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).
About The Author
Angelo
Angelo grew up in Maine and is proud to call New England his original home. Cascadia is now his home. He fell in love with great beer in Oregon, Washington, and Northern California. He has been a correspondent for the Portland Tribune's Guest on Tap column, LivePDX.com, and has been featured in publications such as Beer Northwest and PDX Magazine. Angelo also has a great interest in independent music, and has been a booker and organizer for shows around the Portland under the name Pop Tomorrow! Angelo garnered much knowledge regarding beer from his experiences homebrewing, working at Belmont Station, Pyramid Brewing, Upright Brewing, By the Bottle, Beer Revolution, Olde Depot Public House, Falling Sky Brewing, Cascade Brewing, and from many many knowledgeable, passionate, and loving people along the way. It is Angelo's mission to bring "infotainment" and "edumation" to the readers of this website. If you have any questions or comments, or would like to contribute, please contact me at angelo@brewpublic.com
It’s too bad the hillbilly majority ruins it for the homebrewing minority. I feel for anyone that has to live in that hurricane mecca infested with gators, rednecks and Budweiser.
The longer I live, the more I find the amount of utter ignorance continues to expand exponentially in the human race. Especially in those individuals who seek to exercise control over their fellow humans, i.e. those in most of these state’s legislating bodies. Talk about the dark ages!