Tennessee Brew Works owner Christian Spears is counting down the days until he can pour his taproom customers stronger beers.

Come January, Spears and other Tennessee brewers will be able to make higher alcohol content beers without a specialty license under a law that raises the alcohol by weight (ABW) limit to 8 percent from 5 percent. That translates to a new alcohol by volume (ABV) limit of about 10.1 percent from the current cap of about 6.2 percent.

The law will also open the door for grocery and convenience stores to sell high-alcohol beers that are currently only available at liquor stores and restaurants/bars with a liquor license.

“The law change is going to allow us to really spread our wings," Spears said. "While we have a number of beers we’re really proud of that will stay the same, it’s going to allow us to brew some new beers that we’ve always wanted to brew but didn’t because of the constraints of our laws.”

Brewers rejoice

The bill redefining beer passed in 2014 and takes effect January 1. It’s a major step forward for the state’s flourishing craft beer industry.

Tennessee ranks 23rd in the number of craft breweries, compared to its No. 27 ranking just one year ago. Breweries have opened and expanded at a rapid pace in Nashville, especially in the past two years.

Still, growth in the industry has been inhibited by certain legislative factors, including the ABV restrictions and the state’s high beer tax.

Tennessee has one of the most restrictive alcohol content limits in the U.S. For comparison, Alabama’s ABV limit is about 13.9 percent, North Carolina’s is about 15 percent, Georgia’s is about 14 percent and Mississippi is tied with Tennessee at about 10.1 percent. Many states have no alcohol content caps on beer.

For local brewers, the law loosening ABV limits will allow for more beer creativity, make it less cost prohibitive to make high alcohol content beers and help local brewers compete with out-of-state brands.

Spears is gearing up to release a hop-forward American IPA called 1927 (7.5 percent ABV) and a Belgian-style tripel called the Tripel Star (9 percent ABV).

“Tennessee consumers haven’t necessarily been exposed to many options on the high gravity side of things. High gravity beer, or high alcohol beer, tends to have more aromatics attached, a little bit more robust flavor profile and it’s just going to be something new for a lot of folks, I think,” Spears said.

Yazoo Brewing Company owner Linus Hall helped push for the change when he was president of the Tennessee Craft Brewers Guild.

Yazoo got a distillery license in 2008, so the brewery has made limited amounts of high gravity beer but Hall said they'll increase volume of those brews, including its Hopry Double IPA (7 percent ABV). He said many breweries have been deterred by the financial costs of obtaining a separate license and the restrictions associated with making those brews.

The Guild also fought (successfully) to have Tennessee’s wholesale beer tax — which is the highest in the country —restructured so that it’s calculated on volume instead of price, a shift meant to level the playing field between macro and micro breweries.

“We got that accomplished and we said, ‘Now’s the time to get the cap raised as well because of all the talk of wine in grocery stores,’ so we tried to leverage all that interest in reforming a lot of the alcohol laws in Tennessee,” Hall said.

The wine in grocery stores law took effect in July, making wine sales legal at grocery and convenience stores across the state. Hall said if wine can be sold at grocery stores, stronger beers should also be allowed.

Come January, TailGate Beer owner Wesley Keegan plans to brew an imperial peanut butter milk stout and a double IPA. His breweries on Charlotte Pike and Demonbreun Street already have licenses to sell liquor, and while TailGate sometimes sells high gravity beer made by other breweries, it hasn't been producing its own.

Keegan, who relocated TailGate to Nashville from San Diego, Calif. in 2014, said he would still like to see Tennessee's ABV limit raised even higher or removed entirely so that brewers aren't deterred from experimenting with different types of brews.

"There are certain beer styles that start at 11, 12, 13 percent ABV. Even though it's a step in the right direction, we're still years behind," Keegan said.

More variety

Once the law takes effect, consumers can expect to see a lot more variety at local taprooms, filling stations and on store shelves.

Myers Lambert, owner of craft beer bar and growler filling station The Beer Pale on Charlotte Avenue, said customers will find a different draft beer menu in the coming months.

“We’re very limited on what we can carry and so once it gets raised to 10.1 percent, wherever you go you’ll see a completely different lineup, so it gives everybody an advantage. It broadens our spectrum as far as what we can carry by a lot,” Lambert said.

The Beer Pale has 24 taps and Lambert isn’t sure yet how many high alcohol content beers he’ll bring in, but he definitely wants to carry Bell’s Two Hearted Ale, a popular IPA made in Michigan with 7 percent ABV.

“I am just happy as a business owner that the laws are changing and we are progressing to where more people can experience different beers,” Lambert said.

Adam Baker, manager of Billy's Corner, said Bell's Two Hearted is one of the best selling beers in town but the craft beer store and growling filling station on Murphy Road hasn't been able to sell it because of the ABV limit. Baker said he will have 600 new beers to choose from just from one distributor in January, opening the door for far more variety.

“Make sure you come check it out because there are a lot of beers people have had to go to liquor stores for that we’ll be able to carry now,” Baker said.

Reach Lizzy Alfs at 615-726-5948 and on Twitter @lizzyalfs.