From Alabama Live:  The state Senate today passed a bill allowing the sale of gourmet beers in Alabama. The legislation, sponsored by State Rep. Thomas Jackson, D-Thomasville, allows the sale of beer with an alcohol content of 13.9 percent by volume. Previously the limit was five percent by volume.  The bill passed the Senate 22-9 and now goes to the governor. If signed, retailers would be allowed the sale of certain gourmet and imported beers in Alabama. Free the Hops, an organization which lobbied for the bill, says the beverages cost an average of $5 to $6 a bottle.  Read More at Alabama Live!

This is great news for those that like the taste of a good gourmet beer from time to time.   This is the wine of the beer community.  Let’s hope Governor Riley doesn’t let this die on his desk now that it’s made it thru Alabama’s complicated legislative process. ~ JK  

And from the Free The Hops Blog this week, some questions and answers: “Won’t Governor Riley veto our bill since he vetoes all alcohol bills?”

Governor Riley does not veto all alcohol bills.  The most relevant example is a wine bill that recently passed which is very similar to our beer bill.  It raises the amount of alcohol allowed in wine sold in grocery stores from 14.9% to 16.5%.  That’s a direct parallel to what our bill does for beer.  Governor Riley signed the wine bill this week.  I believe the Governor is a reasonable man, and it would be extremely difficult for a reasonable person to justify vetoing our bill while signing another bill based on identical principles.