United Nations of Beer

Beer From Alabama

by Kevin Duquette
(Fort Mitchell, AL. USA)

Beer From Alabama
A rant by Kevin Duquette
Visit the UNOB's Alabama beer guide

There is a good reason why there are not many beer reviews from the great state of Alabama. First off it's insanely hard to open a brew pub in Alabama. I will quote the brew pub law from the state code.

"(1) The brewpub premises must be located in an historic building or site as defined in Section 40-8-1, in a wet county or wet municipality, in which county beer was brewed for public consumption prior to the ratification of the Eighteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution in 1919." §28-4A-3(a-1)

"(3) Beer brewed by the brewpub licensee shall not be possessed, sold or dispensed except on the premises where brewed, and shall not be packaged or contained in other than barrels from which the beer is to be dispensed on the premises for consumption on the premises." §28-4A-3(a-3)

Breweries have a lot of restrictions in the state as well, and yes it is illegal to homebrew in Alabama as well. In fact it is illegal to make anything with alcohol in it at you home.
Last year a grass roots effort (called free the hops) got the 6% ABV law repealed to 13.9%

These are some of the reasons that Alabamians don't rate beer that often. up until last year if you didn't live in a historic brewing county of which I assume there are 3-6 you could only get the giant manufactured beers.

At least now I can buy a 6.4% ABV beer in a store thanks to some beer activists fighting prohibition era laws. Not on Sunday of course and not in the 28+ dry counties.