Riley raises Alabama alcohol limit

MOBILE, Ala. - Changes in the beer flow are coming to the Hurricane Brewing Company. The hops are about to be freed. Alabama had the country's lowest alcohol limit on beer.

For the last four years, a grassroots organization called Free the Hops has tried to change that. Friday, when Governor Bob Riley signed the Gourmet Beer Bill, change came.

The alcohol limit in beer goes from 6% to 13.9% by volume. The new law also allows specialty and imported beers to be bought in state. The owner of Hurricane, Henry Arrington said the law isn't to get people drunk faster.

It's too bring high quality beer to Alabama.

Opponents of the bill said the change could lead to more underage drinking or drunken driving, but Arrington disagrees.

"After other states raised the limits, there were no stats on more drunk driving. And teens aren't going after $6 bottles of beer, they'll go after $6 - 6 packs," said Arrington.

Beer isn't the only alcohol getting stronger in Alabama. Last week, the governor signed a bill that allowed the sale of stronger table wine in the state.