High Proof

I want to use this, my first entry to talk a little bit about a bit of semantics near and dear to my heart. It's no big deal to everyone around me, but to this geek the term "High Proof Beer" sends chills through my spine, each time I read it I can seriously feel the blood in my veins getting hot.

Why should I care so much? Do allow me to elaborate.

Mr Weber defines the word "proof" when pertaining to alcohol as "the minimum alcoholic strength of proof spirit b : strength with reference to the standard for proof spirit; specifically :alcoholic strength indicated by a number that is twice the percent by volume of alcohol present

Did you folks read anything about beer in that definition? I didn't either. However I have not inches from where these fat fingers type a list from the Iowa Alcoholic Beverages Division titled "High Proof Beer", I keep this because it is the last of such lists published before Iowa's beer laws changed in March of this year. Such a respected ;) bureaucratic organization as the Iowa Alcoholic Beverages Division must know what they're talking about, right? Quite wrong in fact, the designation of a Proof on a beer shows that the Iowa ABD was much better at laws than facts, but that's their job right? Well before March their job was also to distribute whatever beer over 6.25% alcohol by volume they deemed worthy to be sold in the state, a job whose execution left many beer lovers in Iowa wanting.

So what does all this have to do with terminology and why I'm so angry? The reason the Iowa ABD was distributing this beer was because of a law, a law that states that liquor sold in the state of Iowa be distributed by the Iowa ABD. By definition of the law, any beer over 6.25% Alcohol By Volume was considered Liquor. By comparison no wine even twice that strength is or ever has been considered liquor here. We had a clear legal fallacy until march of this year that treated many many beers as liquor. As liquor their strength had to be weighed in proof as opposed to the more traditional and appropriate designations associated with beer such as "Alcohol By Weight" "Alcohol By Volume" or "Gravity". Henceforth any beers sold through the state were called "High Proof Beers" by the Iowa Alcoholic Beverages Division.

In the past few months I've heard bar and store owners, patrons, and employees using the term "High Proof" in regards to beer, and what's worse I've seen it in print on posters, menus, and advertisements of such establishments both in Des Moines and throughout the state. Ladies and Gentlemen, the law has changed, the terminology is obsolete, using the term "High Proof" only reminds us of dark past, and makes us look like backwoods, bumbling, ignorant fools in the beer world. Let's move on.