Why Samuel Adams' Utopias Beer Is Banned In 15 US States
Brewing strong beer is nothing new to Sam Adams, a company that has been conjuring up intense concoctions for over three decades. In the 1990s, when most breweries were focused on creating lighter refreshments, the Boston-based brewer was heading in the opposite direction, exploring unique ways to make beer with heightened flavor profiles and alcohol content. Its Double Bock was released in 1989 with an ABV of over 9%, which was a head-turner at a time when subtler beers like Coors Light and Miller Lite controlled the market. The Triple Bock that came next in Sam Adams' extreme brew line nearly doubled the ABV of its predecessor and was followed by Millennium in 1999, which boasted an ABV of 21%. But the New England brewing company wasn't done trying to raise the bar for extreme beer.
In 2002, Sam Adams released Utopias. Uncarbonated and sold in ceramic bottles that resemble a copper brew kettle, this rare potation tastes less like a beer and more like an aged cognac. Originally, they had an ABV of 21%, but after tinkering with the brewing process, brewmasters were able to boost the horsepower up to a whopping 28%. The drink is so strong that it cannot be sold in 15 states, ones which have laws against selling beer with ABV levels that reach beyond a certain point. The states that outlaw Utopias are Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Idaho, Missouri, Mississippi, Montana, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina, Utah, Vermont, and West Virginia.
Despite the bans, Utopias beer gets around
As one might expect with a suggested price tag of $240 for the 24.5-ounce bottle, Utopias is no ordinary beer. Brewed and fermented at its Cincinnati Brewery, Sam Adams' special brew is then transported to Pennsylvania for aging. After aging, it travels to Boston, where it is sampled and blended with Utopias from previous vintages. Once it's up to par, it is delivered to the Dogfish Head Brewery in Delaware, where it is bottled in its signature faux copper kettle. Because Utopias is blended with Triple Bock from 1994 to 1996 and Millennium from 1999 to 2000, it carries a five-year age statement — something usually associated with whiskeys.
When Sam Adams began pioneering the extreme beer category, it was a high-ABV island in a sea of lighter refreshments, and the name "Utopias" reflects this. Triple Bock's release coincided with the emergence of the X-Games, and Jim Koch, Sam Adams founder, saw a similarity between his formidable brew and the extreme sports phenomenon that was gaining popularity — both had no home to call their own categorically. The Greek-derived word "utopia" is often associated with an ideal society, but translated differently, it can also mean "nowhere." The moniker "Utopias" is a play on the fact that the beer had no real classification to call its own at the time. However, while once exclusive, people today often seek out more powerful brews, and many companies other than Sam Adams are supplying the demand for higher ABVs.
The high-ABV craft beer trend
Where many people used to look for the best bang for their buck by getting the best deal on beer by total volume, higher ABVs are now the more approachable bargain for countless consumers. Folks often just want to have one alcoholic drink, and the 19.2-ounce cans with higher ABVs commonly sold in liquor stores and convenience stores alike are a favorable option to get a buzz from just one bev. Sam Adams may have pioneered the way, but the beer industry is teeming with companies making stronger brews for a customer base that demands it.
Most double and triple IPAs lining store shelves today range from 8% to 12% ABV – much higher than a Miller light but containing nowhere near the firepower within a Utopias. Though it has far less alcohol than the strongest beer in the world – which is 67.5% ABV — it is still one of the heftiest beers available in the U.S. in terms of alcohol content. Part of a club housing some of the most unique beers in the world, Utopias is meant to be drunk more like a hard liquor, in a cognac snifter, so one's palate can discover the subtle, underlying flavor profiles that come from older beer vintages ... in the states that haven't banned it, that is.