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ABC agents raid Birmingham beer and wine store, take homebrewing equipment
Published: Thursday, September 20, 2012, 7:39 PM Updated: Thursday, September 20, 2012, 7:39 PM
By Madison Underwood | al.com
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Agents from the Alabama Alcoholic Beverage Control Board raided this Hop City location Thursday, Sept. 20, 2012, and took $7,000 worth of homebrewing equipment, owner Kraig Torres says. (Madison Underwood | al.com)
BIRMINGHAM, Alabama -- The owner of a small beer, wine, and homebrewing supply chain says three agents from the Alabama Alcoholic Beverage Control Board raided his unopened store late Thursday afternoon and took $7,000 worth of home beer brewing supplies, including boxes of beer brewing kits, carboys, immersion chillers, and books about brewing.
Kraig Torres, the owner of Hop City Craft Beer & Wine, said the raid delayed a planned soft opening of the 5,500 square-foot Birmingham store scheduled for Friday.
"It's going to be delayed until Tuesday next week at the earlier," Torres said. "I'm being held hostage by the ABC board."
"They've come into my store with three armed men and threatened to arrest my general manager on the grounds that we have supplies in the store that can be used to make beer."
The agents took the equipment used to brew beer, but Torres said they left the ingredients used in beer brewing -- grain, hops, and yeast -- in the store.
"They said they'll be back at 10 o'clock tomorrow morning and everything had to be -- everything, every pellet of hops, every kernel of grain -- had to be out of the store before they'd be willing to consider our license," Torres said. He said he now plans to get those ingredients out of his unopened store, which is located on 2nd Avenue South near Pepper Place, and take them back to his other location in Atlanta Thursday night.
Torres said he did "a very large amount of due diligence" before purchasing the homebrewing equipment to sell in his store. He said he doesn't believe that it is illegal to sell homebrewing equipment, although it is illegal to brew beer at home in Alabama.
"We were compliant prior to their entering the store," Torres said.
"We're completely at the mercy of the ABC board at this point," Torres said.
When the store does open, it might be in a reduced capacity. "It's safe to say that until we can resolve this matter legally, we will be a beer and wine only store," Torres said.
"I'm beyond upset about it."
Attempts to reach ABC Board representatives by e-mail and phone were not returned Thursday evening.
Published: Thursday, September 20, 2012, 7:39 PM Updated: Thursday, September 20, 2012, 7:39 PM
By Madison Underwood | al.com
Follow
24
Share
Agents from the Alabama Alcoholic Beverage Control Board raided this Hop City location Thursday, Sept. 20, 2012, and took $7,000 worth of homebrewing equipment, owner Kraig Torres says. (Madison Underwood | al.com)
BIRMINGHAM, Alabama -- The owner of a small beer, wine, and homebrewing supply chain says three agents from the Alabama Alcoholic Beverage Control Board raided his unopened store late Thursday afternoon and took $7,000 worth of home beer brewing supplies, including boxes of beer brewing kits, carboys, immersion chillers, and books about brewing.
Kraig Torres, the owner of Hop City Craft Beer & Wine, said the raid delayed a planned soft opening of the 5,500 square-foot Birmingham store scheduled for Friday.
"It's going to be delayed until Tuesday next week at the earlier," Torres said. "I'm being held hostage by the ABC board."
"They've come into my store with three armed men and threatened to arrest my general manager on the grounds that we have supplies in the store that can be used to make beer."
The agents took the equipment used to brew beer, but Torres said they left the ingredients used in beer brewing -- grain, hops, and yeast -- in the store.
"They said they'll be back at 10 o'clock tomorrow morning and everything had to be -- everything, every pellet of hops, every kernel of grain -- had to be out of the store before they'd be willing to consider our license," Torres said. He said he now plans to get those ingredients out of his unopened store, which is located on 2nd Avenue South near Pepper Place, and take them back to his other location in Atlanta Thursday night.
Torres said he did "a very large amount of due diligence" before purchasing the homebrewing equipment to sell in his store. He said he doesn't believe that it is illegal to sell homebrewing equipment, although it is illegal to brew beer at home in Alabama.
"We were compliant prior to their entering the store," Torres said.
"We're completely at the mercy of the ABC board at this point," Torres said.
When the store does open, it might be in a reduced capacity. "It's safe to say that until we can resolve this matter legally, we will be a beer and wine only store," Torres said.
"I'm beyond upset about it."
Attempts to reach ABC Board representatives by e-mail and phone were not returned Thursday evening.
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