Samuel Adams’ new beer is so strong it’s illegal in Georgia

ATLANTA — Samuel Adams’ new beer is packing so much of a punch that it’s KO’d here in Georgia.

The Utopia brand beer will be on shelves next month, but you won’t find it in the state of Georgia. That’s because the new beer contains 22% alcohol by volume. Georgia law only allows beer to have 14 percent.

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According to Georgia law, beer or malt beverage means any alcoholic beverage obtained by the fermentation of any infusion or decoction of barley, malt, hops, or any other similar product, or any combination of such products in water, containing not more than 14 percent alcohol by volume and including, ale, porter, brown, stout, lager beer, small beer, and strong beer.

The beer is also illegal in Alabama, Arkansas, Idaho, Missouri, Mississippi, Montana, North Carolina, New Hampshire, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina, Utah, Vermont or West Virginia for the same reasons.

The 12th edition of Utopias uses 2,000 pounds of cherries, including Michigan Balaton cherries.

“We pioneered the barrel-aging and blending process of Utopias almost thirty years ago and continue that time-honored tradition today,” said Jim Koch, founder and brewer of Samuel Adams. “Since the introduction of Utopias in 2002, brewers have explored uncharted territory with each brew, experimenting with different kinds of aging barrels, new flavors, and different blending techniques. The result is always special, spirited, and worth waiting for.”

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Utopia was the official beer of Inspiration4, the first all-civilian spaceflight mission to orbit. Sam Adams will donate a maximum $100,000 to support Jared Isaacman’s challenge to raise $200 million for St. Jude. To extend support of the cause, Samuel Adams brewer Jim Koch is offering his personal bottle number one of 2021 Utopias, signed by himself and the Inspiration4 crew, and a trip to the Samuel Adams Boston Brewery for the St. Jude Charitybuzz auction. To learn more and bid, visit stjude.org/launchparty. All proceeds raised will go to support St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

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Read more about the beer HERE.

Information from the Associated Press was used in this report.

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