Legal Hooch in AL and OK? Almost

image courtesy of pusgums

Alabama and Oklahoma may be joining the rest of the states (with one exception - Mississippi) in allowing home brewing and wine making. Currently, in Alabama, homemade beer and wine is illegal. There is a small exception for farmers in Alabama: they can grown their own grapes, and make five gallons of grape wine per year for personal use (for the entire household). Oklahoma currently allows home made wine, but not beer. Home distilling is still illegal in every state.

Changing laws is often a long process; it is not as simple as finding a sponsor for the bill. The Alabama organization, Free the Hops, has made large strides in the last couple of years in changing archaic alcohol laws (such as low ABV limits, and, hopefully the home brewing law). Organizations like this, with the support of local businesses and citizens, are the ones that push changes through.

The states still outlawing home made beer and wine are often worried about excessive drinking, loss of tax revenue, and increases in under aged drinking if home made beer and wine were allowed. Homemade spirits are another story all together. Meanwhile, allowing hobbyists to make beer and wine at home has not caused problems in other states, and most home brewers and vintners are responsible drinkers more interested in creating something. To be honest, there are already many people making beer and wine at home where it is still illegal. The state Alcohol Control Boards generally do not have enough man power to police every household.

The bills in Alabama and Oklahoma have recently passed the Senate votes, and now await the House votes in each state. Let’s hope the legislators stop making criminals out of home brewers and vintners!