Mayor proposes higher alcohol content for beer at permitted events 

Springfield Mayor Jeff Schrag tonight is expected to offer an amendment to a council bill aimed at removing the cap on the number of downtown and Commercial Street events serving alcohol. 

Schrag’s amendment would increase the alcohol content of beer that is allowed to be served under a city liquor event permit. 

City code currently allows 12 alcohol-permitted events per year. The first reading and public hearing on the change to that policy was held July 14, and a second reading and vote are scheduled for tonight. The bill in its current form limits wine to 14% alcohol by weight and beer and other beverages to 5%. 

However, at council’s weekly luncheon on July 22, Schrag said he intends to introduce an amendment that would raise the limit on beer and other beverages to 8%. Schrag is founder and partial owner of downtown brewery Mother’s Brewing Co. LLC, in which he sold a majority stake in 2023. 

“It has an alcohol limit for beer of 5%, which would more or less preclude any craft beer brewed within the limits of Springfield from being sold at the event,” Schrag said at the council luncheon last week. “I propose to raise that to 8%, so that will cause this then to have to go over one more meeting. Sorry I didn’t catch this sooner.” 

The agenda for tonight’s meeting, scheduled for 6:30 p.m. at the city’s Regional Police-Fire Training Center at 2620 W. Battlefield Road, also includes the introduction of a ballot measure asking voters to approve a new 3% lodging tax to fund a proposed convention and event center.