At least 11 major brands – including Bud Light, Corona, Killian, Landshark, Michelob AmberBock, Miller High Life, Modelo, natural Light, Rolling Rock, Shock Top– have pulled six packs of bottles from Utah. Two more — Rainier and Tecate – have pulled six packs of their cans.
The Responsible Beer Choice Coalition is pushing for a change to Utah’s 3.2 beer law. They say they want to maintain consumer selection.
With more states allowing higher-alcohol beer to be sold in grocery stores – Oklahoma and Colorado were effective Jan. 1, Kansas will allow full-strength beer July 1 – only Utah and Minnesota will require weaker beer in grocery stores. Anheuser-Busch and MillerCoors have said it’s not worth brewing lighter beer for just 0.06% of all beer sales.
The Coalition is asking the public to persuade the Utah Legislature to raise the cap on grocery-store beer to 4.8% alcohol by weight from 3.2%. Not every beer would go to 4.8%, says Kate Bradshaw, a Salt Lake City lobbyist and director for the Responsible Beer Choice Coalition, noting Bud Light and Coors Light are at 3.4%.
The Utah Brewers Guild doesn’t support bumping the limit to 4.8%. It wants the cap removed entirely. Until that happens, or the cap is raised to at least 7% or 8%, it thinks there shouldn’t be any change at all.