The choices of beer offered in the Auburn area has recently been upgraded, and the new beer is gaining interest.

Gov. Bob Riley signed HB373, the “Gourmet Beer Bill,” into law on May 22. Before that date, no beer sold in Alabama could be above 6 percent alcohol by volume (ABV). The new beer, dubbed high gravity beer, allows the ABV to be between 6 to 13.9 percent.

“Free The Hops,” a grassroots, non-profit organization whose mission is to help bring the highest quality beers in the world to Alabama, pushed the “Gourmet Beer Bill” for four legislative sessions before it passed.

Danner Kline, founder of “Free The Hops” said getting this bill passed is the biggest goal “Free The Hops” has reached.

“The bill has opened the door for hundreds of new beers to be sold in Alabama,” Kline said. “Allowing local breweries to release new beers that are more interesting and complex than anything they could brew before.”

High gravity beer describes beer with an increased weight of sugar and gravity “pull” in the fermentation process. The beer is higher in alcohol because it contains more sugar and other ingredients at the start of the brewing process.

Kline said he has never forgotten the first time he walked into a restaurant and saw a wall cooler with more than 300 beers. It was 2004 in Corpus Christi, Texas.

“The restaurant was B & J Pizza, where I had my first Arrogant Bastard, my first Young’s Double Chocolate Stout, and my first barleywine (Lagunitas Olde Gnarlywine). It was love at first sip,” he said.

Kline said that a year prior to this experience he had been exploring craft beer in his home state of Alabama. But he didn’t realize until 2003 that Alabama’s law banned all beer that was more than 6 percent ABV. He said he knew it seemed unfair, but it didn’t seem too important at the time.

“The law didn’t become clear to me until that fateful trip to Texas where I was able to taste the forbidden fruit for myself,” he said.

One month after his first taste Kline formed freethehops.org.

Kline said he took on the task of freeing the hops in Alabama because he knew it could be done.

Kline said that Sean Wilson of “Pop The Cap,” an organization working for beer reform in North Carolina, informed him of the commitment involved in running a campaign to reform a Southern state’s beer laws.

“I couldn’t solve world hunger or end war, but I could legalize Trappist ales in Alabama,” Kline said. “With great trepidation, I decided to take the plunge.”

Finding supporters of “Free The Hops” wasn’t easy until Kline emailed Kim Thomson at Birmingham’s homebrew store, Alabrew. He sent Kline’s contact information out to his customers and Kline was contacted by a costumer named Lee Winnige who was willing to work just as hard as Kline to help free the hops.

When businessman Harry Kampakis got word of their efforts, he put more money into the campaign and helped get the ball rolling even more.

Interest grew into news stories in Alabama newspapers to an interview with Comedy Central’s “The Daily Show.” The media attention brought more and more members until they had enough to focus on changing the laws. By the end of 2005, lobbyist Michael Sullivan was on board. The first bill was introduced in 2006, but never made it out of committee. By 2007, “Free The Hops” had nearly 400 members and believed their moment had arrived.

At the start of the session “Free The Hops” conducted their first private beer tasting for the Senators and Representatives in Montgomery, opening their eyes to exactly what they were asking them to legalize.

The bill made it to the House floor this time, but most of the beer wholesalers were still opposed, because the bill may effect their sales, and the bill failed again.

“In hindsight, I believe we lacked the critical mass needed to change an alcohol law in Alabama,” Kline said.

The “Magic City Brewfest” of 2007 greatly increased “Free The Hops’” visibility and brought a wave of new members. They thought 2008 was the year the bill would finally pass. But something stood in their way. The Alabama Senate spent most of the 2008 session deadlocked in filibuster over gambling in the form of Bingo in some rural parts of the state.

“Free The Hops” grew for another year and made it obvious to legislators that they were far from giving up.

They introduced the bill once more in 2009. This time they knew it had to pass.

“We knew that another year without success would crank the grumbling up to deafening levels,” Kline said. “Sanity itself was on the line for some of us.”
This time the Senate had accomplished enough during the session that they could afford to vote on a niche bill. It passed easily.
The only obstacle left was a signature by Gov. Riley.

“There were rumors that he would veto any alcohol-related bill that didn’t include a referendum,” Kline said.

But only a little over a week after the bill passed the Senate, Riley signed the “Free The Hops” bill into law.

“We were told the thousands of calls and emails to his office we’d generated in support had made the difference,” Kline said.

Within the last few months High Gravity beer has flowed into the Auburn area. Restaurants and stores that include Mellow Mushroom, 17-16, Fine Wine and Beer by Gus and more are carrying the beer.

Fine Wine and Beer by Gus owner Gus Clark said that he’s seen an interest in the high gravity beer. By the end of this week Clark said that he’ll be carrying around 29 high gravity beers.

“There is an interest,” Clark said. “There is an interest in people trying it just because it's something new. And there are people who are interested in it because they don’t have to travel to Georgia anymore to get the product.”

Clark said that he has always had high hopes that the "Gourmet Beer Bill" would pass.

“I wouldn’t have opened a beer and wine shop if I didn’t have high hopes that it would change,” he said.

Mellow Mushroom manager Todd Vickery said they have also seen an interest in the beer. Now they are carrying around 12 bottled high gravity beer and 7 draft.

“People are definitely interested,” he said. “Every week we’re getting more.”

But there are a few draw-backs to the "Gourmet Bill Bill." The restaurant or store has to have a special license to carry the product. Local homebrewer John Little supported the bill, made presentations to legislative committees and brewed beer to serve at fundraisers in support of the bill. But Little is disappointed in the amendment to the bill.

“The door got cracked open for high gravity beer, but we’re limited to where it can be sold,” Little said. “The impact that it has is that there is a handful of stores that can get the beer. The impact on consumers is that now we’ve got a wider selection at a handful of stores.”

A few other restrictions on beer in Alabama include the container size limit being 16 ounces and that brewpubs must be located in a historic building. Also, homebrewing is still illegal.

Kline said that these issues will eventually be addressed by “Free The Hops.”

“The hops are much freer than they were just a few months ago, but a few chains remain,” he said. “Over the last five years Free The Hops has developed an enormous base of support among Alabama citizens and has earned the respect of Alabama legislators. Hopefully these strengths will translate into quicker success on future bills.”