Yep, most barley wines I've seen were in the 9-13% range. For comparison, typical grape wine is roughly 12-16%, so similar territory in terms of the quantity it takes to get you sloshed.
Lower ABV is definitely better for all-day drinking, especially on a hot day when you need hydration too. e.g. Germans like their summer Radlers which are just lager mixed with lemon soda, often only ~3% ABV overall.
That's nuts for beer. Untapped says that one started at 14% in 2015 but now the new 2024 batch is 18.7%. Surprisingly good reviews all along. Sometimes too much alcohol harms the taste IMO.
I see a lot of American soldiers in my home city in Poland. These guys can't legally drink in their country, and our beer has twice as much alcohol on average. It's normal to see them passed out on a lawn in fron of a bar, at 9pm on a weekday.
Having considered the military, I think enlistment should absolutely remain at 18 so you have time to rise in grade and get special training if your going to be a pilot etc. The problem with alcohol is Americans are too stupid at 18 (and even 21 in some cases) to drink responsibly... Which is a problem with Americans, not alcohol at 18 (or at least it doesn't seem to be a problem in Europe). If America made the drinking age 18, a quarter of our dumbass population would be drunk within 24 hours...
I mean America is a pretty diverse place with the best beer in the world, literally. We have so many craft breweries so many varieties, so many ABV levels, so many different kinds of hops, aging, preparations, styles, etc, that I'm sure you can find in any given state thousands of people who would fare just fine. Some others that would find the German offerings a bit boring/mediocre because of the German beer purity laws that stifle innovation in that space.
German beer is good for what it is, but once you've had one each of their 5 styles, you've had them all.
German beer purity laws that stifle innovation in that space.
It's a commandment, not a law, and the only thing it amounts to today is a marketing slogan. There are tons of craft beers and independent breweries around. You seem to be rather misinformed about German beer culture.