Samuel Adams launches beer so potent it’s illegal in 15 states

Samuel Adams’ latest version of his limited quantity “Utopias” beer is so strong that its 28% alcohol content makes it illegal in 15 US states.

Released every two years, the 12th version of Utopias is barrel-aged and finished with 2,000 pounds of cherries, including Michigan Balaton fruits, coveted by foodies for their tangy and sweet flavor in pies, cherry jams. and wine. The potent infusion will be commercially available from October 11, Samuel Adams said in a statement Thursday.

But beware of beer lovers: this stuff is expensive. The suggested retail price for Utopias is $ 240 for a 25.4-ounce bottle.

Alcohol limits in the United States vary by state. Batches of Utopias beer do not ship to Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Idaho, Missouri, Mississippi, Montana, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina, Utah, Vermont, or West Virginia, depending on the site Sam Adams web.

Regular beer has a typical alcohol level of around 5%, according to the National Institutes of Health. This level may go higher for more modern specialty beers which have grown in popularity in recent decades.

But the high alcohol content isn’t what makes “high density” beer so coveted, said Matt Simpson, owner of the beer consultancy firm The Beer Sommelier. Rather, it’s the long and painstaking process of brewing and aging thick yeast drinks like Utopias that is difficult to master, he told CBS MoneyWatch.

“They took it out of the park on their first try,” Simpson said. “They made a really good beer, which is extremely difficult to do. So the base beer alone is really good. It’s rich, it’s complex. And it’s very, very strong. barrels like barrels of spirits, and that adds even more complexity and enjoyment to the product. “