Crafting beverages in Alabama
In May of 2009, Alabama lawmakers enacted the ‘Free the Hops’ legislation, raising the allowed alcohol by volume (ABV) of beer to 13.9 percent. Laws enacted over the next six years or so have led us to where we are today. Craft beer brewers were quick to avail themselves of the easing of these restrictions and now bring us a spectacular variety of fermented beverages.
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`QmuC@> pG@?52=6 qC6H:?8 r@>A2?J[ =@42E65 :? q:C>:?892>[ E@ *6==@H92>>6C qC6H:?8 :? wF?EDG:==6 2?5 b_ >@C6 3C6H6C:6D 24C@DD E96 DE2E6[ p=232>:2?D 2?5 G:D:E@CD E@ @FC 8C62E DE2E6 92G6 >@C6 4C27E 366C @AE:@?D E92? 6G6C :>28:?65]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`QmrC27E 366C :D =@@D6=J 567:?65 2D 366C AC@5F465 :? =@ED @7 76H6C E92? e >:==:@? 32CC6=D A6C J62C 3J :?56A6?56?E=J @H?65 3C6H6C:6D] |@DE 6G6CJ@?6 :D 2H2C6 @7 $2> p52>D] xE H@F=5 46CE2:?=J 36 2E E96 9:896C 6?5 @7 E96 AC@5F4E:@?] |2?J 92G6 ?@E 962C5 @7 #65 r=2J qC6H:?8 :? ~A6=:<2[ 3FE 5@ ?@E =6E AC@5F4E:@? D:K6 7@@= J@F] #65 r=2J @776CD D@>6 H@?56C7F= 366C E92E :D D64@?5 E@ ?@?6] v@2E xD=2?5 :? rF==>2? >:89E 36 4@?D:56C65 D>2== :? D:K6 3FE 3C6HD 2 G2C:6EJ @7 366C E92E :D 9F86 :? E2DE6]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`QmrC27E 366C :D DE:== :? :ED :?72?E DE286D :? p=232>2] #@F89=J ed[___ 32CC6=D @7 366C H6C6 3C6H65 :? E96 DE2E6 :? a_`e] %96 366C 3C6H65 C2?86D 7C@> A:=D?6CD 2?5 =286CD E@ A@CE6CD 2?5 DE@FED 2?5 2== 366C :? 36EH66?] %96 >@C6 25G6?EFC@FD 366C 5C:?<6CD 4=2>@C 7@C A2=6 2=6D 2?5 x?5:2 A2=6 2=6D Wx!pX] %96D6 2C6 62D:=J A:4<65 @FE @7 2 366C =:?6FA 3J E96:C 5:DE:?4E 3:EE6C E2DE6[ H9:49 @7E6? :D 56D4C:365 2D ‘9@AAJ[’ 8:G6? E96 9@AD FD65 :? E96 3C6H:?8 @7 E96D6 E2DEJ EC62ED]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qm!:=D?6C[ 2 EJA6 @7 =286C[ :D 3C6H65 H:E9 3@EE@>\76C>6?E:?8 J62DE 2?5 EJA:42==J :D =:89E :? 4@=@C 2?5 E2DE6] p=6D C6BF:C6 E@A\76C>6?E:?8 J62DE E@ 56G6=@A 52C<6C 4@=@CD 2?5 >@C6 7=2G@C7F= 36G6C286D] v@2E xD=2?5 >2<6D 2 G6CJ ?:46 #:49E6C’D !:=D?6C[ H9:=6 E96 $?2<692?5=6C x!p 3C6H65 2E q:C>:?892>’D @H? v@@5 !6@A=6 qC6H:?8 r@>A2?J 492==6?86D 6G6? E96 962CE:6DE @7 x!p 5C:?<6CD]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qm!@CE6CD 2?5 DE@FED 2C6 2 3:E >@C6 4@>A=6I] !@CE6CD 2C6 3C6H65 H:E9 52C<[ >2=E65 32C=6J 2?5 9@AD] %9:D AC@G:56D 7@C 2 366C E92E 72==D D@>6H96C6 36EH66? DH66E 2?5 3:EE6C] %96 DE@FE H2D 3@C? H96? 3C6H6CD 3682? EH62<:?8 E96:C A@CE6C C64:A6D 3J 255:?8 ?6H 2?5 5:776C6?E :?8C65:6?ED] %@52J’D DE@FE :D 5:DE:?8F:D965 7C@> 2 A@CE6C =2C86=J 2D 2 C6DF=E @7 E96 255:E:@? @7 F?>2=E65 C@2DE65 32C=6J] %9:D 8:G6D DE@FED E96:C D:8?2EFC6 4@7766 E2DE6]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`QmpG@?52=6 qC6H:?8 @776CD 2 G6CJ A@AF=2C '2?:==2 !@CE6C H9:=6 u2:C9@A6 qC6H:?8 r@>A2?J[ =@42E65 :? u2:C9@A6[ 92D 2 |6CCJ (:5@HD $E@FE E92E :D ECF=J E@A\D96=7[ 2 DE@FE 4=6G6C=J ?2>65 7@C E96 =686?52CJ y@6 r2:?[ @C >@C6 244FC2E6=J[ E96 >2?J H@>6? H9@ =@G65 9:>[ 9:D |6CCJ (:5@HD]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`QmrC27E 366C 2?5 :ED 368:??:?8D – 2?5 E96 ?2>6D 2EE24965 E@ 4C27E 366C – G6CJ @7E6? 92G6 6?E6CE2:?:?8 DE@C:6D 369:?5 E96>] xE H@F=5 36 ?:46 E@ 56D:8?2E6 @?6 A6CD@? @C 4@==64E:@? @7 A6@A=6 E@ E92?< 7@C 9:D @C 96C 4@?EC:3FE:@? E@ 2 4:G:=:K65 D@4:6EJ E92E :?4=F56D 366C[ 3FE x 2> 27C2:5 ?@ @?6 24EF2==J DE6AA65 FA E@ E2<6 4C65:E 7@C DF49 2 >:C24F=@FD 4@?4@4E:@?]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qmw:DE@CJ :?5:42E6D E92E E96 7:CDE 366C H2D DEF>3=65 FA@? D@>6 `a[___ @C D@ J62CD 28@ 2D @FC 9F?E:?8 2?5 82E96C:?8 7@C672E96CD EC2?D:E:@?65 E@ 2? 28C2C:2? D@4:6EJ] %96 r9:?6D6 76C>6?E65 36G6C286D FD:?8 C:46[ 7CF:E 2?5 9@?6J D@>6 h[___ J62CD 28@] %96 $F>2C:2? A@6> k6>mwJ>? %@ }:?<2D:k^6>m[ 4:C42 `g__ q]r][ AC@G:56D FD H:E9 E96 7:CDE C64:A6 7@C 366C] r9C:DE:2? >@?<D 2C6 8:G6? 4C65:E 7@C E96 >@56C? 36G6C286 E92E H6 42== 366C] %96J 3682? FD:?8 9@AD 2?5 2 >@C6 25G2?465 76C>6?E:?8 AC@46DD :? E96 |:55=6 p86D]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qmw25 J@F @C56C65 2? x!p a_ @C D@ J62CD 28@[ J@FC =@42= 32CE6?56C >:89E G6CJ H6== 92G6 8:G6? J@F 2 4FC:@FD =@@<] }@E D@ :? a_`f] (6 92G6 @FC 7C:6?5D[ E96 qC:E:D9[ E@ E92?< 7@C E9:D 3C:==:2?E 5:D4@G6CJ] xE 42>6 23@FE BF:E6 3J ?646DD:EJ[ :7 @?6 4@?D:56CD 366C 2 ?665\32D65 4@>>@5:EJ] %96 qC:E:D9 @44FA:65 x?5:2 5FC:?8 E96 =2E6 `gE9 46?EFCJ 2?5 7@F?5 E92E E96J H6C6 ?@E 23=6 E@ 3C6H 366C :? E96 3CFE2= 962E E@ H9:49 E96 C68:@? H2D DF3;64E] p 76==@H 3J E96 ?2>6 @7 w@58D@? 56G6=@A65 2 962G:=J 9@AA65 76C>6?E65 36G6C286 E92E H2D DEC@?8 6?@F89 E@ DFCG:G6 E96 D:I\>@?E9 ;@FC?6J E@ E96 t2DE] (9:=6 E9:D @C:8:?2= DEJ=6 5:65 @FE[ :E H2D p>6C:42?D 2C@F?5 `hfe E92E C6G:G65 E96 AC@46DD 2?5 D6E E96 DE286 7@C E96 4C27E 366C 6IA=@D:@?]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`QmrC27E 366C 4@>6D :? ?F>6C@FD 7=2G@CD] s@?’E 36 27C2:5 @7 ECJ:?8 ?6H 366CD] %96C6 2C6 D6G6C2= 6DE23=:D9>6?ED :? E96 2C62 E92E 2==@H 7@C >:I:?8 D:I A24<D[ H9:49 :D 2 C6=2E:G6=J :?6IA6?D:G6 H2J E@ ECJ 2 ?F>36C @7 5:776C6?E 366CD] vC@H=6CD[ 2 8C62E H2J E@ 3FJ 5C27E 366C :? BF2?E:E:6D =6DD E92? ` 82==@?[ 2C6 =682= :? p=232>2 2D H6==]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`QmqC@256? J@FC 366C\5C:?<:?8 9@C:K@?D :? 2 D276 2?5 C6DA@?D:3=6 >2??6C]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qmt?;@JPk^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qmk6>ms66 (2=<6C :D E96 @H?6C @7 u6C>6?E6C’D |2C<6E @? E96 vC66? :? p=6I2?56C r:EJ 2?5 u6C>6?E6C’D |2C<6E 2E E96 #6I :? $J=242F82] u:?5 9:> @? u2463@@<]k^6>mk^DA2?mk^Am
