Okay, soon it will be legal to sell higher alcohol beers in WV; now what? (Op-Ed)
Man! It’s been a long time coming; since1919 to be exact (see correct date in readers comments below). West Virginia has finally (almost) popped the cap on its very outdated limitation of beer at 6% alcohol by volume. The Governor still has to sign the bill, but he has already said he would support modernization of the beer laws. So yes, West Virginia beer lovers, you can celebrate today if you want to. (Update: Looks as if the Governor will sign this on 5/26)
For most of us beer geeks, we realize the challenges that still lie ahead. I don’t want to rain on the parade or anything, but let’s examine reality here… If you would apply pure logic along with some common sense, it doesn’t take too long to realize that the 6% cap did in fact play a role in limiting beer selection in this state, but it also took on another role as “whipping boy”, bearing the entire blame for West Virginia being a beer wasteland.
The fact is there are so many great beers that fall under the 6% ABV limit; legal for sale in West Virginia today, yesterday and last year and we have seen nary a handful made available to us. Folks, there are fantastic beers like Victory’s Uncle Teddy’s Bitter, which I have had recurring dreams about and only weighs in at 3.8% ABV! Tell me why we haven’t seen beers such as this in WV.
The reason is complex, but it has a lot to do with our market’s size. There are distributors near Cleveland that can reach more beer drinkers in a 40 mile radius than one could if they covered every hill and dale of this beautiful state. This means that breweries weren’t exactly beating down our doors to get in. We are “noise” in the marketplace, especially when you boil it down to the people who will drink craft or specialty beers. I bet it’s less than 50,000 people in the whole state. Sure, the market is growing but so is the number of brewers competing for those palates.
Then there is apathy, mainly on the part of the wholesalers. Put yourself in their shoes. These guys have basically carved up the vast majority of the market into three brands, Bud, Miller and Coors. They have sized their entire operations around maximizing throughput of as much yellow fizzy flavorless lager that they can possibly push through. Why would they want to disturb that gravy train? Their quick remedy is to tease us with Guinness or Newcastle; or they might try to fool us with faux craft brands like Shock-Top or Leinenkugel. The incremental business for them is so small, they can care less…
The market conditions have not changed with the passage of this bill. We are still a state of less than 2 million people spread out in pockets over a rough-hilly and fairly big territory. And, most of us still like fizzy yellow water that they tell us is beer. What about those 50,000 I talked about earlier? Many of them think Yuengling is the second coming!
Oh well let’s hope against hope as we celebrate…. Yay!
(How’s that for pessimism, Workman?)
April 11th, 2009 at 2:52 pm
Many a good point, Rich.
I am however crossing my fingers that one fairly quick possible improvement be with in-state, local craft brewers. 1. The few current brewers we do have may get a little more encouraged and start putting out some better beers, or 2. Someone who has been wanting to open a brewery, may see WV as more realistic real estate now. These may be pipe dreams, but…..
Down with pessimism !
April 11th, 2009 at 5:40 pm
I also expect to see a near immediate increase in products from brewers like Rouge, Magic Hat, Great Lakes and Sierra Navada who already have distribution channels set up. The other brewers will take a while to get in the state. There are distributors who want to carry the craft brews. North Central Dist in Clarksburg and Ralphs in Morgantown come to mind.
I am in the process of gathering contact info for the 50 largest craft brewers in the US. We need to get in touch with these places and let them know there is a demand for there products here. It will also help to recomend some distributors who tend to carry more of the craft beers. One of the worst things that can happen is for Stones or New Belgium or any other craft brewery to sign a deal with a distributor who is mainly focused on B/M/C that could care less about actually bringing in their beer.
April 13th, 2009 at 3:29 pm
Do you have an email address rich. I’d love to grab some beers with you to celebrate the bill
April 13th, 2009 at 5:59 pm
I expect to see the various incarnations of Joose, and a few more high gravity malt liquors at a Convenience store near you.
April 13th, 2009 at 7:44 pm
Ted,
I would guess that a few more “Malt Liquors” will show up, but that is not bringing anything new to the party. With cheaper and stronger wines at 12 to 15% alcohol, our state has been there for many years. The “malt liquor scare” is an old tactic that was used by neo-prohibitionists and protectionist beer wholesalers who would do or say anything to stop West Virginia beer drinkers from having real consumer choice. We were just lucky this year that Inbev, the new owners of Anheuser Busch understand that people are trending toward more flavorful and yes, sometimes stronger beers. No one has yet to pull-out the “Malt Liquor” scare this year.
Winos, bums, drunks, whatever you want to call them, will find the best buzz for their buck and I guarantee, unless the guy is some fallen ex-wall street executive with good taste; high gravity Trappist ale will not be on his shopping list.
Thanks for the comment Ted, keep em coming!!!
April 13th, 2009 at 8:10 pm
The guys who work at the Patrick Street liquor store in Charleston are already on the case. Victory products should make an appearance, the higher ABV Great Lakes stuff should make the shelves, and the Abita IPA ain’t bad. So I see the glass as half full.
April 13th, 2009 at 8:45 pm
Workman was talking about setting up a pool so we can all bet on what’s coming here first. My picks are 1) Whatever Great Lakes higher gravity seasonal is up next (Commodore Perry? Nosferatu? I’ve forgotten their schedule, damn my eyes; 2) Sierra Nevada Torpedo, and; 3)the 8% Steel Reserve.
I’ll win. I guar-an-teee.
And great shindig Rich. Thanks again.
April 15th, 2009 at 8:58 am
Commodore Perry is available year round-the Blackout Stout seasonal is out now, with a Saison called Grassroots(formerly Hale Ale)which was to be out in 6ers in April, and a 4 Pack Wiesenbock called Glockenspeil will be out in May.
April 15th, 2009 at 9:05 am
Almost forgot, I’d like to see the Samuel Adams Imperial Series
as well as their Longshot series, where contest winners got to have their beer recipe put into production. They come in a 6pack, 2 each of a Bock, a Cranberry Wit, and a DIPA. From what I hear, the Bock’s, and the Cranberry aren’t bad, but the DIPA is supposed to be spectatular.
April 15th, 2009 at 11:19 am
My money is on Leffe to be in the first five. In-Bev Begian Abbey Ale.
April 17th, 2009 at 9:37 am
It’s just a damn shame that Penn Brewery in Pittsburgh has gone the way of the dodo in the past year. They had some great beers to bring to the table.
April 17th, 2009 at 1:05 pm
I’m fairly certain that I’ll have to keep crossing the border to get the beer that I want.
April 20th, 2009 at 11:26 am
Rich,
The higher proof beer has been gone longer than you suspect. While the entire country when dry in 1919, West Virginia was way ahead of the curve. The voters of West Virginia approved prohibition in November of 1912. The state officially went dry on July 1, 1914. The headline in the Wheeling Intelligencer read, “West Virginia is Now on the Water Wagon.”
April 20th, 2009 at 9:39 pm
Two words: Golden Monkey…
Two more words: Arrogant Bastard!!
WOO-HOO!!
April 29th, 2009 at 12:04 pm
Two of my favorites Jonah… Also, if you get the opportunity, try Stoudt’s Triple, Weyerbacher - Merry Monk, Heresy, Simcoe IPA, and Stone’s Russian Imperial Stout… darn good. Oh, and Yard’s Tavern Ale is killer. It’s Thomas Jefferson wife’s own recipe that hasn’t changed. Get a case to try, then another to store for a year… believe me it’ll be worth it.
April 29th, 2009 at 2:30 pm
The Samuel Adams Imperial Series consists of Double Bock (a longtime SA beer and one of their best products), Imperial Wit (gag), and Imperial Stout (sounds wonderful).
April 30th, 2009 at 5:22 pm
The SA Imperial Stout is OK, though I
prefer Victory’s Storm King or Great
Lakes Blackout Stout. I bought a 4
pack of the SA Imperial White, even
though I’m not fond of White beers,
to try it-and I won’t be doing that
again.
I’m still trying to find the SA Double
Bock-I did see it by the case in Washington,
PA, but wasn’t in the mood to drop $54
for a case of it.