[IBU] Craft Beer in Iowa - Iowa Administrative Code, Section 123

[Joe Stutler]

Thanks, Art.
 
I've sent a copy of the proposed changes to Iowa Administrative Code, Section 123 to Ray Zirkelbach (see below), and appreciate your support on this.
 
Say, when do we start working on your reelection campaign? How may I assist?
 
Best,
 
Joe
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Iowa Administrative Code, Section 123.3 (Definitions)

Here's the proposed versions of subsections 5 and 7:

5. "Alcoholic liquor" or "intoxicating liquor" means the varieties of liquor defined in subsections 3 and 33 which contain more than five percent of alcohol by weight, and every other liquid or solid, patented or not, containing spirits and every beverage obtained by the process described in subsections 7 or 37 containing more than seventeen percent alcohol by weight or twenty-one and twenty-five hundredths percent of alcohol by volume, and susceptible of being consumed by a human being, for beverage purposes. Alcohol manufactured in this state for use as fuel pursuant to an experimental distilled spirits plant permit or its equivalent issued by the federal bureau of alcohol, tobacco and firearms is not an "alcoholic liquor" .

7. "Beer" means any liquid capable of being used for beverage purposes made by the fermentation of an infusion in potable water of barley, malt, and hops, with or without unmalted grains or decorticated and degerminated grains or made by the fermentation of or by distillation of the fermented products of fruit, fruit extracts, or other agricultural products, containing more than one-half of one percent of alcohol by volume.

If we must have an upper ceiling on ABV/ABW, the following verbage can be appended to the end of the last sentence in subsection 7: "but not more than seventeen percent of alcohol by weight or twenty-one and twenty-five hundredths percent of alcohol by volume." While still a bit low for some specialty beers, this will help ensure parity with wine.

Another item that just caught my eye is subsection 22A - Native Wine, which says [22A. "Native wine" means wine manufactured in this state.]  A subsection 22B - Native Beer might be in order as well. Proposed language: [22B. "Native beer" means beer manufactured in this state.]

Again, thanks for your support on this issue.

Cheers!

Joe

 
 

	-----Original Message----- 
	From: Staed, Art [LEGIS] [mailto:Art.Staed at legis.state.ia.us] 
	Sent: Wed 2008-01-23 11:30 
	To: Joe Stutler 
	Cc: 
	Subject: RE: Craft Beer in Iowa
	
	


	Joe, 

	Please keep me in the loop on this - let me know what's brewing. 

	Art 


	-----Original Message----- 
	From: Joe Stutler [mailto:joe at stutler.biz] 
	Sent: Wednesday, January 23, 2008 11:05 AM 
	To: Zirkelbach, Ray [LEGIS] 
	Cc: Staed, Art [LEGIS]; Olson, Tyler [LEGIS]; Foege, Ro [LEGIS]; Taylor, Todd [LEGIS]; Taylor, Dick [LEGIS]; Dandekar, Swati [LEGIS]; Hogg, Rob [LEGIS]; Horn, Wally [LEGIS]; Dvorsky, Robert [LEGIS]

	Subject: Craft Beer in Iowa 

	Hi Ray, 
	  
	Welcome home, thanks for serving, and it's good to have you back in the legislature. I'm sure you don't remember me, but we met at a Dodd event a few months back. I was heading up the Veterans for Dodd folks in Linn County...I'm a Gulf War vet.

	
	Anyway, I understand you're a beer aficionado. Very nice! I teach beer classes (appreciation, cooking with, brewing, etc) and am a brewer myself. I've heard you are looking into getting some parity between Iowa's vintners and brewers. Recently, the legislature relaxed some of the wine rules, yet our brewers (and consumers) haven't gotten any attention. I'd like to work with you and your fellow legislators to help Iowa's brewers produce better and higher-quality beers and eliminate the competitive disadvantage Iowa has in relation to surrounding states.

	
	As cliché as it sounds, I'd like to sit down with you over a beer and see what can be done to improve Iowa's brewing environment. I've cc'd a couple of legislators from Linn County to see how they can be of assistance on this, too.  I know a really nice brewpub in Cedar Rapids that would be a great place to have a conference/meeting - Third Base Brewery (formerly Cedar Brewing) - and it'd be an honor for me to buy the first round!

	
	Warmest regards, 
	  
	Joe Stutler 
	www.beer-u.com 
	319 389-7888 
	581 Ashton PL NE #1 
	Cedar Rapids, IA 52402