This Famous Beer Returning To Colorado, But Illegal In 15 States

When you think about beer in Colorado with a high alcohol percentage, you might think about craft beer with 8 to 10 percent ABV.

Samuel Adams has a special beer that they release spontaneously. This beer is not seasonal like pumpkin spice lattes or anything. When a batch of Utopias is ready, Samuel Adams will release it.

Get our free mobile app

One of the World's Strongest Beers Returns to Colorado

You may or may not be familiar with the beer Utopias from Samual Adams. The beer has an ABV of a whopping 28%. For reference, Jack Daniels whiskey has an ABV of 40%.

That is quite a heavy beer.

The heavy beer comes with a heavy price. ABC reports that each bottle costs $240 before tax.

This Beer Is Illegal In 15 States

Due to the high alcohol content, Utopias is illegal in 15 states. The beer by Samuel Adams is legal in Colorado. Here are the states where it is illegal to purchase this beer.

• Alabama
• Arkansas
• Georgia
• Idaho
• Missouri
• Mississippi
• Montana
• New Hampshire
• North Carolina
• Oklahoma
• Oregon
• South Carolina
• Utah
• Vermont
• West Virginia

Where to Find It

Utopias is quite hard to find, too. Since Utopias is 28%, you will not be able to purchase it at a grocery or convenience store in Colorado. In Colorado, these stores are only legally allowed to sell alcohol that is 3.2% or under.

If you want to find Utopias, I would recommend calling your liquor store before expecting to find it easily. I went on Instacart and found it. I would recommend doing that and having the beer delivered directly to you.

What Makes This Beer Special

First of all, the percentage of alcohol is pretty ridiculous. It is crazy to think that there is a 28% beer. It is even more ridiculous that this is considered beer. This is how Samuel Adams describes it.

Some of the beer in this extreme reserve spends up to 30 years in bourbon barrels, which makes for a pretty tough customer. It’s inefficient, but the long road to your glass means Utopias has earned a complex character for a drinking experience above the ordinary.

The Gnarly Gnome says that Utopias is sweet, malty, and reminiscent of a cognac.