New Hampshire
House lawmakers are expected to vote on a bill that would legalize home
liquor distilling. Booze enthusiasts are currently allowed to make up to 200
gallons of beer and wine at home - depending on the size of their household, but
distilling liquor at home is against state and federal laws. As of today, I haven’t been able to find the
results of the vote last Wednesday.
That doesn't
make sense to Representative Scott Wallace of Danville. "The natural progression of the hobby is
you make some wine, if you'd like to turn that into brandy, that's not
currently lawful. This bill would allow
for that." Wallace says it could
also help entrepreneurs who want to try their hand at distilling on a large
scale - but are overwhelmed by the high cost of licensing a liquor distillation
business.
The bill is
part of a trend across the country pushed by hobbyists who are trying to change
both state and federal laws to allow for small batch, artisan distilling. The Hobby Distiller’s Association was formed with the initial
intent of working as a strong, unified voice in an attempt to change federal
legislation in the United States, finally getting hobby distilling recognized
and given the same legal standing that are afforded to hobby brewing and wine
making.
In the past there have been several failed attempts at legalization of
hobby distilling. This is in great part due to the lack of support, lack of
direction, and lack of unity. Too many previous movements have been derailed
because of another small group of people competing for support. This results in
too little support for any one group. The Hobby Distiller’s Association aims to
change that as the first fully organized and fully financially supported
organization to press for legalization of hobby distilling. Yes, it is
unfortunate that money talks, but I am sure that you are not shocked to hear
that. This is where the HDA stands out. We have a lobbyist in Washington, DC on
our side. This is something that none of the small groups has been able to
fund, and as we have found over the past couple of years, it is most likely the
only way for us to win this fight.
