Inspired by a visit to Jackie O’s Pub and Brewery last year, Ohio Sen. Jimmy Stewart (R-20th) has proposed an amendment in the current budget that would nearly double the amount of alcoholic content of beer in Ohio.
The amendment would raise the allowed alcohol content in beer from 12 percent to 18 percent, Stewart said.
The last change occurred 10 years ago, when the percentage jumped from 6 to 12, Stewart added.
“The idea is to help out small, local microbrewers,” Stewart said.
States with no limit on the alcohol content of beer include Pennsylvania, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota and Illinois, Stewart said, adding Indiana currently has a 21 percent limit.
While Jackie O’s brew master Brad Clark said he expects opposition to stem from a fear of high alcohol content, as Jackie O’s would most likely sell a bottle of the 18 percent beer at around 12 dollars, he said.
“It’s not the over consumption (that will cause problems),” Clark said. “College students are going to spend their 12 bucks on a case of beer, not one microbrew. It’s for the beer aficionado.”
Jackie O’s gets visitors from different states every week, seeking the unique tastes of locally brewed beers, Clark said.
Such an increase could potentially help out the local economy in Athens, he said.
“It would boost everything,” Clark said.
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