Ohio gets rid of ABV limits for beer

We won’t take full credit for Ohio dropping its 12 percent ABV limit on beer. I mean, it was probably our biggest editorial piece in sheer traffic for a week in 2016, but I guess we should probably give some credit to Ohio Governor John Kasich, Republican State House Representative Mike Duffey (District 21), House Democrat Dan Ramos (District 56), the Ohio Craft Brewers Association, the 200-some breweries across Ohio and probably a lot of other hardworking people we know nothing about. I guess they deserve some recognition for their tireless action, but hey, let’s not get all credit hoggy here.

Tuesday, Kasich lifted a long-standing limit on the alcohol content of beer brewed and sold within the great Buckeye State (home of one Craft Brewing Business). House Bill 37 was signed into law, removing the 12 percent alcohol by volume (ABV) restrictions that breweries and merchants felt were hurting both local and prospective breweries from setting up shop in Ohio. Remember Stone Brewing Co. back in 2014? Stone was shopping Columbus, Ohio, for its new East Coast brewing operations. Richmond, Va., won out of over Columbus. Why? Maybe that 12 percent ABV law worked itself into the equation.

Oklahoma craft breweries can now sell higher ABV beers on premise (if this bill is signed). Read it!

With that cap gone, local brewers are hoping to grow the Ohio beer-making scene even further. From the Akron Beacon Journal:

Mary MacDonald, executive director of the Ohio Craft Brewers Association, praised the governor and state lawmakers “for removing the ABV limit and giving our brewers more leeway to continue creatively practicing their craft. Our breweries and brewpubs directly employ nearly 2,500 people and this bill will enable them to continue to grow, reinvest and bring even more into this exciting industry.”

I take back everything I’ve ever preached: Government can work for the people. Who knew?