Missing

More than 90% of the world's beers are illegal in Mississippi.

And 87 of the Top 100 beers at BeerAdvocate.com are not found anywhere in Mississippi. Many Mississippians (even those who love good beer) have no idea that the state imposes limits on alcohol by weight for beer. Our lack of awareness is easy to explain: these beers simply aren't on our store shelves or on tap. Out of sight, out of mind.

But a growing number of us are discovering great beers away from home. And instead of buying and enjoying these beers in Mississippi, we're stocking up on road trips to Tennessee, Louisiana, Georgia, Arkansas, and Florida. All of these states legally sell beer above 5% ABW. That's beer that should be brewed, imported and enjoyed (and money that should be spent) in Mississippi.

In many cases, these excluded beers are aged like fine wine and are handled and consumed with the same respect. Many come from long traditions of craftsmanship in the countries where they are produced (including religious orders), or they represent American brewers’ new interest in classic styles of beer.



Here's a sampling of beers that are currently illegal in Mississippi. This list is not exhaustive, only illustrative. Excluded by the 5% ABW limit:

Strong Scottish Ales

• Traquair House, MacAndrew's Scotch Ale, McEwan's Scotch Ale, Belhaven Wee
  Heavy, Scotch du Silly, Vermont Pub and Brewery Wee Heavy

German Bocks, including Helles, Maibocks, Dopplebocks, Eisbocks, and Weizenbocks

• Hacker-Pschorr Dunkeler Bock, Dunkel Ritter Bock, Einbecker Ur-Bock, Ayinger Maibock, Spaten Premium Bock, Pschorr Maerzenbock, Wuerzburger Maibock, Hacker-Pschorr Maibock, Augustiner Hellerbock, Fieders Bock Im Stein, Forschungs St. Jacobus Bock, Paulaner Salvator

Russian Imperial Stouts

• Samuel Smith Imperial Stout, Courage Imperial Stout, Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout, Rogue Imperial Stout, North Coast Old Rasputin Imperial Stout, Victory Storm King

American and English-style Barleywine

• Sierra Nevada Bigfoot, Rogue Old Crustacean, Victory Old Horizontal, Anchor Old Foghorn, Young’s Old Nick, Fuller’s Golden Pride

Seasonal Brews

• Young's Winter Warmer, Full Sail Wassail, Winterhook Winter Ale, Rogue Monk Madness

Belgian Dubbels, Tripels, Strong Golden Ales, Strong Dark Ales, Saisons

• Westmalle Dubbel, LaTrappe Dubbel, Affligem Dubbel, Steenbrugge Dubbel, Celis Dubbel, Westvletteren 4, Westmalle Tripel, Affligem Tripel, Grimbergen Tripel, Corsendonk Monk's Pale Ale, Bruggse Tripel, New Belgium Trippel, Duvel, Lucifer, La Chouffe, Moinette, Celis Grand Cru, Pawel Kwak, Gouden Carolus, Scaldis (a.k.a. Bush), Rochefort 10, Chimay Grand Reserve, Saison Dupont, Moinette, Laforet, Saison Silly, Sezoens

Dogfish Head Craft Brews

• 19 of the 22 beers from Dogfish Head Craft Brewery fall above the 5% ABW limit