2008 Magic City Brewfest - Dates are set

This just in from Stuart over at Free The Hops - the dates for the 2008 Magic City Brewfest have been set.

Session 1 : Saturday, May 31, 2008
Session 2 : Sunday, June 1, 2008

The 2007 Magic City Brewfest was a blast and I look forward to this years event.

I will post more details as they become available.

What's Wrong With The Beer We Got?

Dan over at Daily Dixie has put together a quick video highlighting last week's Gourmet Beer bill debate in the Alabama House.

Budweiser Boycott in Alabama

Our friends over at Free The Hops in Alabama have launched a boycott in response to a Budweiser distributor’s opposition to pro-craft beer legislation.

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For Immediate Release
Contact: Stuart Carter (stuart@freethehops.org)

Alabama Craft Beer Group Calls for Birmingham Boycott of Anheuser-Busch Products

“Free the Hops” consumer group launches boycott in response to Budweiser distributor’s opposition to pro-craft beer legislation

(Birmingham, Alabama) – Free The Hops / Alabamians For Specialty Beer, a grassroots consumer group working to change legislation banning most craft beer from Alabama, is calling for a consumer boycott of Anheuser-Busch
products sold in the Birmingham/Jefferson County area.

The group’s president, Stuart Carter, says his group is calling for the boycott because of the anti-craft beer lobbying efforts of Birmingham Budweiser and the distributor’s vice president, Pat Lynch.

Lynch, Carter says, has been a major opponent of local and state legislation which could legalize gourmet beer, typically higher-strength, in Alabama.

Free The Hops has been working for three years to change the current Alabama law that limits beer to no more the 6% alcohol by volume (ABV). This ABV ceiling means the majority of America’s finest craft beers, and many of the world’s best imported beers, cannot be sold in the state.

The Free The Hops organization is seeking to raise the state’s ABV limit for beer to 14.9%.

Lynch’s lobbying efforts against the local Jefferson county bill for the higher ABV limit led to the Free The Hops supported legislation (HB-728) failing last year, Carter says.

Free the Hops has called for a boycott of all Budweiser products sold in the Jefferson County/Birmingham area.

“The members of Free The Hops,” Carter says, “will no longer purchase or consume any Budweiser products in Jefferson County. And we urge all of our non-member supporters to do the same.”

“I would also like to see those retailers, restaurants, and bars that support our cause stop selling Budweiser products.” Carter adds.

Carter says the boycott will remain in effect “until Birmingham Budweiser and Pat Lynch publicly reverse their policy of opposition, and actively start supporting the sale of gourmet beer in Jefferson County and throughout Alabama.”

For the past two years, Anheuser-Busch has been conducting a high-profile, national ad campaign called “Here’s to Beer” which promotes craft beer. The
company has also been producing a line of craft-style beers, in an effort to capitalize on the steadily increasing popularity of craft beer in the US.

According to the Boulder, Colorado-based Brewers Association, craft beer sales have risen by 11% by volume in the first half of 2007, and now account for more than 5% of beer sales, while mainstream domestic beer sales have been flat or declining.

“Free the Hops,” Carter says, “wants Birmingham Budweiser and Pat Lynch to embrace that same spirit of the A-B campaign: Here’s to Beer—all beer.”

FTH was founded three years ago as a citizen-driven movement solely committed to removing Alabama’s artificial and antiquated limits on the sale of gourmet beer.

Alabama is one of only three states in the US that limit alcohol by volume for beer to only 6%. It is the only state that limits beer containers to a size of no
more than 1 US pint (16 ounces).

For more information contact Stuart Carter at stuart@freethehops.org. Read about the efforts of Free the Hops at freethehops.org

Get more information on the Brewers Association and the sales of craft beers from http://www.beertown.org/craftbrewing/statistics.html and from http://www.beertown.org/pr/images/2007_midyear_numbers.html

Mississippi, Alabama, West Virginia

Mississipppi's MEBA movement gets a quick mention over at the Gordon Unleashed blog about Alabama's Free the Hops

Because there are movements in Mississippi and West Virginia to modernize their respective state laws, Alabama now risks the serious embarrassment of being the only state in the country enforcing such an antiquated legal code.

Read the rest

Help Save Alabama's Brewery

Olde Towne Brewery was lost to fire on July 5th. Free The Hops is hosting a benefit to kickstart their recovery.
www.oldetownerevival.com

Alabama pulling [barely] "illegal" beer

"Illegal" in Alabama...but legal in 47 other states.

The Alabama Alcoholic Beverage Control Board has apparently pulled Sweetwater India Pale Ale from Alabama because it’s apparently just above the legal limit for Alabama.
...
Read the rest

Thanks to Dan over at Between the Links

Alabama Brewfest Pics II

More pictures from the Alabama Magic City Brewfest. June 2, 2007

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There was a steady stream of thirsty folks wanting to sample Mississippi's Lazy Magnolia

Lazy Magnolia's Leslie Henderson pouring a sample of Southern Pecan

It was easy to get a Zima sample if you so chose...no waiting

Louisiana's Abita Beer was there

5000 at the Alabama Brewfest

WOW! According to Free The Hops, there were almost 5000 in overall attendance for their Brewfest on Saturday.

Pictures (most of these pictures were taking early on in the event)

{More pictures to be posted soon}

Magic City Brewfest

I have returned from the Magic City Brewfest held Saturday in Birmingham. Mississippi was represented by myself and Butch. I overheard one other person saying he was from Mississippi. If you were there, let me know with a comment below.

It was an awesome event. Way more beer variety than I ever could have sampled in one session. A cool homebrewing demonstration was put on by Alabrew.

Kudos to Danner and the Free The Hops crew for putting on one heck of an event. I look forward to the 2nd annual Magic City Brewfest.

\

Update! Birmingham Brew Fest

According to Free the Hops Mississippi's own Lazy Magnolia Brewing Co. will be at the upcoming Magic City Brewfest in Birmingham, AL.

Post a comment if anyone from MS is planning to go.

Magic City Brewfest (Birmingham, June 2, 2007)

The Magic City Brewfest will be June 2nd, 2007, at Sloss Furnaces. Advance ticket sales are online now. For all the details, see the festival website at freethehops.org/beerfestival

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We in Free The Hops are excited to announce the Alabama debut of several beers at the Magic City Brewfest. So far, the list is:

# Terrapin India Brown Ale
# Left Hand Haystack Wheat
# Rogue Brutal Bitter
# Rogue Dry Hopped St. Rogue Red
# Brooklyner Weisse

We're also excited that Terrapin has told us they will be bringing their own hop infuser they call the Terrapinator. Similar to Dogfish Head's "Randall," the Terrapinator will filter their Rye Pale Ale through fresh whole hops as it is dispensed, creating the hoppiest beer experience possible.

The following breweries will have representatives at the Magic City Brewfest to discuss the art of craft brewing:

Alabama
Olde Towne Brewing Co. - Brewmaster Don Alan Hankins - Pale Ale, Amber Ale, Bock, Hefeweizen

Georgia
Terrapin Beer Co. - Dustin Watts - Rye Pale Ale, Golden Ale, India Brown Ale

Oregon
Rogue Ales - Brett Joyce - Mocha Porter, American Amber, Dead Guy Ale, Brutal Bitter, Dry Hopped St. Rogue Red

In addition to the new beers and various local and American craft beers listed above, well over 300 different beers from all over the globe will be available.

AL Free the Hops news segment

Free the Hops founder Danner Kline explains the importance of pending legislation to bring quality beer to Alabama.

Update: Alabama Gourmet Beer Bill (House BIR vote)

Some interesting reading about last week's BIR vote stalling the Gourmet Beer bill and how two of the "No" votes were unintentionally cast. Be sure to read the comments.


Cam Ward and the case of the voting machine
(Between the Links)

How They Voted - Yes or No
(Free the Hops)

The kind of week political junkies live for {Scroll down to the comments}
(Political Parlor)

Free The Hops getting some love from Boston {A BeerAdvocate.com founder takes a shot at Representative Richard Laird, who said during the debate: "I haven’t read the legislation. I don’t have to read the legislation to know how I stand and how I’m going to vote."}
(Between the Links)

Outlander of the Day ~ Rep. Richard Laird
(Captain Plaid)

Discussion over at the Brew Board

Audio - Alabama House Gourmet Beer Bill debate

Listen to this crap...

http://www.freethehops.org/media/AL_House_04032007.mp3
This is the complete audio from the April 3 BIR debate on the Alabama Gourmet Beer Bill

Some of the most idiotic statements are from Representative
Duwayne Bridges.

• "gourmet drinking [is] a bunch of bull"
  
• "[Alabama would have to] build more prisons"
  (he says because of the Gourmet Bill)
  
• "we (Alabama) don't have to be like all those other states"
  yeah, Alabama can continue to be laughed at for being behind the rest of the civilized country
  
• "beer companies only want to do this so they can get people drunk quicker and get more money out of them"
  

AL - Gourmet Beer Bill Stalled by Misinformation Espoused by Some State Representatives

Press Release

Birmingham, AL | April 9, 2007 – Contrary to some reports, the Gourmet Beer Bill was not "killed" last Tuesday. Short just 3 votes, it narrowly missed passing the preliminary BIR (Budget Isolation Resolution) vote with the needed 3/5 majority. Bills must pass the higher threshold BIR vote before being sent to the floor, where only a simple majority is needed to pass the bill. Since the Gourmet Beer Bill did not make it to a floor vote, it is still alive, and a clear majority of Representatives in the AL House are now on record as supporting it.

Proponents of the bill now plan to move its companion bill, SB211, through the Senate and bring it back before the House for a second attempt at recovering the 3 missing votes needed to pass the BIR. The bill is being pushed by grassroots organization Free The Hops.

Read the rest of this press release over at Free the Hops

Alabama raising ABV limit?

Keep an eye on what is going on over in Alabama....hopefully we can do the same very soon in Mississippi.

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The hops have been freed - at least by the Alabama House Travel and Tourism Committee.

The panel voted unanimously on a voice vote Wednesday to send a bill to the House floor that would permit the sale of beer with more than double the alcohol content that state law now allows.
...
Alabama is one of only four states that do not allow the sale of specialty beers in restaurants, supermarkets or convenience stores, said Jackson. The others are Mississippi, South Carolina and West Virginia, and moves are being made to change the laws in South Carolina and West Virginia.

[Alabama] House panel says yes to higher-alcohol beer

[AL] Beer bill backers can taste victory

Good article over at the Huntsville Times about the Free The Hops movement.

Beer bill backers can taste victory

... Alabama is one of four states that do not allow the sale of specialty beers in restaurants, supermarkets or convenience stores. The others are Mississippi, South Carolina and West Virginia, and moves are being made to change the laws in South Carolina and West Virginia ...


And once again, Mississippi will be LAST in the nation to get with the times.

Free the Hops!

Alabama's Free the Hops (a grassroots, citizen-driven movement) is working to get Alabama's Alcohol By Volume (ABV) limit raised so they can bring in more high quality beverages. Alabama's current 6% ABV limit excludes approximately 1/3 of the world's beer styles.

Mississippi joins Alabama in having to live under the lowest ABV limits in the nation.

Proposed change to Alabama law:
"(3) BEER, or MALT OR BREWED BEVERAGES. Any beer, lager beer, ale, porter, malt or brewed beverage, or similar fermented malt liquor containing one-half of one percent or more of alcohol by volume and not in excess of five percent alcohol by weight and six fourteen and nine-tenths percent by volume, by whatever name the same may be called.