Alcohol Content of Beer in Utah vs Walmart

[Random]

I read an article recently that said that Walmart is pushing for Utah to change the law on how much alcohol beer can contain. Apparently, fewer and fewer states are requiring 3.2% so there's a very real chance that beer manufacturers will stop making it. I can see that being an issue for Walmart. They could potentially lose a lot of money if they couldn't sell beer.

Do any of you think what Walmart is trying to do is possible?


I'm all for it, and I'm all for closing down all state liquor stores, and selling alcohol in grocery stores, etc., like they do in Arizona.

National breweries are phasing out the production of 3.2 beer because all but two states have abandoned it.

Utah and Minnesota are the only states left selling the lower weight beer after laws in Oklahoma, Colorado and Kansas have or will change in the next few months.

Only 1.8 percent of all beer brewed in the United States is 3.2 beer, with Oklahoma consuming nearly 60 percent of it, followed by Utah at 29 percent. Utahns represent less than one-half of a percent of beer drinkers in the U.S.

https://www.deseretnews.com/article/900 ... c-bac.html

[Raylan Givens]

I know someone on the DABC commission. They have been aware of this for while, they have a plan in place to recommend changes to the legislature. I doubt they do anything unless their hand is really forced.

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[Rob4Hope]

Does it take beer trucks to stop shipping beer to Utah for the silent beer drinking folks ro wake the hell up and do something?

There are too many people who dont do shit in this state. It blows me away....

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[RubinHighlander]

Does it take beer trucks to stop shipping beer to Utah for the silent beer drinking folks ro wake the hell up and do something?

There are too many people who dont do shit in this state. It blows me away....

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I rarely buy beer from the grocer, it's better to buy directly from the brewery and distillers and bypass the bullshit. TSCC literally write legislation for Cap hill in Utah. I hope Rocky Anderson's lawsuit on the prop 2 debacle will bring this to light, even if it does not win.
http://radiowest.kuer.org/post/lds-chur ... nabis-utah

Here is what might get the church broke cronies to kill the lowpoint beer - they just lowered the blood alcohol rate to .05%. That means more revenue for the cops and state in DUIs in addition to better beer sales. We'll see.

[wtfluff]

Personally I'm glad that it is Walmart that is pushing the change of law.

It's probably the only thing that might work: Retailers showing the state how not being able to legally provide ethanol to the public that wants ethanol will result in loss of revenue, and more importantly: LOSS OF TAX REVENUE.

It will be interesting to watch. There are "rumors" that many of the local breweries don't want the law changed because that would increase their competition in the state.

We all know that the state (church) doesn't care what the people think or want, just look at prop 2.

And we also know that the liquor laws in Utah are all created by a commission of mormons who don't don't drink, and have absolutely no clue about responsible ethanol consumption.

Hopefully facts and logic and reason will be the factors that push the decision, but this is Utah we're discussing; Those three things don't really matter in a theocracy.


I kind of jumped all over the place there with random thoughts eh? Oh well. GO WALMART!!! (I can't believe I just typed that.... )

[Random]

I doubt they do anything unless their hand is really forced.

I agree with you.

[Random]

Personally I'm glad that it is Walmart that is pushing the change of law.

Me, too. I don't really care for Walmart, but I think a big corporation is the only thing that could take on a big corporation (LDS Church) and possibly win.

[Random]

Does it take beer trucks to stop shipping beer to Utah for the silent beer drinking folks ro wake the hell up and do something?

It might. It seems like it's often human nature to just roll with the status quo until something happens that threatens something you/we/they want.

[Random]

I rarely buy beer from the grocer, it's better to buy directly from the brewery and distillers and bypass the bullshit.

There are no breweries here that I know of. The local state liquor store is the closest (and the most expensive) place to buy liquor with normal alcohol content. But, then, there's a store in Arizona and one in Nevada that sell it, and at much cheaper prices. Each one is about an hour away from where I live.

TSCC literally write legislation for Cap hill in Utah. I hope Rocky Anderson's lawsuit on the prop 2 debacle will bring this to light, even if it does not win.
http://radiowest.kuer.org/post/lds-chur ... nabis-utah

Can/Will you give more insight into this lawsuit?

[Random]

It's probably the only thing that might work: Retailers showing the state how not being able to legally provide ethanol to the public that wants ethanol will result in loss of revenue, and more importantly: LOSS OF TAX REVENUE.

I never thought of this. Hopefully, those that have the power to change the law do. I mean any reason to change it, right?

[RubinHighlander]

I rarely buy beer from the grocer, it's better to buy directly from the brewery and distillers and bypass the bullshit.

There are no breweries here that I know of. The local state liquor store is the closest (and the most expensive) place to buy liquor with normal alcohol content. But, then, there's a store in Arizona and one in Nevada that sell it, and at much cheaper prices. Each one is about an hour away from where I live.

TSCC literally write legislation for Cap hill in Utah. I hope Rocky Anderson's lawsuit on the prop 2 debacle will bring this to light, even if it does not win.
http://radiowest.kuer.org/post/lds-chur ... nabis-utah

Can/Will you give more insight into this lawsuit?

Utah Distilleries:
https://www.gastronomicslc.com/utah-distilleries/

Utah Breweries:
https://www.brewtrail.com/utah-breweries/

Lawsuit
The power of TSCC is significant and they probably have their butts covered on most fronts. Rocky is not likely to be successful in winning that fight. I recommend the Radio West podcast for a deeper look at how the church operates the Utah government and what the lawsuit will try to disclose, based on the gutting of prop2.

[Just This Guy]

LDS Inc. tends to be rather vindictive when it comes to their view of policy making.

They loose the fight on gay marriage, so in retaliation, they bring out the PoX. They loose the medical cannibals push, so they try to have their way after the fact by writing policy for the legislature. We'll see how that plays out.

I'm a little surprised that so far there has been nothing in response to their attempt to change the single part consent laws for recordings. Since that blew up in their face, their normal MO is to try some other route to get what they want.

Unfortunately, like most politics, it's a matter of who has the deepest pockets. It will be interesting to see LDS Inc. go up against an organization that has much deeper pockets than they do.

[Random]

Utah Breweries:
https://www.brewtrail.com/utah-breweries/

I had no idea there were that many breweries around. It would be fun to take a tour and have a taste. Looks like most are in northern Utah. I've been to the one in Moab briefly.

Lawsuit
The power of TSCC is significant and they probably have their butts covered on most fronts. Rocky is not likely to be successful in winning that fight. I recommend the Radio West podcast for a deeper look at how the church operates the Utah government and what the lawsuit will try to disclose, based on the gutting of prop2.

Thanks for the info.

[Random]

Just This Guy, I was also surprised they didn't change the single party consent law. I'm hoping they're losing their power. In fact, I've seen evidence of it happening here and there.

[2bizE]

But, if the state can lower the alcohol level to 2 % people could enjoy more beers before getting to 0.5 blood alcohol.
Question. Does 3.2 alcohol cost less than 5%?
Is it like gas where different octanes cost differently, or is it just the same price.

[wtfluff]

Question. Does 3.2 alcohol cost less than 5%?
Is it like gas where different octanes cost differently, or is it just the same price.

Yes different octanes cost differently. In other words: You get what you pay for.

[Just This Guy]

With gas, most cars in the US only require 87 Octane. So spending more for higher octane gas will not improve performance in the fast majority of cases. Because the common method of increasing octane is by mixing in ethanol that has a higher octane value, but less energy per volume, high octane gas in most cars may result in very slightly reduced MPG. The only time you really will see a difference is with cars that are specifically designed to use high octane gas. Those are usually high performance sports cars and high efficiency cars like a Smart For2.

So with gas, you may pay more for higher octane, but it doesn't actually get you anything for your money. But at least you have the choice of how you want to spend your money. With beer, it sounds like you pay the same price, but get less alcohol for it, so you defiantly are getting taken advantage of there.

[wtfluff]

Wih beer, it sounds like you pay the same price, but get less alcohol for it, so you defiantly are getting taken advantage of there.

Nope. Higher alcohol mild barley drinks cost more than lower alcohol. Again: You get what you pay for.

[Dravin]

Question. Does 3.2 alcohol cost less than 5%?

The 3.2% limit in Utah is by weight not volume. A 3.2% ABW beer is 4% ABV, mixing the units exaggerates the difference. The big players Bud Light, Coors Light, and Miller Lite are (outside of 3.2% ABW states) 4.2% ABV so we're talking about a 0.2% ABV difference in alcohol, for those lines it wouldn't surprise me if the costs of having a separate production line swallows up any cost savings they might see from using fewer fermentables.

Speaking of the general case, alcohol requires sugars so you either need to ferment more of the sugars you've got there (resulting in a drier product) or use more sources of sugar (requiring more fermentables). In the latter case, with all else being equal (an important qualifier), it will cost the brewery more.

[FiveFingerMnemonic]

Explain to me in layman homer simpson terms what the difference in watered down Utah beer is from other states' beer. Like, how many beers to get a buzz with one versus the other, all other things being equal.