Sorry I haven't posted in a while, been busy with work and also with FTH stuff. Luckily we're seeing some progress with FTH.

For those who don't know, Free the Hops is a grassroots organization in Alabama that is working to bring world-class craft and gourmet beers to Alabama. Currently beer is capped at 6% alcohol by volume, shutting out many of the great beers out there. When compared to he limits for wine (14.9% for table wine, higher for fortified) and liquor (what limit?) this is seen to be a patently ludicrous law.

That's close to becoming less ludicrous.

FTH introduced HB196 this year to raise the allowable ABV of beer to 13.9% and it passed the Alabama House by a narrow margin almost two months ago. Since then the Senate has been tied up with infighting, but as we near the end of the session they've gotten back to work. With politics nothing is guaranteed, but it looks very likely that HB196 will be going up for a vote in the Senate this Thursday. This is the farthest that this bill has gotten in the course of the three years that FTH has been pushing it, and we are optimistic that we can get it passed, but we need your help.

Whether you appreciate good beer and want to see it brought to Alabama, or are just a big fan of consumer choice, I'd like to ask you to contact your senator. The more people they hear from, the more likely they are to vote in favor of this bill. At the very least, if they know there is good support for it in their district they won't vehemently oppose it. You can go to this site and enter your zip code to find out who your senator is. The best bet to reach them is their phone number in Montgomery. It only takes a minute or two, needing nothing more complex than: