Homebrew Bill Again Defeated in Alabama

Living in the Pacific Northwest it is easy to take for granted our liberties when they pertain to our right to homebrew. Think you’ve got it bad, just think of how it must be to aspire to legally produce artisan beer, table wine, cider, or mead in a place such as Alabama. For the third consecutive year, Alabama’s House declined the acceptance of HB 266 which reads as follows:

127048-1

By Representatives McCutcheon, Morrow, Johnson (W), Ison, Faust, Williams (P), Brown, Beech, Canfield, Boothe, Fincher, Todd, Scott, Patterson, Hubbard (J), Jackson, Mask, Chesteen, Ball, Hall, Buskey, Grimsley and Howard RFD: Economic Development and Tourism

First Read: 22-MAR-11

SYNOPSIS: This bill would allow adult persons to produce homebrewed beer, mead, cider, and wine in limited amounts for personal use.

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT

To permit adult persons to produce homebrewed beer, mead, cider, and wine for personal use.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF ALABAMA:

Section 1. (a) Notwithstanding any provisions to the contrary, a person who is not prohibited by Section 28-1-5, Code of Alabama 1975, from purchasing, consuming, possessing, or transporting alcoholic beverages due to age may produce beer, mead, cider, and wine for personal and noncommercial uses, in the amounts specified in this section, without payment of taxes or fees and without obtaining a license. The aggregate amount of the beer, mead, cider, and wine permitted to be produced under this section, with respect to any household, shall not exceed the aggregate amounts specified in U.S.C §5053(e). (b) Beer, mead, cider, or wine produced under this section may not be sold or offered for sale. (c) Beer, mead, cider, or wine produced under this section may be removed from the premises where it was produced and may be transported for personal and noncommercial uses, including use at organized events, such as homebrewing competitions, tastings, judgings, and craft exhibitions.

Organized events involving beer, mead, cider, or wine produced for personal use may be held on the premises of entities licensed under Title 28, Code of Alabama 1975, without violating the terms or conditions of licensure. (d) Nothing in this section permits the production of distilled liquors, such as bourbon, whiskey, rum, or vodka, for personal use or otherwise. (e) Nothing in this section permits a person less than 21 years of age to purchase, consume, possess, or transport beer, mead, cider, or wine produced for personal use. (f) Nothing in this section permits the production of beer, mead, cider, and wine in a dry municipality, as the term is defined in Chapter 3 of Title 28, Code of Alabama 1975, and, with the exception of wet municipalities, as the term is defined in Chapter 3 of Title 28, Code of Alabama 1975, nothing in this section permits the production of beer, mead, cider, and wine in a dry county, as defined in Chapter 3 of Title 28, Code of Alabama 1975.

Section 2. This act shall become effective immediately following its passage and approval by the Governor, or its otherwise becoming law.

Read Brewpublic’s previous post about Craft Beer In Alabama.

Read another post by Brewpublic about Finding Craft Beer In Alabama.

Read Brewvana’s post about Law and Beer (regards Alabama).