Mead for religious purposes

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rebrnfenix

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For anyone who can help with this topic,
I have a friend who is pagan and part of a pagan community that is recognized by the state of Illinois as a "church." This friend has been asking me if I could sell her coven some mead for their practices. I understand the laws of selling homebrew, but does anyone know if the law is different when it comes to religious purposes?

Slainte!
 
I don't think is makes any difference as to what it is for.

but you could charge her for the ingredients to brew the stuff, and a storage fee for the items

OR, you could just teach them how to make it !

I would still check the local laws about all of this!

-Jason
 
Just gift it to her and don't worry about it...As long as no exchange of money is made (i.e. Selling it)) the no one will be care. And any legalities would be moot. It would be no different than like I did, gave homebrew sampler's as gifts for Christmas, what she does with it after the fact is on her, whether she drinks it herself, shares it with friends or uses it for ritual purposes, just as lone as SHE doesn't sell it.

But is she's a non profit and gives you a donation recipt at the end of the year, I wouldn't accept it, nor would I try to write it off...that would be the same as accepting payment.

Don't overcomplicate the matter, just give it to her...and teach her how to make it herself...they could probably tie the making of it, and drinking of the first batch of the season, into their ritual calendar.

And then recommend this book to her as well.

51SBD3S9HML._SS500_.jpg
 
I would just consider it a donation. Like the others said, Have her give you money for supplies and maybe storage fee or a labor cost. All should be unofficial/under table AND for small quantities. Like 1-2 5 gallon batches at most. I have heard a number of people do mead making classes and have them bring/compensate you for the material cost as well as a fee for the class. That is legal. I have the book above but not really impressed with it as a mead making book. I do wish to try Sage Mead though.
 
+1 on the class fee, I know a couple people who have done this and it is legal. +1 on that book too, it's a bit out there, but fascinating.
 
Have them buy the materials and give them to you.Then if they really feel they still owe you something, teach them how to homebrew and they can give you some of their stuff... On an individual basis, of course.

Just my $0.029
Homebrew_steps_bottle.gif
 
For anyone who can help with this topic,
I have a friend who is pagan and part of a pagan community that is recognized by the state of Illinois as a "church." This friend has been asking me if I could sell her coven some mead for their practices. I understand the laws of selling homebrew, but does anyone know if the law is different when it comes to religious purposes?

Slainte!

Why not just give it as an offering?
 
I'm with the others. They give you the honey and whatnot, you give them the mead. Labor and storage? Just keep a bottle or two for yourself to cover that. Seems fair to me.
 
Because the last thing we need is for some alcohol hating,, litigatious happy ass government official to catch someone doing just that.:)

Yeah there's a little matter of it being ILLEGAL...

I just can't figure out why I'm the only one who says GIVE IT TO HER....why does everything have to be about profit, or charging for ingredients or charging a teaching fee or something..

She wants a few bottles...it's a friend of the OP...don't you give homebrew to your friends????

:confused:
 
Oh lord, patchoulli. I can't smell that stuff without picturing a hippy homless guy who hasn't washed for weeks. I'll blame it on having family in Berkley.

Anyway, yeah, have them get the honey, you make it, then save a few bottles for yourself as fee, sounds good to me.
 
Yeah there's a little matter of it being ILLEGAL...

I just can't figure out why I'm the only one who says GIVE IT TO HER....why does everything have to be about profit, or charging for ingredients or charging a teaching fee or something..

She wants a few bottles...it's a friend of the OP...don't you give homebrew to your friends????

:confused:

I didn't get that it was just a few bottles. In my mind, I was thinking about a batch of mead fairly regularly. That would be a little much to just gift someone. Yeah, if it's just a bottle or three, then I'd give it without thought.
 
I just can't figure out why I'm the only one who says GIVE IT TO HER....why does everything have to be about profit, or charging for ingredients or charging a teaching fee or something..

She wants a few bottles...it's a friend of the OP...don't you give homebrew to your friends????

:confused:

You can, but generally speaking people doing things with religious organizations (or specifically non-religious groups, depending on the case) want to give back.
 
You can, but generally speaking people doing things with religious organizations (or specifically non-religious groups, depending on the case) want to give back.

What?????????????

I'm sorry I have no clue what the heck you are saying.

Religuous organizations take donations all the time..we usually offer a receipt for tax purposes to the gifter ( I know I usually got hand cramps from signing them)...but in this case, to the IRS that would be seen as payment..and therefore that could be illegal, since accepting payment for homebrew is against the law..also the person is a friend of the OP's so what the f is wrong with giving his friend some meade???

And everyone seems to want some exchange for giving the mead..except, what's wrong with doing it outta friendship or the kindness of his heart???
 
And everyone seems to want some exchange for giving the mead..except, what's wrong with doing it outta friendship or the kindness of his heart???
I agree wholeheartedly. Make the mead and give them some bottles. On top of that, teach them how. What would be really cool is to learn how it was brewed in the days of old (her "organization" may have roots with specific ingredients) and teach them that.
 
I agree wholeheartedly. Make the mead and give them some bottles. On top of that, teach them how. What would be really cool is to learn how it was brewed in the days of old (her "organization" may have roots with specific ingredients) and teach them that.

Great minds....:mug:

The book I recommended in my first post talks about the ritual uses and history of mead and other alcohol drinks in sacred situations...that's why I figured she'd like it...her group could tie the making and the drinking of the first of the batch into their sacred services....


Anyone noticed the OP hasn't been back, btw???
 
Great minds....:mug:

The book I recommended in my first post talks about the ritual uses and history of mead and other alcohol drinks in sacred situations...that's why I figured she'd like it...her group could tie the making and the drinking of the first of the batch into their sacred services....


Anyone noticed the OP hasn't been back, btw???

Hopefully, the OP will take the idea and run with it.

Cool book.
 
i'd say sell it. im not much for following laws, hell how many of us here drank underage?! ilegal.

you could also trade a few bottles for a few pounds of raw honey. pagans know where to get the raw pure stuff, may even know some beekeepers! arhaic bartering would also tickle the average pagan pink.

the first time i tried mead was at a pagan beltane ritual in a cabin up in the appalachain mountains. i was 15. . pagans are intersesting people to say the least, and that was a night i'l never forget. try to get invited, even if you dont care much for the religion theyre a very social lot.
 
What?????????????

I'm sorry I have no clue what the heck you are saying.

Religuous organizations take donations all the time..we usually offer a receipt for tax purposes to the gifter ( I know I usually got hand cramps from signing them)...but in this case, to the IRS that would be seen as payment..and therefore that could be illegal, since accepting payment for homebrew is against the law..also the person is a friend of the OP's so what the f is wrong with giving his friend some meade???

And everyone seems to want some exchange for giving the mead..except, what's wrong with doing it outta friendship or the kindness of his heart???

No need to be sorry, It was a poor post at best. I didn't take enough time to post, and should have opted to post it later instead of posting that strange, half-written post.

The long post would have read something like:

There is nothing wrong with giving away the mead. If everyone is favorable, then that's the way that it should be.
Many times religious organizations (and other organizations specifically labeling themselves non-religious for personal moral or mental reasons) desire to give back to those who give to them. Whether it be in recognition of service or a gift of some kind, they desire to show their appreciation of the gift they receive. Other organizations can feel like they are imposing or being rude by not giving something back.

Now, your example of giving receipts for tax purposes gives another example of that very thing.


Perhaps I'm looking at the responses to this thread in a different light than you are. On other forums that I'm on, people respond with ideas even if the issue is solved because it creates a larger search database. Say the OP of this thread has already resolved the issue, and decided to give the mead freely. That's great, and that is what many of us would do. Say however that someone else happens to run across and read this thread from a search and is in a similar situation. In this hypothetical case, the receiving party is either unwilling or unable by moral dilemma to be able to accept the gift without reciprocation. In this case, the extra ideas in the thread will be useful.

I actually had a friend a few years ago who was a Celtic Priest of some order or other. His sect followed a doctrine that did not allow them to accept gifts without equal reciprocal gift. I still have his card somewhere, and in quotation marks it says "...repay gift for gift and favor in kind." So while ideal for many, the option of giving it away isn't acceptable to everyone.

Perhaps I'm being overly optimistic about how many people will use the search function. It does seem that quite a few people on the internet just jump out with a question that has been answered many, many times. It would be nice to be able to track those who do use the search function to answer their own questions, but they seem to not post their questions after they have found the answers! :rolleyes:

The question of why you happen to be the only one saying "GIVE IT TO HER" is answered in two parts:
1. You were the second post, and seem to have explained the suggestion well enough that no other poster felt that it needed embellishment or clarification.
2. You weren't; ruger12pk posted "Why not just give it as an offering?"
 
I'm with the others. They give you the honey and whatnot, you give them the mead. Labor and storage? Just keep a bottle or two for yourself to cover that. Seems fair to me.

+ 1 on that. Always good to keep one's nose clean & with this arrangement, everybody wins. Regards, GF.
 
Matrix 4b:
I've made a White Sage Honey mead last year. It came out very good. If you like the herbal flavor in a mead, you'll like it.
 
Waboom!!:
I've thought about that, but there's always the problem of someone ratting you out. It would be just my luck if I did it that way that there would be someone who would o that.
 
Revvy:
I understand your stance on just giving her some. I have given bottles to friends on occasion. But to be honest, I am actually looking to attempt to make a profit here. With the way the economy is, I am hurting just like a lot of others out there. I would like to take a hobby and turn it into a small business so that way I can continue to have that hobby on a regular basis rather than cast it aside for the time because "I can't afford to di it right now."
 
Revvy:
I understand your stance on just giving her some. I have given bottles to friends on occasion. But to be honest, I am actually looking to attempt to make a profit here. With the way the economy is, I am hurting just like a lot of others out there. I would like to take a hobby and turn it into a small business so that way I can continue to have that hobby on a regular basis rather than cast it aside for the time because "I can't afford to di it right now."

Well since THAT's an illegal activity, I wouldn't be broadcasting it online.....Just like I wouldn't post how much I brew in a given year....

bigbrother_copy.jpg


Do what you want but I wouldn't be advertising your desire to "make a profit" on one of the largest hobby alcohol producing boards in the US.

If you wanna make money, then apply for a winery license. Otherwise it is an illegal endeavor if you haven't realized such. We are not allowed by law to sell the fruits of this hobby without all manner of licenses, health stamps, and tax ids...

Good luck to you then...

:mug:
 
ChshreCat:
Yes, I agree. If it was just a few bottles, no problem, But Like I said to Pevvy: I actually am trying to make a profit here to further fund this hobby.
 
I am trying to find the legal acpect of the matter, which is why I posted the question in the first place.
 
Thank you everyone for the replies. Sorry I couldn't reply any faster to any of the replies, I've been busy with work and school. I'm going to have to think about this for a while before I decide what to do.
 
It's still illegal if you sell it regardless of whether or not it's a recognized religious institution...for example I can't buy pot for my congregation and use it for "religious purpose." This is really no different. There's only one group that can use anything illegal in their rituals and it is a native american church that can use peyote in their rituals (at least that was the case 30 years ago.)

There's no "church loophole" for breaking the law...

Start investigating a winery/meadery license then, because that's the only way you'll be able to profit from it above board...
 
I knew about the peyote in the native american church, that was why I was wondering about this topic.
 
are you folks really that skiddish?!?!

so what if someone rats you out? The only way they can prove it is by a controlled bust. And since they can't charge any of your customers for posession and get them to roll you under the bus, they dont have any real leg to stand on to set up the bust.

Try this, instead of useing currency, use silver or gold bullion. problem solved. Trade for honey to use. Trade for groceries. Trade for someones homegrown. GAIN, if you skiddish of money, trade for some things on your grocery list every week that is worth the same as what you would sell a bottle for.


example "hey man, can i pick up a few bottles of cider"
reply "yeah and on the way over pick up a 5 pack of Top Raman, 1 lb of ground chuck, and a loaf of wheat bread, and a carton of eggs."

or "yeah, can you stop by borders and pick up (insert title/author here)________

or "Yeah, 1 ounce of silver for a couple bottles"

or "yeah, I'm low on 9mm rounds, can you pick up a box of (insert favoirt ammo here)_____

or "yeah, BUT YOU BETTER CRACK OPEN THAT HUMIDOR AND BRING ME A "DON LINO!!!"
you'l have plenty of good barter claimed items in no time

it's fun too, because your friends stop by all the other time
 
This, as mentioned, is one of the largest homebrewing hobbyist forums online. It is also based in America, where such practices as selling alcohol are illegal. If these illegal acts were ever done in a scale that would force law enforcement to investigate, then technically they could use these conversations in court.

I am not particularly skiddish about this, as some laws deserve to be broken, but in this case I believe it would be more fitting to give them the mead for free. Or, if it is a large quantity and ends up costing a lot, they certainly could help or pay for all of the supplies to make it for them. But charging for the alcohol or "storing fees" is illegal.

Oh and I think most of those ideas magick would also be illegal haha.
 
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