Alcohol Content of Beer and Malt Beverages: Forensic Considerations

Abstract

Beer consumption is commonly an issue in a medico-legal setting, requiring estimates either of a likely blood alcohol concentration (BAC) for a given pattern of consumption or vice versa. Four hundred and four beers and malt beverages available for sale in the State of Washington were tested by gas chromatography for their alcohol content. Considerable variability in the alcoholic strength was found, even within the same class. Overall the range of concentrations was 2.92%v/v to 15.66%v/v. The mean alcohol concentration for ales was 5.51%v/v (SD 1.23%v/v), and for lagers, 5.32% (SD 1.43%v/v). Some specialty brews had characteristically higher or lower mean concentrations; ice beers 6.07%v/v, malt liquor 7.23%v/v, light beer 4.13%v/v, seasonal ales 6.30%v/v. Six brands of lager and four light beers account for the majority of all beer sales in the United States, and the mean alcohol concentration for these products was measured as 4.73%v/v and 4.10%v/v respectively. Few of the beers (17%) were labeled with respect to alcohol content, and in some cases, there was a significant disparity between the concentration listed on the label, and the measured alcohol concentration. Toxicologists need to exercise caution when performing Widmark type calculations, using all available information to select the most appropriate estimate for alcoholic strength of a beer or malt beverage.

HPLC and GC-MS analyses of organic acids, carbohydrates, amino acids and volatile aromatic compounds in some varieties of rice beer from northeast India

“…The level of consumption of alcohol also varies amongst individuals . Our results show that the average content of alcohol is around 4.5%, which is less than that in malt beers at 5–10% . Therefore, consumption of rice beer at this level could be considered as safe for human health.…”

College Students Lack Knowledge of Standard Drink Volumes: Implications for Definitions of Risky Drinking Based on Survey Data

“…Alcohol content can vary significantly among drinks of the same type. For instance, Logan et al (1999) measured the alcohol content of 404 beers and malt beverages that are available for sale in the state of Washington, most (74%) of which were brewed in the United States. Concentrations ranged from 2.92 to 15.66% per volume, and there were often disparities between the true alcohol content and the content stated on the label.…”

Alcohol and Malt Liquor Availability and Promotion and Homicide in Inner Cities

“…In the present study, we did not include data on alcohol or malt liquor consumption. Previous studies show that consumption of malt liquor is higher among African Americans compared to Whites, and malt liquor consumption is associated with higher blood alcohol content and more frequent loss of control and aggressive behavior than standard alcoholic beverages (Chen and Paschall, 2003;Logan et al, 1999;NIAAA, 2000). In a future grant application on this topic, we plan to include pilot data on the consumption of malt liquor and other alcoholic beverages.…”