Beer Buzz: 13 Shades of Intoxication

"Whether alcohol is a poison, a medicine, or a nourishment is a matter of dosage."-PARACELSUSNo beverage ever sipped, quaffed, or chugged is as versatile as beer. It can slake a thirst like Rocky Mountain spring water, deliver as much nutrition as a slice of whole-grain bread, complement the flavors of our favorite foods as discreetly as a French Vouvray or as robustly as a fat California cab, ease a body into peaceful slumber like a soothing brandy, or slap one to attention like a stiff shot of whiskey. It all depends on the ABV (alcohol content by volume).Strength matters-now, more than ever. Some of today's craft beers can be stronger than fortified wine, many pack the intoxicating punch of table wine, and most are significantly stronger than the beer your father drank. In Beer Buzz: 13 Shades of Intoxication, every ABV tells a story, whether it's the "bone dry" ceiling of 0.5% set by the Volstead Act, the 3.2% threshold for intoxicating beverages established after Repeal, or the contemporary sweet spot of 7.5%, where flavor and drinkability seem to be in perfect balance. Here are Benedictine monks who subsist on nothing but strong beer during Lent, Turkish street vendors who peddle an alcoholic tonic to devout Muslims, and medieval brewers who get water-boarded for brewing weak beer.