ABV listed on the bottle/can. Yay/Nay?

Discussion in 'Beer Talk' started by Chrixsus, Jul 25, 2013.

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Should the ABV of a beer be required to be listed on the bottle/can by law?

  1. Yes

    291 vote(s)
    90.9%
  2. No

    29 vote(s)
    9.1%
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  1. Chrixsus

    Chrixsus Initiate (0) Dec 13, 2011 Illinois

    I appreciate it when a brewery includes the ABV on their bottles and cans. The ones that don't piss me off.

    What if I don't want to indulge in an 8% or higher brew so I'm only buzzed and not trashed for my 5 yr. old daughter's birthday party? What if I'm mislead by the crazy beer name and flashy design and when what I want is a huge beer that will wipe the floor with me what I get is half that?

    I don't go cliff diving at night and I don't trust brews with no darn ABV! :angry:
     
    sajaffe1 and RyanCave like this.
  2. Ivegotmule

    Ivegotmule Initiate (0) Nov 7, 2012 North Carolina

    100% yes. A 6pack of Oarsman is way different than a 6 of Hopslam. Safety first.
     
  3. utopiajane

    utopiajane Initiate (0) Jun 11, 2013 New York

    Yay. You don't want to stand up only to have the floor hit you in the face.
     
  4. teal

    teal Initiate (0) May 3, 2012 Wisconsin

    I voted no only because "doesn't matter to me" wasn't available.

    It's rare that I'm prospecting a beer completely blind where I've not checked it out to see the style, how it fares to style, ABV etc off a web site - be it the brewery's or BA.

    Pretty much my one and only concern with a beer is taste - the ABV (and its side effects) are far enough down the list that having it on the can or not doesn't affect my decision making and thus I'm neither hot nor cold about having to have it labeled on the can/bottle.
     
    kemoarps, wonothesane42 and mythaeus like this.
  5. Chrixsus

    Chrixsus Initiate (0) Dec 13, 2011 Illinois

    A valid point for BA's...however, I'm referring to "The Masses" who don't do their homework.
     
  6. steveh

    steveh Grand Pooh-Bah (4,030) Oct 8, 2003 Illinois
    Pooh-Bah Society

    I like seeing the ABV on a beer, but to enact a new law? That leaves me worried about more government meddling -- not to mention the taxes they'll try to add in order to make this a "law."
     
    PeterJ, Bones10, DemoniChris and 19 others like this.
  7. teal

    teal Initiate (0) May 3, 2012 Wisconsin


    I wouldn't trust the masses to bother to read the ABV and understand it or how it affects them either.

    When's the last time you actually saw anyone READ a label that was a casual or non BA drinker?
     
  8. KS1297

    KS1297 Initiate (0) Apr 14, 2013 Wisconsin

    I voted no because the last thing we need is another law.
     
  9. Orca

    Orca Grand Pooh-Bah (4,441) Sep 18, 2010 Washington
    Pooh-Bah Society

    Sure. I prefer my IPAs in the 6%-7% range and my imperial stouts around 11%.
    I also like to know that the cheeseburger I'm about to order has 1,100 calories.
     
    raffels, BBThunderbolt and utopiajane like this.
  10. Chrixsus

    Chrixsus Initiate (0) Dec 13, 2011 Illinois

    It's not that different, if at all, from the proof or ABV being required to be listed on bottles of hard liquor. Of course, the decision of whether or not breweries have to list this info on their brews is up to the individual states they reside in.
     
  11. SerialTicker

    SerialTicker Pooh-Bah (2,815) Jun 18, 2012 Michigan
    Pooh-Bah

    Try a Kuhnhenn DRIPA and tell me you don't think ABV should be required.
     
    Chrixsus likes this.
  12. ChestSplitter

    ChestSplitter Initiate (0) Jan 22, 2011 Mississippi

    Yes, and it should also be required on the menus/beer lists at bars. A 16oz pour of Brother Thelonius has a hell of a lot more alcohol than a pint of Miller Lite. Buyers should have that info.
     
    Orca and Chrixsus like this.
  13. Genuine

    Genuine Maven (1,313) May 7, 2009 Connecticut

    This
     
  14. KS1297

    KS1297 Initiate (0) Apr 14, 2013 Wisconsin

    There's no moral justification for using violence and coercion aka "the law" to find out the abv of a beer.
     
    beveritt likes this.
  15. Orca

    Orca Grand Pooh-Bah (4,441) Sep 18, 2010 Washington
    Pooh-Bah Society

    If we have laws determining that a certain level of alcohol is acceptable to have in our bloodstream and still drive a vehicle, then hell yes we are entitled by law to know how much of a given beer we can drink and keep ourselves under that level.
     
    kemoarps, JohnnyMc, mmmbirra and 3 others like this.
  16. Chrixsus

    Chrixsus Initiate (0) Dec 13, 2011 Illinois

    Have to disagree that violence and coercion equals what laws in this country stand for. Without laws we would have chaos...and U.S. laws are much, much, much better than most countries. The people have the power to change the laws that suck here...can't say that for most other places.

    Listing the ABV on the bottle is about protecting the consumer and others. I would hate to see someone walk in to a bar, unknowingly order one 10% ABV RIS that hides its booze well, drive home, get pulled over, and get a DUI. Or kill/injure themselves or someone else.
     
    kemoarps, CORKSCREWFISH and inchrisin like this.
  17. KS1297

    KS1297 Initiate (0) Apr 14, 2013 Wisconsin

    Sure, if you want to cite bad laws as justification for more bad laws then i suppose you are right.
     
    Robyn and beveritt like this.
  18. teal

    teal Initiate (0) May 3, 2012 Wisconsin

    I'd buy this if I ever met anyone who

    1. Could tell me their BAL with any degree of accuracy without a breathalyzer
    2. Actually used a breathalyzer before driving to make sure they're ok

    IOW - unless you're testing before you drive - you have NO IDEA what your BAL is - ABV on the bottle/can or not.
     
  19. Orca

    Orca Grand Pooh-Bah (4,441) Sep 18, 2010 Washington
    Pooh-Bah Society

    That's an entirely different discussion, but I don't think you'll find a lot of people who would agree that anyone should be permitted to drive a car, no matter how drunk they are.
     
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