Md. Senate votes to outlaw grain alcohol

[alp227]

Source: Baltimore Sun

Maryland senators voted Wednesday to outlaw sales of the clear, potent booze that's been a staple at college parties.

The move comes after a push from Maryland university presidents who say grain-alcohol, which is 95 percent pure, contributes to a dangerous culture of binge drinking. The 190-proof liquor is sold under several brands and sometimes is marketed as "moonshine," but is often known by the most popular brand name, Everclear.

"This is a small step we can do to improve to safety," said Sen. Richard Madaleno of Montgomery County, a Democrat who sponsored the bill at the request of college presidents. The Senate approved it 37-10, primarily along party lines.

The potential ban now moves to the House of Delegates, which has twice before killed such proposals.

Read more: http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/politics/blog/bal-md-senate-votes-to-outlaw-grain-alcohol-20140205,0,5675609.story

[VanillaRhapsody]

1. this sucks...I make the worlds greatest asskicking Kahlua with that!

[WhiteTara]

5. It's great for herb tincturing too.

I also love my home made kahlua...I'm enjoying a glass of one now as a matter of fact. yummm

[Fred Sanders]

2. When law abiding citizens are banned from owning 190 proof hooch only outlaws will have it.

Which is a good thing.

[Trillo]

3. Grain alcohol is also used to make herbal and cooking extracts

For example, orange extract is made by putting peels of oranges in grain alcohol. Yes, you can buy tiny bottles of orange extract with a few tablespoons volume for several dollars, but it's not frugal.

[radhika]

10. Also used to make custom bitters...silly nannies. N/t

[NutmegYankee]

4. More dumb nanny statism.

I'm sure the 151 proof version will go on sale and liquor stores in Pennsylvania border towns will get some new business.

[Major Nikon]

6. "This is a small step we can do to improve to safety,"

This is dumb as day old dogshit. The college students aren't drinking the stuff straight. They are mixing it with Kool-Aid or Red Bull. Substitute another ethanol product that's 75% alcohol instead of 95%, and use less water in the Kool-Aid or pour more hootch into the Red Bull. Do they really think college students aren't smart enough to figure that out?

[lib87]

7. *Hangs Head in Shame*

We Use to drink it straight in college. Shots for everyone!

Not sure how my liver made it through that time in my life lol

[Major Nikon]

8. I have no doubt some do

However, I'm pretty sure the ones that do are a small enough minority to be statistically irrelevant. Drinking Everclear straight is self limiting. The stuff is cheap, nasty, poorly distilled, rot gut shit that will make all but the most hardened alcoholics puke if you drink very much of it. Even serious alcoholics generally won't touch the stuff unless they are mixing it. The ethanol content is not really the worst of it. The worst of it is the stuff is poorly distilled so that other alcohol by-products are included along with the ethanol. Even if you are drinking the stuff straight, it doesn't make that much difference. 4 shots of 190 proof or 5 shots of 151 proof equals the same amount of ethanol. I drink straight whiskey several times per week and I'm pretty sure I could hold down 5 shots of Barcardi 151 a lot easier than 4 shots of Everclear. Most binge drinkers are going to have an even tougher time. Banning 190 proof alcohol could possibly even exacerbate the problem.

[brett_jv]

9. 190+ Proof has been outlawed in California my whole, long, drinking life ...

And I'm here to tell ya ... it's really not missed.

Bacardi 151 is plenty strong if you just HAVE to have that burn.

While I doubt much of anything is accomplished by it's ban, nothing important is really lost either.

[nilesobek]

11. Lemonheart 151 from Guyana

with lime and coke is my cocktail right now.