This bill amends the Arkansas Code to redefine "beer" and adjust the allowable alcoholic content in beer and malt beverages. The new definition of "malt beverage" includes liquor brewed from fermented grain juices with an alcoholic content ranging from five percent (5%) to twenty-one percent (21%) by weight. Specifically, beer is now defined as any fermented liquor made from malt or a malt substitute with an alcoholic content not exceeding ten percent (10%) by weight. Additionally, the bill clarifies that malt beverages also fall under this definition, allowing for a broader range of products to be classified as beer.

The legislation also modifies various sections of the Arkansas Code to reflect these changes, including the purpose of the beer and light wine subchapter, which now legalizes the manufacture and sale of beer with an alcoholic content of no more than ten percent (10%) by weight. It establishes new regulations for the sale and distribution of beer and malt beverages, prohibiting the possession of beer exceeding this limit on licensed premises. Overall, the bill aims to modernize the state's alcohol laws by expanding the definition of beer and increasing the permissible alcohol content, thereby aligning with current industry standards.

Statutes affected:
SB 564: 3-1-102(a), 3-5-201(a), 3-5-202(1), 3-5-214(a), 3-5-221(b), 3-5-221(d), 3-5-227(a), 3-5-1202(2), 3-5-1403(2), 3-5-1901(3), 3-7-104(6), 3-7-116(a), 3-8-401, 3-8-601(1)
Act 596: 3-1-102(a), 3-5-201(a), 3-5-202(1), 3-5-214(a), 3-5-221(b), 3-5-221(d), 3-5-227(a), 3-5-1202(2), 3-5-1403(2), 3-5-1901(3), 3-7-104(6), 3-7-116(a), 3-8-401, 3-8-601(1)