Should Ohio Increase The Limits On Alcohol In Its Beer?
Ohio Needs Stronger Beer!
State Rep. Dan Ramos, D-Lorain, will re-introduce a proposal this year to increase the legal limit on the amount of alcohol allowed in beer sold in Ohio. Once the bill is submitted and approved it will receive a dedicated House Bill Number. This can take 1-3 months.
Right now, the limit is 12 percent alcohol by volume. Ramos’ proposal would boost that to 21 percent. The proposal has been previously introduced in the state legislature before but failed to gain approval. Ohio craft beer drinkers have long complained that they can’t buy such high-alcohol specialty brews. For Ohio growing brewing industry, they are creatively barred from introducing beers that would be allowed in neighboring states.
Both the “Beer Blog“(our source for beer news) and Topher Michael of Columbus have launched an online petition drive on Change.org to do away with the restrictive cap. As of Tuesday, there were 936 signatures. As quoted in the linked Beer Blog posting, “The [limit] doesn’t make sense anymore,” said Jeremy Rupp, a supporter, craft beer drinker and Pettisville resident. He has started a blog to update people about the state process. To read the blog, click here. Rupp said when he talks with people outside the state, he hears about unusual beers that can’t be sold here. He cited as an example Founders Bolt Cutter, a 15 percent barleywine made in neighboring Michigan. “They get nationally recognized for these beers they releasing,” he said. Meanwhile, Ohio breweries are missing out “because Ohio has some stupid cap.”
Stay tuned to Charles Rowland’s Ohio DUI/OVI Blog for details and updates as they become available.
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