Some brands of beer could disappear from store shelves as Utah adjusts to new beverage laws.
Consumers in the state will soon be allowed to buy beer with more alcohol — 4% by weight instead of current 3.2% — at grocery and convenience stores but restocking may take some time, reports FOX 13.
Beer designated 4% alcohol by weight is equivalent to 5% by volume.
The change on Nov. 1 to state law eliminates the need for beer producers to make weaker versions to accommodate Utah.
“We’re really excited about it. It’s a big change for Utah,” General Distributing President Andy Zweber told FOX 13. “We’ll be able to get the national versions — the regular production line version of a lot of the brands they distribute — and they won’t have to make a special batch for Utah, so it will make it a lot simpler.”
Brands that had lower alcohol versions will be upgraded to full-strength while other brewers will appear on some Utah shelves for the first time.
“There will be temporary out-of-stocks. It’s kind of inevitable. We’ll do our best to keep our retailers in stock as much as possible, but with a change this big, with this many brands and packages, logistical challenges, there’s gonna’ be some temporary out of stocks,” Zweber said to FOX 13. “But, if we didn’t make the law change, there’d be permanent out-of-stocks.”
Read more at FOX 13 in Salt Lake City.
