not contain any vodka, this allwos it to be sold in normal grocery stores rather than liquor stores, they are also usually taxed lwer that spirits (state laws vary). But most consumers don't realize this so they are thinking that are getting sometype of mixed drink.

[japh]

No doubt this is a product that, like Zima, is membrane-filtered such that all traces of its malt origin are eliminated and all that remains is the alcohol. Then they add whatever flavor extracts they need to produce whatever flavor they're trying to achieve. That way they can avoid all of the taxes that accompany distilled spirits.

Plus they can sell their product in stores in states like Oregon that would otherwise require them to sell only through state liquor stores.

[MyaCullen]

Plus they can sell their product in stores in states like Oregon that would otherwise require them to sell only through state liquor stores.

In Washington and some other states it is a taxation issue as well, Malt beverages are taxed as beer.Wine based carbaonated beverages are taxed like Champagne which is a higher taxe.