Your ideal ABV in a beer?

6.5-7.5 is my sweet spot. I'll go lower in a heartbeat, but 7.5% is much upper limit 90% of the time.

 

Spending some time in England at the moment, so 3-6 got my vote. Realistically, when I return to the US, it will sneak up to the 6-9, mainly because that's the abv where most of the beer I like hangs out. Wish it was 3-6.

 

Big Beers preferred for me. TIPA, Barleywine, massive Stout.
But cha can’t do dat every day.

My current every day grab is Sixpoint Resin at 9.1%. Always have one in the box waiting.,.

 

3.5% & up to whatever Utopias is.

 

If it were somehow possible for all beers, regardless of style, to be around 5.5%, I’d be thrilled.

 

In the US, other than NAs (by law, must be less than 0.5% abv) and true 0.0% Alcohol Free beers, one would be really hard pressed to find beers under 3%.

 

Good point. As my limit is 0.5% I left the poll unchecked this time. 0.6-3% are no go lands . 2.5-2.8% are not very uncommon here, would say from historical reasons. 2.8% was formerly considered non-alcoholic (!)

 

Timed out, consider this an addition to the former post. Probably the only thing the prohibition guys in America got right was setting the NA limit at 0.5%, has stood the test of time.

 

Yeah, in the US in the mid-1980s there was a brief fad of "LA" (Low Alcohol) Beers, which is when the still-current TTB legal definitions were likely established.

Anheuser-Busch led the way (unusually, they usually let other brewers go first and follow only after the market is established) even being awarded a trademark on "LA":

...much to the annoyance of the other brewers who followed the fad, especially Heileman (numerous LA's under their Blatz, Old Style, Carling, Lone Star, Rainier, Schmidt, etc. brands) and Stroh (Schaefer LA). Not sure how the legal issue worked out - the segment probably disappeared before the lawsuits were finished.

 

You know how I'd respond, in general, but I also think it depends on the style.
Ideal % for ____ style.
I'm thrilled with any beer under 5% that tastes great.

But I also have a deep weakness for DIPAs when the body is willing.
Cheers!

 

I personally don't care about ABV. But it seems like the beers I like are always high ABV. Imperial Stouts, Double IPA's, Barleywine's, etc.

I would definitely drink a big malty, hoppy, IIPA that comes in at 3.5% ABV. But I think those things are mutually exclusive.

 

Great answer and radio station!

 

This is dependent on style. I'm not a big fan of anything under 5. I love Pilsner so 4.5-5 is totally except able in that case. But 7.8 is my ideal

 

Well, as with any other alcoholic drink one is dosing oneself with a (fairly dangerous) drug. Careful dosing is the essential thing. In excess the drug renders one goofy, incoherent, and, at the limit, dead. Regular overconsumption leads to addiction (cf. The Lost Weekend) and ruined health. Finding the sweet spot of pleasant relaxation (with a mild uptick in energy, paradoxically) without the negative things accompanying over-consumption for me is fairly easy: a 12oz. bottle of a decent quality beer in the 4-6% range, with preference to those beers in the lower range. Past that I get woozy and over-tired--and then over-energized (if not hung over). For me even a 16oz. lager at 5% is too much. However if I'm actively socializing--yakking, walking around, having fun--I find I can drink more, or more boozy beers. That's not a regular thing, though--but as with other drugs, it really does often come down to set and setting. As far as flavor goes, I generally don't care for the taste of the stronger beers either, with the exception of well-done Belgian Tripels and sours.

 

For me it depends entirely on style. I casted my vote for 10%+ but that’s just because my preferred style are BA Stouts / Barleywines.

That said, I’m a big saison / farmhouse fan and typically enjoy those in the 4-5% range, and when it’s hoppy stuff I like 6-8%. Summer crushers, European lagers, etc. 5% is my sweet spot.