Area brewers bring medals from Denver

Ohio's limit on alcohol in beer sold and made in the state is 12 percent.

(Peggy Turbett, The Plain Dealer)

CLEVELAND, Ohio – Time does not appear to be on the side of the proposed legislation to raise the alcohol limit in beer in Ohio from 12 percent to 21 percent.

Legislation must be addressed within the general assembly's term, and there haven't been many meetings during the summer, John Tyler, aide to Ohio Rep. Dan Ramos, told The Plain Dealer.

Tyler said there is a "potential" for the bill to be discussed in September, but time is running out. (Click here for our story about the pros and cons of the proposal.)

It was Ramos who initiated the legislation, which would lift the alcohol limit on beer sold or made in the state. Raising the limit would mean Ohio brewers who want to experiment with barley wines or certain imperial-style ales can do so, and out-of-state brewers could bring in beers that currently are prohibited.

End of the session doesn't mean the definitive end of the bill. Tyler said the process would have to restart from its beginning, meaning the bill would have to be reintroduced with a new number and supporters would have to be notified of potential changes to its language.

Those supporters, he said, include members of the non-profit Ohio Craft Brewers Association.

"It's something that's a benefit to our members, and we would hope it would pass," said Mary MacDonald, the association's director.

"We introduced this original HB 356 in the last general assembly. The bill was slightly tweaked," Tyler said. "That bill had nine representatives signed on to that one introduced in October 2011. It got a first hearing. When we introduced it in this general assembly there were 21 (representatives) signed on to it in late 2013. We haven't had a hearing."

If enacted, the legislation probably would have more of an effect in Cincinnati compared to other parts of the state, since it lies adjacent to Kentucky, a state with no limits on malt beverages.

"This is a little more about freedom of creativity, which is what craft brewing is all about," MacDonald said.

Tyler speculates that the bill probably won't be heard soon, given that only a handful of dates remain available for hearings and discussions in the statehouse.

With the end of the general assembly approaching, "every bill not enacted into law is kind of wiped off the table. If not passed through, it falls off the table. It's no longer there, and the 131st general assembly basically restarts that process."

Ramos' term expires in December. He is eligible to run again.