South Carolina is one of only FOUR states to limit alcohol by weight (ABW) for beer to under 5%... ...that is, until the law changed! Governor Sanford signed House Bill 3218 into law on May 2, lifting the 5% ABW limit to 14% (17.5% alcohol by volume). *** NOTE: the PTC-SC blog is updated more regularly than this website. What follows is old news, thanks to the South Carolina legislature.*** Thanks to the state's antiquated definition of beer, nearly one-third of the world's beer styles are illegal to brew or sell. This artificial cap limits consumer choice, stifles the state's beer, retail and restaurant businesses, and limits state tax revenue as thousands of South Carolinians drive to Georgia and North Carolina to purchase their specialty beer. With its 5% ABW (6% alcohol by volume) cap, South Carolina joins West Virginia, Alabama, and Mississippi as the only states in the nation with a severly low alcohol cap on beer. Pop the Cap SC! is a grassroots advocacy group committed to lifting the 5% alcohol by weight cap for beer brewed and sold in South Carolina. .