How strong is that beer? Oct 5, 2000 Editor's Note: Since this newsletter was written, we have compiled a muchlonger list of beers and their alcohol content. We've long joked around the office that those advertisements for mainstream"ice" beers promising "more of what you want and less of what you don't" werecode for "more alcohol, less flavor." Fact is, there are good reasons to knowhow much alcohol is in a beer beyond seeking more buzz for the buck. Itcertainly makes a difference if you plan to get behind the wheel after acouple beers, and perhaps a difference how you will feel the next morning.  Of course, the government has taken the stance that putting alcohol contenton bottles encourages drinkers to look for the strongest beer -- andtherefore brewers shouldn't include it. Some responsible publicans, such asthe folks at Racers' Cafe in Parkville, Md., post the alcohol content of eachbeer prominently on a blackboard that lists the beers on tap. It gets confusing for U.S. beer drinkers because the alcoholic strength ofwine the world over and beer almost everywhere outside of the United Statesis measured by volume. The U.S. legal standard (many states regulate thestrength of beer) is by weight. For instance, a beer that is 3.2% by weightis about 4% by volume. If you know the alcohol by volume (abv), multiply thatby .8 and you'll be pretty close to the alcohol by weight (abw). Inversely,multiply the abw by 1.25 to find the approximate abv. As you know, it is a misnomer that darker beers are stronger than lightercolored beers (Guinness Stout at 4% abv versus Westmalle Trippel at 9% abvshould be proof enough). But it's safe to bet that barley wines, imperialstouts and doppelbocks will impair your driving much quicker than Bud Light. So here's a list of beers, the style they represent, and the alcohol content(by volume and by weight) of that particular beer. Of course, the alcoholcontent of other beers of the same style may vary. We've limited the list to20 beers. If you'd like information about a particular beer feel free to sendemail to[email protected] and we'll try to get you the information. Alaskan Amber -Altbier - 5.2abv/4.2abw
BridgePort Old Knucklehead -Barley Wine - 9.1abv/7.3abw
Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout -Imperial Stout - 8.3abv/6.6abw
Celis White -Belgian Wit - 4.9abv/3.9abw
Chimay Grand Reserve -Trappist - 9abv/7.2abw
Duvel -Belgian Strong Golden Ale - 8.5abv/6.8abw
Fuller's London Pride -Bitter - 4.7abv/3.8abw
Gordon Biersch Marzen -Marzen-Oktoberfest - 5.8abv/4.6abw
Mackeson Stout -Sweet Stout - 5abv/4abw
Magic Hat Blind Faith IPA -India Pale Ale - 6.1abv/4.9abw
Oasis Zoser Stout -Oatmeal Stout - 5abv/4abw
O'Dell's90 Shilling -Scottish - 5.6abv/4.5abw
Paulaner Salvator -Dopplebock - 7.5abv/6abw
Pete's Wicked Brown -American Brown Ale - 5.2abv/4.2abw
Pilsner Urquell -Pilsner - 4.4abv/3.3abw
Redhook ESB -Extra Special Bitter - 5.4abv/4.3abv
Samuel Adams Boston Lager -Bohemian-style Pilsener - 4.75abv/3.8abw
Sierra Nevada Pale Ale -American Pale Ale - 5.3abv/4.2abw
Theakston Old Peculier -Old Ale - 5.6abv/4.5abw
Tucher Helles Hefe Weizen -Hefeweizen - 5.3abv/4.2abw Tasting notes CARLSBERG ABBEY ALE
Brewed in Denmark Michael Jackson writes: A rare special from the Scandinavian giant. Dark walnut color. Spicymaltiness in the aroma. Hints of cocoa and toffee in the palate. Creamy,fruity (fresh apricots?). Touch of fruity acidity as the finish dries.Light-bodied and restrained for the style, but nicely balanced. Thissurprising product was brewed from four malts (Pilsner, Munich, caramel andchocolate), and sugar, and hopped with Saaz. It was top-fermented, andbottled unfiltered. Only 3,000 bottles were produced for sale, but it ishoped that more such experiments will emerge every three months. | 
