Are most Canadian beers 'stronger' than American beers?

Question

I'm talking in terms of alcohol proof percentages, of course.

Answer 1

Nope. They are pretty much the same.

One confusing difference is the difference between Alcohol by Volume, and Alcohol by Weight. I know here in Canada, it is usually measured by volume. Average beer runs around 5%. If that were converted to ABW it would be 4%, so it sounds different, but is actually the same amount. ABW = ABV * 80%

Different styles of beer have different ranges of alcohol within the style. Some types of beer are just stronger than others. For example, a brand of India Pale Ale may be around 6% abv while the same brewery may produce a pilsner at 4.5% abv.

As a side note, the strongest beer in the world is actually produced by an American brewer, Boston Beer Company. Samuel Adams Utopias MMIII is rated at 25% ABV.

Answer 2

They are. this is because they are allowed to have a higher alcohol content in Canada than they are here in the states. Beer in the US is ridiculously thin. I remember the first tim i tried the US import of Irish Guiness. I had drank it in Ireland many times and was pleased to find it here, until I drank it. It was weak.

There are regulations in the US as to how much alcohol Beer can contain by percentage, and individual states limit that even further in some cases (Utah sells 3-2 beer which is even weaker than normal). Because the alcohol content is so low, people have to drink more, which, due to the nex taxes generate more revenue. In Canada 2 or 3 pints will do me fine...here in California half a case doesn't do much at all.

Answer 3

The alcohol content "proof" of beer in America is controled by each state. So if you drink a beer in Arkansas it does not have as much alcohol as one does in Mississippi. So, there is a difference from state to state as well as country to country. I know becouse when I was young we used to drive an extra 13 miles to a store in another state becouse we felt like we were getting more for our money.

Answer 4

It depends. I know Black Label is like 9% alcohol. Some of the American beers up there have more alcohol up in Canada as well.

Answer 5

Yes. My favourite beer is Budweiser and in Canada it is 5% and Bud Light is 4%... But in the states Budweiser is 4% the same as Bud Light in Canada. I am a bartender, and when I have American customers they always order Canadian "Light" beer and tell me it is still stronger than theres...

Answer 6

I don't think so, but I haven't traveled extensively through Canada so I don't know what their microbrew culture is like. The obvious ones are probably roughly the same, like Molson vs. Coors or Miller, but we, at least on the west coast have hundreds of microbrews that are popular everywhere, virutally every bar has a huge selection of them, and they range anywhere up to 12% alcohol. I can think of a handfull of beers that are 6% and up. Deschuttes Brewery Black Butte Porter 6%. Sierra Nevada Big Foot 12%. Deschuttes Brewery Seasonal Ale is about 9%, so is Pyramid Brewery Snow Cap, somewhere around 10% I think. Anyway, like I said, I haven't done any field research, but one day I will.

Answer 7

Yes and no.

They are kept at a strength appropriate for where they are being bought/sold.

For instance: Budweiser in the US is 4% alcohol. Labatt Blue in Canada is 5%.
However, Budweiser in Canada is 5%, and Labatt Blue in the US is 4%.

It's more accurate to say that beer in Canada is "stronger" than been in the US, irrespective of the country of origin.

Answer 8

YES, most Canadian beer is 5%. Most American beer is 3.5%

Answer 9

some are , but some are not.

there is a beer from quebec called la fin du monde (end of the world) that is close to 10 percent , but on the other end of the scale there is one with only .5 percent (half a percent)

Answer 10

yeah I'm Canadian and when I'm in the states I hate the beer. It's like pop to me...it's WEAK.