N.C. bill on beer a.b.v. approved in committee.(North Carolina, alcohol by volume)(Brief...

North Carolina beer drinkers moved closer this week to sipping stronger brews after a Senate committee approved a bill raising the alcohol-content limit.

North Carolina is only one of six states that caps the alcohol content of beer at 6 percent--a law dating back 70 years.

The measure would raise the limit to 15 percent, allowing more foreign "craft brewed" brands to be sold in the state and letting homegrown microbreweries develop new variations of beer.

The Senate Commerce Committee recommended the bill to the full chamber after little debate--