To the Alberta Liquor and Gaming Commission, on behalf of craft beer connoisseurs in Alberta.
It has come to my attention on Monday, November 29th, 2010, that a fax had been sent to liquor stores and media outlets across Alberta, halting the purchase or import of beers with an ABV content greater than 11.9%, due to the risk of binge drinking. We believe that this attempt at alcohol control is highly misguided and should be repealed for reasons discussed below.
As beer is a widely varied drink in terms of market diversity, and styles, more so than most wines and spirits, it isn’t fair to lump beer into any particular legislation that can have far reaching negative effects on beer as a whole. Extreme examples of this would be the style of a light American lager compared to a Belgian dark strong ale. The former being a typical drink for social gatherings and parties, the latter being the typical drink for enjoyment sessions, not unlike those of a fine wine.
The elimination of beers above 11.9% is not going to prevent or deter binge drinking. It will eliminate a small but growing market in Alberta of craft beer drinkers who like to enjoy specialty beers that typically have high alcohol content. These are beers that provide a flavour profile that is both strong and complex, and they cost significantly more in cost and manufacturing than lagers that are purchased for parties and binge drinking.
When it comes to alcohols in general, the elimination of beers above 11.9% ABV seems arbitrary compared to the other options available. An example of this is wine, which in general has ABV rates of between 10% and 15%, which can be had for prices cheaper by volume than many beers of equal or lesser ABV rates, and have a higher level of drinkability (the “I’ll have another” factor) than those beers. Since drinkability is an important issue in binging, lets look at some of the alternative binge examples.
Highballs. Essentially mixing spirits of 40% ABV, give or take, with other non alcoholic ingredients, significantly increasing the drinkability of the beverage, while decreasing the ABV to a level still 3 to 6 times that of a typical lager. This is done both in private residences, and at Class A licensed establishments. In many cases, it is already being done by manufacturers, not necessarily within province, but imported from out of province manufacturers.
Liqueurs. Typically with an ABV of 15% to 30%, these have added flavourings and sugars to sweeten or create a more pleasing taste, enhancing the drinkability to, in many cases, a level greater than some wines. This type of flavouring is generally in the opposite direction of strong ales, which have a tendency of being very strong flavoured through specialty malts with a high level of hop bitterness and aromatics. While taste can be a personal preference, sweetness is generally accepted to be a desirable flavour over bitterness.
From a business perspective, or even the perspective of an aspiring brewer, this is now an imposed limitation that will eliminate certain beer styles almost completely. Brewing is an art, and the ABV is only one of many factors that play into the final product. While the majority of the market does indeed lie within lighter beers, there is a distinct subset of the market that truly does appreciate the finer side of beers, including the heavier beers brewed in or inspired by Belgium. There is a long rich history that goes into many of these strong beers that many of us appreciate.
Looking at this issue from a dollars perspective, it is probably best to break things down to how much per mL of alcohol you would be paying for a bottle of beer. For example, a $2 355ml bottle of beer at 4.5% ABV will have a cost of about $0.125 per mL of alcohol. An $8 650ml Belgian at 13% ABV would net you around $0.095 per mL of alcohol. Keeping in mind this is a niche product versus a typically premium product. Take it even further and compare to leading national and international brands of low cost American lager at about $1.25 for a 355ml can of beer at 5% ABV, and you are down to $0.071 per mL of alcohol. Using these metrics, the Belgian and lager have a difference in cost per unit of alcohol that favours the mainstream lager by 25%. Because of this, it makes even less sense that beer above 11.9% are being banned from sales in Alberta.
These are important factors to note when it comes to defining what it means to be a binge drinker, as costs and drinkability both are key factors in this. I have defined for you the differences between drinkability of lighter mainstream lagers and typical strong ales, and while both are called beer, they have different markets. Banning high alcohol beers because of the possibility of binge drinking is without merit because those beers are too expensive to appeal to binge drinkers. It is a danger to the craft beer market, to free enterprise, and to personal freedoms.
It is the opinion of myself and craft beer drinkers across the province of Alberta, that the ban on beer with an alcohol content greater than 11.9% should be lifted immediately. We would also like to have greater transparency and consultation in the decisions made by the AGLC that may affect beer, whether adversely and positively.
Sincerely yours,
Chris Heier
