COLUMBUS – Lining up 99 bottles of this beer on the wall would set you back about $19,000.
Fortunately (or not) you will only have the chance to buy one 24-ounce bottle of Sam Adams Utopias for the retail price of $189, or $7.88 per ounce.
The brewer has sent 25 bottles of its high-octane brew to Kroger stores in central Ohio and the grocery chain is offering customers the opportunity to win a chance to buy the beer, which is considered the rarest in the world and which boasts a potent 28 percent alcohol content, Kroger spokeswoman Jennifer Jarrell said.
The sale of Utopias was previously restricted in Ohio due but legislation signed into law earlier this year eliminated the cap on alcohol by volume in beer so the retailer is celebrating with a “Cheers to House Bill 37” promotion.
Customers over 21 can enter for a chance to purchase a bottle of Utopias at 21 central Ohio Kroger locations until Dec. 10:
7625 Sawmill Rd., Dublin
2525 Hilliard-Rome Rd., Hilliard
919 E. State St., Athens
300 S. Hamilton Rd., Columbus
801 N. Houk Rd., Delaware
7100 Hospital Dr., Dublin
60 Worthington Mall, Worthington
7345 State Route 3, Westerville
6417 Columbus Pike, Lewis Center
1045 Hill Rd. North, Pickerington
1375 Chambers Rd., Columbus
150 W. Sycamore St., Columbus
1177 Polaris Pkwy., Columbus
3975 Powell Rd., Powell
55 W. Schrock Rd., Westerville
1500 Lexington Ave., Mansfield
5991 Sunbury Rd., Westerville
199 Graceland Blvd., Columbus
1501 W. 5th Ave., Marysville
1155 N. 21st St., Newark
5161 Hampsted Village Center Way, New AlbanyWinners will be selected Saturday, Dec. 10 at 5:00 p.m.
First released in 2002, Utopias is aged in a variety of wood barrels for 22 years, giving what experts describe as “a subtle sweetness and a deep rich malt character that is reminiscent of a vintage Port, fine Cognac or aged Sherry.”
Jarrell says the uncarbonated beer is best enjoyed as a two-once pour in a snifter glass at room temperature.
We’ll take her word for it.