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Will Craft Brewing Bring About a Lowering of the Legal Drinking Age?

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posted on Apr, 15 2012 @ 09:59 PM
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As I sit here drinking a Troegs Nugget Nectar out of a Left Hand Brewing Wake Up Dead glass I've got to thinking. It seems like the number of people who appreciate good beer is on the increase. I've also noticed that family friends who are also beer geeks tend to be more acceptable of their children drinking if they're underage. So I'm wondering if the current interest Americans have shown in beers with flavor will eventually lead to a lowering of the legal drinking age.

In the past American beer has been equated with water and urine. Now however we have tons of breweries like Dogfish Head, Russian River, and Epic that have made American beer some of the best in the world. As a result we have people drinking not to just get drunk. They're drinking to appreciate masterpieces of flavor that can compete with the best wines and they're passing on similar mentalities to their children.

I'm just wondering what ATSers think on this topic. Eventually these children who have been raised on artisan brews will reach maturity and take positions of power. Do you think their test in craft beers will cause a lowering the legal drinking age?



posted on Apr, 15 2012 @ 10:14 PM
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No. While I harbor a libertarian view in regards to personal freedom, especially for the intake of drugs and alcohol, I strongly doubt the gov't will lower the drinking age due to better beer quality. This would be like suggesting they make MJ legal because of a rise in quality; not going to happen.

I also like the drinking age where its at; I don't want to see 14-year-old kids infesting (current) 21+ bars and clubs, or coming out to 21+ shows. Kids already get drunk enough without worrying about the drinking age, I don't care so much about that as I do them ruining adult venues.


It is possible, however, that perhaps certain alcohols could become exempt from the drinking age under the guise of being exceptionally delicious, though I'd imagine you'd still have to be 21+ to buy them.



posted on Apr, 15 2012 @ 10:37 PM
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reply to post by DestroyDestroyDestroy
 


The thing is though in the past there really wasn't a reason to drink American beer other than to get drunk. It either lacked flavor altogether or tasted awful. Now however we have well thought out beers full of flavor that are readily available. Even heavy hitters like Anheuser-Busch are putting out "craft beers." As a result we are seeing beer being less about reaching an altered state of consciousness and more about enhancing the taste of a meal, or serving as a dessert, or an apertitif. Slowly children are being raised to no longer treat alcohol as a drug but as something akin to a fine meal. And as children are being raised in such a situation they are treating drinking with respect instead of merely a way to kill time. I don't think it's too far fetched to think that as more children are raised in such a household and as they take positions of power that the legal drinking age will be lowered.



posted on Apr, 16 2012 @ 12:23 AM
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That reminds me, National Homebrew Day is on May 5th. I'm planning on making a batch of Mead, and thinking about a Chocolate Cherry Stout. It's either that, or a Jalapeno IPA. We're planning on brewing 20 gallons this year, having a possible new recruit attending.

In order to craft beer, you have to study the effects the different adjuncts will have on the base process. It's true that most american-made "premium" beers leave the world to be desired. I recommend the leap to home-brewing, as you will learn about not only the brewing process, but will also discover a hidden world of flavor that you never imagined you could create.

It's not that the drinking age is too high, it's the factor of responsibility. The younger you are the less mature you are, not on an individual basis, but as a general rule across that age group. However, there are adults who are irresponsible as well.

Short term, no.

Long-term, perhaps, but only after the current mindset of this generation has passed.



posted on Apr, 16 2012 @ 12:47 AM
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Originally posted by DestroyDestroyDestroy
No. While I harbor a libertarian view in regards to personal freedom, especially for the intake of drugs and alcohol, I strongly doubt the gov't will lower the drinking age due to better beer quality. This would be like suggesting they make MJ legal because of a rise in quality; not going to happen.


You are confusing the age in which it is legal to purchase alcohol with actually imbibing it. Most states do not have a limit in which it is illegal to imbibe alcohol -- especially in the confines of private property. But purchasing is a much different story.

Many do not realize though; age limit is set by States under blackmail by the Federal Government. It is done so by threatening States that wish to lower their limit to say 18 (the legal age you become an adult and can sign your life away; save booze) by not providing highway and/or transportation funding. Just have to love legal bribery and blackmail.


I also like the drinking age where its at; I don't want to see 14-year-old kids infesting (current) 21+ bars and clubs, or coming out to 21+ shows. Kids already get drunk enough without worrying about the drinking age, I don't care so much about that as I do them ruining adult venues.


I don't think you would ever see that anyway (except in small areas). Businesses would have too much risk in allowing the sale of alcohol (if the age were dropped to say 16) and consumption thereof, upon their premises (if it is a bar or club.)

Post Script:
There are some states that adopted the 21 limit as their outright age of consumption. Really all this can be attributed to MADD (which is about as pure as PETA and while have intentions of good, tend to push bad policy).
edit on 16-4-2012 by ownbestenemy because: (no reason given)



posted on Apr, 16 2012 @ 12:58 AM
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I don't get the drinking age being set at 21 in the U.S. at all.

So at age 18 little suzy can legally shove anything in all orifices and videotape it for money, but cannot then go buy a bottle of wine afterwards?

Just a bizarre world we live in.




Our legal drinking age is 18 and rightfully so. You are an ADULT at 18 by all legal standards. How can this law even be constitutional? It's age discrimination.
edit on 16-4-2012 by Goldcurrent because: (no reason given)



posted on Apr, 16 2012 @ 01:28 AM
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Why bother changing the law to allow people to do what they want, when you can just throw them in jail, instead?



posted on Apr, 16 2012 @ 03:21 AM
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Originally posted by Goldcurrent
I don't get the drinking age being set at 21 in the U.S. at all.


You can thank MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving) for the forcing and quite frankly, outright blackmailing of the States to establish and keep their legal age of purchase and public possession of alcohol at the age of 21.

As it is, if a State desires to lower their drinking age, they are subject to a reduction in Federal highway funds. As tight as the State budgets are, this would be devastating. Essentially the Federal Government sidestepped the 10th Amendment here in this regards and quite nicely (in a twisted way).


How can this law even be constitutional? It's age discrimination.


While there is technically no specific law that establishes the legal age of possession and purchase, there is codified language that will punish States that do not comply. By doing so, the limit is rightly left to the States to decide, but quite literally under the jack-boot of the Federal Government.

Such laws are deferred to the State levels via the 10th Amendment. There are even some states that have a corresponding law that makes the consumption of alcohol, even in the comfort of private land, a criminal offense prior to the age of 21.

Those laws are Constitutional (by US and presumably by the individual States that establish them).



posted on Apr, 16 2012 @ 05:07 AM
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Reply to post by Xcalibur254
 


There still isn't any other reason for a lot of people.

I've been home brewing for a few years now and whnever someone asks me about nine times out of ten their o ky concern is "is it cheaper than Bud".

Imagine spending years perfecting a style to just how you've always wanted it to be just so some drunk can pound back five gallons on a Saturday night.

These aren't ignorant twenty-somethings either. I'm having this conversation over and over with fifty year olds.

I never knew how many drunks there are. Intoxication is the goal for them. Piss or wine, makes no difference.

That's said, an arbitrarily assigned drinking age is assinine. But then, I'm not one of these raging drunks.



 
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posted on Apr, 16 2012 @ 06:01 AM
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My opinion is that if kids were introduced to alcohol by their parents as teenagers and taught how to drink responsibly, there would be less reckless danger from underage drinking.

The thrill of doing something ilicit is part of the problem.



posted on Apr, 16 2012 @ 06:21 AM
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While I do believe that the drinking age should be set at 18, as a home brewer myself, I do not think that craft brewing will make underage drinking acceptable. My ales and stouts are regularly 7.0 ABV and up. I had one come out at 18.3 ABV (chocolate oatmeal stout) If Underage kids got ahold of a few of those and drank them like the crap swill that most kids drink, they would probably never drink again due to the massive hangover the next day. Craft Beers tend to contain more alcohol.



posted on Apr, 16 2012 @ 06:34 AM
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I told my kids and I still tell any kid that wants to bring this subject up the same thing. If they want to be able to drink a beer, as they should, they need to get together and do a couple of things.

1. Vote, get the politicians attention.
2. Stop joining the military. If they aren't mature enough to drink then they aren't mature enough to make the decision to possibly die.

There should only be one age for everything "adult", 18 in my opinion. For drinking, smoking, marriage, driving and all else.



posted on Apr, 16 2012 @ 07:47 AM
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Alcohol needs banned, not encouraged. Lower the age limit? Are you serious? The only drug out there that comes close to the devastation wreaked by alcohol is crystal meth. Crack doesn't come close, neither does heroin. Alcohol is the worst possible thing to give a teenager. Those who advocate doing so are advocating child abuse.

How many thousands of families has beer alone destroyed? How many dead? Last I read it was 200,000 PER YEAR. And you want to start our kids off drinking this poison even younger? Who cares what it tastes like? It's poison!!! When I was young the age was 18. And every 18 year old I knew was an alcoholic. You want 18 year old kids in bars? What is wrong with you?

Am I the only one who sees a beer in the hand of most every man who beats his wife? Here in America men drink beer all day the go home and punch their wife in the face a few times and piss on themselves before passing out. And you want more of this? Why? Beer is not Koolaid. It is not soda pop. It's a lethal poison that kills people and families. Promoting it is the lowest of behaviors.



posted on Apr, 16 2012 @ 08:15 AM
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Originally posted by Ookie
Alcohol needs banned, not encouraged. Lower the age limit? Are you serious? The only drug out there that comes close to the devastation wreaked by alcohol is crystal meth. Crack doesn't come close, neither does heroin. Alcohol is the worst possible thing to give a teenager. Those who advocate doing so are advocating child abuse.

How many thousands of families has beer alone destroyed? How many dead? Last I read it was 200,000 PER YEAR. And you want to start our kids off drinking this poison even younger? Who cares what it tastes like? It's poison!!! When I was young the age was 18. And every 18 year old I knew was an alcoholic. You want 18 year old kids in bars? What is wrong with you?

Am I the only one who sees a beer in the hand of most every man who beats his wife? Here in America men drink beer all day the go home and punch their wife in the face a few times and piss on themselves before passing out. And you want more of this? Why? Beer is not Koolaid. It is not soda pop. It's a lethal poison that kills people and families. Promoting it is the lowest of behaviors.


Why don't you relax a little friend. I take offence to your last paragraph. You are essentially calling every beer drinking male a woman beater and that is utter poppycock. I drink beer I brew and on occasion will buy beer when mine isn't done fermenting. I have never ONCE laid hands on my wife and we have been married near 14 years. I believe you owe me and many others a serious and heart felt apology.



posted on Apr, 16 2012 @ 08:26 AM
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doubt they'll change the drinking age.

If it's that much of a concern, I'd recommend checking with the State laws you have. I was surprised by some of them here in Texas.

For instance - while I knew I could give beer/wine to my teen girls AT HOME provided I was AT HOME, I did not know that I could also let them drink in a BYOB restaurant. I found this out when we were out to dinner at a place where we bring a few bottles of wine to drink. The server (and owner) asked if we wanted glasses for the girls. Now, they would never sell any to them but since we brought it, they could pour it.


In regards to homebrewing and craft-beers, I just started brewing my own stuff. I have batch #2 racked and just polished off the first batch with impressive reviews and results! I'm sticking more to traditional styles but with a Texas twist - I'm smoking the grains using various woods and accompaniment.

First batch was a Hickory Pork Irish Porter. It tasted almost like a mix between Guinness and Newcastle. Unfortunately the smokiness wasn't quite noticeable but it had a lot of body and character. I didn't do any readings but I'd guess the ABV was around 5%.

Up next is a Mesquite Turkey Helles. I made sure the grains were on the smoker for awhile this time and initial indications are that it's going to come out really good (using a scientific method known as siphoning and getting a mouthful in the process )

I'm really enjoying it so far and prefer to master the common styles before venturing into the Chocolate-Oatmeal-Banana-Coffee-Mango-Bacon-Cherry-Truffle IPA with a 26% ABV



posted on Apr, 16 2012 @ 08:33 AM
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Originally posted by petrus4
Why bother changing the law to allow people to do what they want, when you can just throw them in jail, instead?




AND charge them lots and lots of money to get out. Government for fun and profit. Not too heavy on the fun though are they?.



posted on Apr, 16 2012 @ 09:44 AM
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reply to post by thisguyrighthere
 


What I'm seeing though is more of the next generation treating beer as more than a means to get drunk. They know terms like ABV and IBU. They can pick out the taste of specific grains and hops. They're becoming more conscious of what they're drinking and as a result being more responsible when it comes to drinking.

And let's not forget that craft brewing has led to a change in legislation in at least one case. So what's to say that as it grows in popularity it won't have an even larger impact on the way Americans view drinking.

Off-topic I'd just like to say how happy it makes me to see the number of homebrewers we have on here. Maybe we can get ATS to create a forum for homebrewing.



posted on Apr, 16 2012 @ 09:56 AM
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I certainly think it should be lowered to 18. It is quite absurd that an adult must wait another 3 years. Either he is an adult with all the rights and responsibilities, or he is not and age of adulthood should be pushed to 21. Otherwise it is inconsistent.



posted on Apr, 16 2012 @ 10:20 AM
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Not sure if this topic is even kosher but I think that if the 21 drinking age were lowered to 18, it would reduce the thrill of breaking the law. Plenty of 18-19 year olds have died where I live from traveling into Canada to get drunk or buy alcohol and then crashing on the way back, etc.

I'm also a homebrewer and avid supporter of the craft brewing industry, one of the few where I feel strongly enough to throw my support behind.



posted on Apr, 16 2012 @ 10:40 AM
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reply to post by Xcalibur254
 


Off-topic:

I wanted to start a homebrew thread last year for NHD, and even asked a mod about. I was told the cooking forum would be a good spot. I never made it, but it does seem there are several members with homebrew knowledge.

I'll check the firehose after work today, and if nobody's made one yet, I'll start one.







 
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