Three-Two Beer

My parents often talked about how they could drink three-two beer when they were 18, and any type of alcohol when they were 21.  Ohio changed the law in 1984 and you now need to be 21 to consume any type of alcohol.  What is three-two beer?  This beer has less than 3.2% alcohol by weight (approximately 4.0% ABV).  There are a few beers below the 4.0% ABV threshold, but they are far and few between.

• Yuengling Light Lager – 3.4% ABV
• New Glarus Wisconsin Belgium Red – 4.0% ABV
• Surly Bitter Brewer – 4.0% ABV
• New Orleans Lager and Ale (NOLA) Brown Ale – 3.9% ABV
• Hook Norton Hooky Bitter – 3.6% ABV

Some states still have laws in regards to the sale of beer higher than 3.2% ABW or 4.0% ABV.  For example, in Oklahoma and Utah beer over 3.2% ABW cannot be sold in grocery or convenience stores.  Some breweries, such as Goose Island try to make their product available in more locations by lowering the ABW of their beers.  Goose recently submitted a label for approval for a version of the 312 Urban Wheat beer with an ABW less than 3.2%  A disclaimer on the bottle reads “Alcohol content not more than 3.2% by weight”.  A typical 312 beer is 4.2% ABV or  3.36% ABW.

Tags: ABV, ABW, Goose Island, Hook Norton, New Glarus, NOLA, Surly, Yuengling