Can You Find Sam Adams' Utopia in Iowa, Illinois, and Wisconsin?

Samuel Adams has brought back one of its most coveted beers. It's also one of the strongest beers in the history of brewing, which such a high alcohol-by-volume (ABV) content that it's a shock it can still legally be considered a beer. That said, the beverage is so strong for a beer that it's been banned across multiple states.

The beer is Samuel Adams Utopias 2025, which is a product of Boston Beer. It's a limited edition, barrel aged beverage that blends various vintages that have been aged up to 30 years. Per The Des Moines Register, the aging process utilized barrels that previously held Irish whiskey, cognac, scotch, and other alcoholic beverages. Once it's aged, it's blended with a previous iteration of Utopias before being bottled into a unique 24.5 oz bottle.

How Strong is Samuel Adams' Utopias?:

Utopias 2025 is 30% ABV, which is the strongest in its history, following 14 previous limited edition variants. Just when you thought Goose Island's Bourbon County was boozy, this one packs a whole different punch.

The history of the beer is quite remarkable too. Jim Koch, the founder of Boston Beer, was always fascinated by "darker, richer" beers, especially when he saw his competitors trying to make beers that were extremely light. Boston Beer then became pioneers of the "Extreme Beer" movement, attempting to create beverages with high ABV counts, such as their limited release, Millennium (21% ABV) back in 1999, per The Des Moines Register.

Can You Buy Utopias 2025 in Iowa, Illinois, and Wisconsin?:

Because of it's almost unfathomably high alcohol content, many states have been Samuel Adams' Utopias 2025 from hitting stores shelves. The beer cannot be sold in the following states:

Alabama
Arkansas
Georgia
Idaho
Missouri
Mississippi
Montana
New Hampshire
North Carolina
Oklahoma
Oregon
South Carolina
Utah
Vermont
West Virginia

That means Utopias 2025 can indeed be sold in Iowa, Illinois, and Wisconsin.

How Much Does Utopias 2025 Cost?:

If something in the alcohol world is "limited edition," it might as well be code for "expensive." Utopias 2025 has a suggested retail price of $240, per The Des Moines Register. And because the thrill of the hunt is part of the appeal, there is no way to search local liquor and grocery store shelves virtually to see where Utopias 2025 is sold.

With tasting notes of "caramel, oak, and dried fruit with subtle hints of smoke and citrus," Boston Beer recommends serving Utopias 2025 at 1-2 ounces per serving as room temperature. By that metric, each bottle holds anywhere from 12 to 24 servings.