3 ms·

From a linked article: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2014/03/28/the-wonkblog-guide-to-efficient-drinking/ http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/

by mjb 12y ago

From a linked article: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2014/03/28/the-wonkblog-guide-to-efficient-drinking/ http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2014/03/28/t... > After Prohibition, beer makers were actually forbidden from putting alcohol content information on their labels. They finally sued for the right to do so in 1987. That's amazing. I come from a country where content labeling is mandatory. When I'm in the US I tend to prefer beer that is labelled for its content (or styles I know are closer to 5% than 9%), because I like to know how much I'm drinking. It seems strange to me that the conclusion about labeling is "people will use labels to buy more alcohol for the same money" and not "people will use labels to help them make responsible decisions".

ZanyProgrammer 12y ago
I agree, its hard to find decent non cheap beer (PBR, Coors, Bud, etc) that has lower alcohol content, it seems. Even on the West Coast, where we have tons of microbrews available in seemingly every store.
- buckbova 12y ago
  Try the Stone Go To IPA. It has all the flavor of an IPA at 4.5% alcohol. Good drink on a hot day. http://www.stonebrewing.com/gotoipa/ http://www.stonebrewing.com/gotoipa/
- seany 12y ago
  They're around. http://www.ratebeer.com/beerstyles/session-ipa/121/ http://www.ratebeer.com/beerstyles/session-ipa/121/ I can't comment on how they taste though, my style preferences tend to keep me in the 8-12% range for beer.
- alxndr 12y ago
  As the other two comments have pointed out, craft brewers are starting to make "session" brews that are lower alcohol in general, including "session IPAs" which are hoppier than normal low-alcohol beers but are still closer to 5% than 9%.
bmm6o 12y ago
Well, it's obviously path-dependent. The US has fairly strict labeling laws now, but you can probably imagine the arguments for not allowing alcohol content to be advertized could be part of a compromise when you're emerging from a period of prohibition. I vaguely recall the debate at the time that the law was changed, and it was accompanied by the expected amount of hand-wringing.

by mjb 12y ago

ZanyProgrammer 12y ago

I agree, its hard to find decent non cheap beer (PBR, Coors, Bud, etc) that has lower alcohol content, it seems. Even on the West Coast, where we have tons of microbrews available in seemingly every store.

buckbova 12y ago
Try the Stone Go To IPA. It has all the flavor of an IPA at 4.5% alcohol. Good drink on a hot day. http://www.stonebrewing.com/gotoipa/ http://www.stonebrewing.com/gotoipa/
seany 12y ago
They're around. http://www.ratebeer.com/beerstyles/session-ipa/121/ http://www.ratebeer.com/beerstyles/session-ipa/121/ I can't comment on how they taste though, my style preferences tend to keep me in the 8-12% range for beer.
alxndr 12y ago
As the other two comments have pointed out, craft brewers are starting to make "session" brews that are lower alcohol in general, including "session IPAs" which are hoppier than normal low-alcohol beers but are still closer to 5% than 9%.

bmm6o 12y ago

Well, it's obviously path-dependent. The US has fairly strict labeling laws now, but you can probably imagine the arguments for not allowing alcohol content to be advertized could be part of a compromise when you're emerging from a period of prohibition. I vaguely recall the debate at the time that the law was changed, and it was accompanied by the expected amount of hand-wringing.