# Random Beer Question **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 27, 2005, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/random-beer-question/323605 "2005-09-27T01:55:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Bradlee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Bradlee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bradlee)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2005, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/random-beer-question/323605/1 "2005-09-27T01:55:33Z")
Hey there Dopers, I was visit my father the other day, and his secretary (as is customary sometimes) bought him a six-pack of random beer for a birthday, and they bought it at a local Meijer. It is brewed (according to the bottle) exculsively in Wisconsin and is a lager known as Leinenkugel’s Red. Little did this new secretary know that my father is not a lager drinker, and little did my father know that lager is one of my favorites. I left his house with the last 4 beers and thought…“Hmm, cheap beer”… Then I started looking at the bottle, and noticed that by the barcode and refund stuff on the side, there is a little black mug. This bothers me… What is the mug for? Why did they put it on this beer and I never have noticed it on my beer before? Is it on all lager? Have I just been to hasty in my enjoyment of a good beverage to notice the little symbol? So many questions…can anyone tell me the store behind this little stein? ---
**Author:** ![Random](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/57b2e6/32.png) [@Random](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Random)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2005, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/random-beer-question/323605/2 "2005-09-27T02:50:58Z")
Means that it’s stronger than 3.2% alcohol. Some states require this distinction to be somehow marked on the label. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2005, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/random-beer-question/323605/3 "2005-09-27T02:52:45Z")
Hmm. A random beer question, answered by **Random**. Only on the SDMB, folks. ---
**Author:** ![Only\_Mostly\_Dead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/f19dbf/32.png) [@Only\_Mostly\_Dead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Only_Mostly_Dead)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2005, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/random-beer-question/323605/4 "2005-09-27T04:01:00Z")
Now that **random** has provided the random answer, I will impart additional [random commentary](http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/710/2355/). Seems the beer is a decent little cheap red only available in the NW area. Though Beeradvocate does not have a reading on its alcohol level, so I can’t confirm **random** ’s hypothesis without further testing, and I’m just in the wrong part of the country to try. ---
**Author:** ![RandomLetters](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8edcca/32.png) [@RandomLetters](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RandomLetters)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2005, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/random-beer-question/323605/5 "2005-09-27T04:09:25Z")
To join in on this random thread, from [Leinenkugel’s FAQ:](http://www.leinie.com/faq_answers.htm#sixteen) > [@](#): > > **What does the stein on the side of your Leinenkugel Beer labels mean?** > > The stein on the side of our Leinie beer labels represents “strong beer.” In some 3.2 states, like Oklahoma, we’re required to show our brews have a higher alcohol content. You can find the alcohol content of all our brews by clicking the Beers icon to your left. ---
**Author:** ![Random](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/57b2e6/32.png) [@Random](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Random)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2005, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/random-beer-question/323605/6 "2005-09-27T04:17:43Z")
> [@Only Mostly Dead](#): > > Now that **random** has provided the random answer, I will impart additional [random commentary](http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/710/2355/). Seems the beer is a decent little cheap red only available in the NW area. Though Beeradvocate does not have a reading on its alcohol level, so I can’t confirm **random** ’s hypothesis without further testing, and I’m just in the wrong part of the country to try. According to Leinie’s site, Red is 4.9%. Here’s what they say about the label stein: > [@](#): > > What does the stein on the side of your Leinenkugel Beer labels mean? > The stein on the side of our Leinie beer labels represents “strong beer.” In some 3.2 states, like Oklahoma, we’re required to show our brews have a higher alcohol content. You can find the alcohol content of all our brews by clicking the Beers icon to your left [http://www.leinie.com/faq\_answers.htm](http://www.leinie.com/faq_answers.htm) Random answer, confirmed. I think I’ll reward myself with a beer. ---
**Author:** ![MikeS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/919ad9/32.png) [@MikeS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MikeS)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2005, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/random-beer-question/323605/7 "2005-09-27T14:23:19Z")
Wait, they make beer with an alcohol content under 3.2%? In the name of all that’s holy, why? ---
**Author:** ![Random](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/57b2e6/32.png) [@Random](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Random)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2005, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/random-beer-question/323605/8 "2005-09-27T14:28:51Z")
Certain state laws. They used to be more widespread. No time to look them up now, but I recall that some states used to prohibit stronger beer completely, others allowed 3.2 beer to people 19-21, reserving stronger beer to those over 21, and there were other 3.2 related restrictions. But none of this was in my state (Illinois), and my recollection isn’t 100% sure on the details. But the general answer to your question is, state law in some states, mostly in the Midwest. ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2005, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/random-beer-question/323605/9 "2005-09-27T14:37:07Z")
> [@Random](#): > > According to Leinie’s site, Red is 4.9%. IIRC, around 5% is the typical alcohol content of the popular mass-brewed beers – your Coors, Budweiser, Miller, etc. Seems strange that they would be considered “strong beers”. Also IIRC – Ireland has a similar law. My understanding is that Guiness sold in Ireland is about 3% alcohol. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2005, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/random-beer-question/323605/10 "2005-09-27T14:43:09Z")
> [@](#): > > Wait, they make beer with an alcohol content under 3.2%? In the name of all that’s holy, why? When I lived in Salt Lake City, the strongest they could serve in bars was 3.2 beer. I’m sure they would’ve allowed lower. To get wine or stronger beer, you had to join a “private club”. But that’s another story. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2005, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/random-beer-question/323605/11 "2005-09-27T14:47:53Z")
I would just like to point out that, as a homebrewer, Leinie’s is my store-bought beer of choice. It may be cheaper than the other local greats, but I prefer it (to Summit or James Page, for instance). ---
**Author:** ![Teter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ea5d25/32.png) [@Teter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Teter)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2005, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/random-beer-question/323605/12 "2005-09-27T14:54:11Z")
> [@MikeS](#): > > Wait, they make beer with an alcohol content under 3.2%? In the name of all that’s holy, why? i have recently become a victim of this “low-point” beer. relocated from new orleans to tulsa,ok. my head is still spinning from the culture, or lack thereof, shock. to get real beer you have to go to a liquor store and buy warm beer. to get cold beer you can go to the grocery but you can only buy 3.2%. as far as i know there are 4 states in the union that have 3.2% beer sales: oklahoma, kansas, utah, and colorodo. ---
**Author:** ![Random](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/57b2e6/32.png) [@Random](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Random)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2005, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/random-beer-question/323605/13 "2005-09-27T15:01:25Z")
The 3.2 issue has let to international unfair trade practices complaints from Canada: > [@](#): > > Canada observed that the states of Alabama, Colorado, Florida, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Oklahoma, Oregon and Utah provided for differential treatment of beer based on its alcohol content with respect to distribution, points of sale and labelling. Beer with less than 3.2 per cent alcohol by weight was afforded more favourable treatment, although Canada argued that all beers were “like product” irrespective of their alcohol content. Canada also noted that the definition of beer found in the United States Internal Revenue Code distinguished between beer and de-alcoholized beer, the dividing line being 0.5 per cent alcohol by weight, and not between beers of differing alcoholic content. Similarly, there was one tariff line for beer in the Harmonized System and a separate tariff line for de-alcoholized beer. The 3.2 per cent level was entirely arbitrary, although Canada observed that major portion of the market for 3.2 per cent beers in these states was served by United States manufacturers. The restrictions based on beer alcohol content treated imported like product less favourably and afforded protection to the United States industry, contrary to Article III:1. Cite: (warning PDF) [http://www.kentlaw.edu/classes/scho1/ITFall2005/CourseDocs/WTO\_2005\_Unit\_VII\_Regulation.pdf](http://www.kentlaw.edu/classes/scho1/ITFall2005/CourseDocs/WTO_2005_Unit_VII_Regulation.pdf) To expand on my prior answer, 3.2 laws have their roots in Prohibition. At the very end, as repeal was coming, the Volstead Act was amended to allow 3.2 beer as a transitional step. Upon repeal, many states kept 3.2 laws on the books, either disallowing stronger beers entirely, taxing strong beers more heaviliy, restricting them to persons over 21, or by requiring strong beer sellers to have a harder-to-get license. Today, only 6 states have any distiction, and most of those are Midwestern, rural, Bible-belt places. The under-21 distinction has disappeared, as the Feds essentially force the states to require 21-minimum laws for all alcohol sales. Today, the restrictions are on place and time of sale for strong beer, or are license and tax restrictions. Personally, I think todays’s 3.2 laws are nonsensical, and to the extent they remain, they can be traced to the political influence of certain religious groups who like to impose their social view on everyone. One thing is funny, though. I’ve heard people complain about 3.2 laws, but choose to drink light beer. What they don’t realize is that light beer is always less then 3.2%, sometimes much less. It’s impossible to signicantly reduce calories in beer without reducing alcohol content. Aside from some negligible (by weight) solids, beer is essentially water and alcohol. ---
**Author:** ![August\_West](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/august_west/32/18069_2.png) [@August\_West](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/August_West)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2005, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/random-beer-question/323605/14 "2005-09-27T15:03:21Z")
Well, sure. Here is the one GQ question I am the most qualified to answer and all of you beat me to it. I am the Quality Assurance Lab manager and a staff brewer for the J. Leinenkugel Brewing Co. Glad to see we have some fans on the board! We used to make a lot of 3.2 beer in kegs for the Minnesota State Fair because of MN archaic alcohol laws, but they revised thier laws earlier this year, so that may have changed. ---
**Author:** ![Random](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/57b2e6/32.png) [@Random](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Random)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2005, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/random-beer-question/323605/15 "2005-09-27T15:04:03Z")
Sigh. Can someone fix the endquote tag on the post following this one? (\*\* should be [/quote] ) Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![Random](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/57b2e6/32.png) [@Random](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Random)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2005, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/random-beer-question/323605/16 "2005-09-27T15:10:31Z")
Sheesh, I’m doing bad this morning. That was meant to be a -report this post- and refers to my long post above. I should also note that the Canadian complaint that I quoted refers to 8 states, and other sites I found refer to 6. I suspect, but do no know, that the distinction is likely explained either by recent changes in the laws of two states, or by a different threshold used by the sources. (Some states’ restrictions may be so minimal that other commentators ignored them.) ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_Robson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gary_robson/32/3448_2.png) [@Gary\_Robson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_Robson)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2005, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/random-beer-question/323605/17 "2005-09-27T20:24:15Z")
> [@MikeS](#): > > Wait, they make beer with an alcohol content under 3.2%? In the name of all that’s holy, why? To elucidate a bit further on the answers you’ve already received, I grew up in Colorado. At that time, the state had a split drinking age. At 18, you could drink three-two beer (beer with an alcohol content of 3.2% or lower). At 21, you could drink anything. There were even separate nightclubs that admitted 18-year-olds and served only 3.2 beer. It was very strange. I turned 18 while living there. For a couple of months, I could drink legally (if you can call that stuff “drinking”). Then I moved to another state, and wasn’t able to legally drink for another three years. ---
**Author:** ![Cerowyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/82dd89/32.png) [@Cerowyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cerowyn)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2005, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/random-beer-question/323605/18 "2005-09-27T20:50:54Z")
Since this is a thread that’s likely to attract knowledgable American beer drinkers, please answer a question that has bugged me for years: why, in the United States of America, and nowhere else on the planet, is the alcohol content of beer measured by weight instead of by volume? It’s not like wine or spirits are measured by weight, nor does anywhere else that I’m aware of use that metric. So why? ---
**Author:** ![FilmGeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@FilmGeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FilmGeek)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2005, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/random-beer-question/323605/19 "2005-09-27T21:06:21Z")
> [@Only Mostly Dead](#): > > Now that **random** has provided the random answer, I will impart additional [random commentary](http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/710/2355/). Seems the beer is a decent little cheap red only available in the NW area. Though Beeradvocate does not have a reading on its alcohol level, so I can’t confirm **random** ’s hypothesis without further testing, and I’m just in the wrong part of the country to try. Unless Kansas is somehow considered NW, Leinie red is available outside the northwest. We get it here, and yes, it is tasty. Kansas’ 3.2 beer law is just odd. 3.2 can be sold in grocery stores, but not liquor stores. That is the only distinction. Seems rather silly to me, especially since all alcohol can be sold on Sundays now. ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2005, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/random-beer-question/323605/20 "2005-09-27T22:10:23Z")
> [@MikeS](#): > > Wait, they make beer with an alcohol content under 3.2%? In the name of all that’s holy, why? I’d forgotten all about near beer. A relic from days when alcohol couldn’t be sold on Sundays. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/random-beer-question/323605.md?page=2)