Tag: Abv vs abw

In the wake of Prohibition, the 1933 Cullen-Harrison Act legally defined the highest permissible beer as 3.2% alcohol by weight (ABW), giving rise to the term **low point beer** for a generation. This specific historical regulation established what was considered low point beer, a classification that has since been replaced by modern low-alcohol and non-alcoholic options.

Historically, Canadian beers did have a higher average alcohol content than many of their US counterparts due to differing measurement methods. But today, the simple answer to whether Canadian beer has a higher alcohol content is more nuanced than it once was.