Alabama raised the maximum amount in beer from 6 percent to 13.9 percent this year; West Virginia from 6 percent to 12 percent.
Last year, Vermont said it was OK for brewers to create beer with 16 percent alcohol content by volume, and Montana raised the max to 14 percent. (The average beer contains 4.65 percent alcohol, an average wine 11.45 percent.)
North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Ohio all passed similar changes to the law from 2002 to 2007. Iowa and Mississippi are eyeing the possibility of joining the pack.
(Don't count on Utah changing its infamous beer-alcohol cap anytime soon, though it did legalize home-brewing this year.)
The downside: People who specialize in substance abuse say states are playing with fire, and that it may cause rises in drunk driving and alcoholism. They say there's no evidence to show that people drink less when their beers have more kick.
The upside: greater flexibility in brewing craft beers, more freedom in the market, and, uh, more alcohol in your beer.
Pretend you're spilling to your bartender: What's your take on the trend?
by Michael Y. Park
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