California Homebrewers-Please Read

[HopSong]

California's Homebrew Law!


Dear fellow homebrewers,
As you are probably already aware, the ABC has recently decided to strictly enforce the limits to California's homebrew law. Their current interpretation of the law basically prohibits homebrewers from removing homebrew from their homes for any reason, except as related to a competition.

Unfortunately, the current law supports this archaic and unnecessarily restrictive view of homebrewing. The hobby I know and love is characterized by generosity and openness from my fellow homebrewers. Giving homebrew as gifts, pouring homebrew at charities, or just sharing a homebrew at a friend's cookout are time honored traditions among homebrewers, but are currently threatened by the ABC's interpretation.

I and fellow homebrewer Dagan Henderson ([email protected]) have taken it upon ourselves to spearhead an effort to change the law to be more in keeping with the traditions we have come to honor as homebrewers, as well as to modernize the law to be more in line with what other states, such as Washington and Wisconsin, have done.

We are asking for your help in three areas:
1. Please forward this message to every homebrewer and homebrewing-friendly person you know in California, and encourage them to sign our Change.org Petition! http://chn.ge/14pAXpb. Please also like us on Facebook, California Homebrewer Advocacy Association: https://www.facebook.com/HomebrewerAdvocacy?fref=ts

2. Stand by for further updates! We will need help as this movement progresses in contacting your state representatives to show them that the vast majority of Californians support this measure!
3. Let us know of any way you'd be able to help! Homebrewers are a diverse lot, and we probably have lots of influence we can leverage to make sure that this is a success.

Feel free to direct any questions you have to Dagan or myself. I look forward to working with you to make sure our hobby is preserved!
John OrcuttCalifornia Homebrewer Advocacy Association

 

[Heavywalker]

Good luck with your petition, heaven knows it is difficult to achieve the simplest form of common sense in government, it's nice to see you taking the initiative.

I will pass this along to the people I know.

 

[blefferd]

Good Luck, my suggestion would be to start some grass roots organization and oust the current politicians out of office, they are doing nothing but running that state into the ground with draconian laws.

FWIW when the microstamping law was in the works people from all over the US called and petitoned the govanator not to sign it into law and he did anyways.

 

[betarhoalphadelta]

Is there any link, news story, communication, etc that describes the fact that CA's ABC is planning to enforce this?

 

[McBrewskie]

Do you have intentions to run a bill? Have you found a member willing to carry it? I've done some lobbying and testified in committee before and would be willing to help if my employer did not view it as a conflict of interest.

 

[Phunhog]

I have been following this for a few months and it seems like the CA ABC is trying to make up some new interpretations of existing homebrew laws that haven't been updated in 30+ years. I recently heard that a homebrew contest could only have 5-7 judges......They obviously pulled that out of their arse. They are also coming down harder on the California Homebrew Festival with extra regulations....(servers have to wear orange vests?). They sure don't have to do that at commercial beer festivals. The good news is that the ABC does NOT make laws/regulations but rather enforces them. Change the laws in our favor and they MUST abide.

 

[HopSong]

@McBrewskie.. check the OP.. Placerbrewers.org is spearheading this effort. The grassroots effort is having California home brewers take an interest in this. Up to this point, we have had450+ viewers, five comments. I don't know if anyone has taken an interest in signing the petition. Quite often people in general don't get off their duff until after the deed is done.. Too late to do anything about it.. Sad commentary, IMO I've no doubt this is instigated by Big Beer.. They pay taxes, we don't.. Making homebrewing legal was about the only thing Jimmy Carter did that was worthwhile (IMO).. but, now WE have to press for more reasonableness.

Local brewer posted this on our local hb forum..
I located the text of "California Business and Professions Code Section 23356.2"
Section (c) has an interesting part, see below in bold, colored text. Tastings covers a lot of drinking>

(c) Any beer manufactured pursuant to this section may be removed from the premises where manufactured for use in competition at organized affairs, exhibitions, or competitions, including homemakers' contests, tastings, or judgings.

 

[Schemy]

Good luck. I wish you the best. I'll be supporting you from afar. Cheers.

 

[Hopper5000]

There was a petition that got FWD'd to my club last week from someone down in SoCal but when I tried to go and sign it it was closed. The issue is that the state senate recently passed a bill with the intention if making it easier for homebrewers to give their brews away to charitable organizations and such, but some of the language in there actually makes it more restrictive to the point where one isn't allowed to take homebrew out of the home except for competitions where only judges can taste it. This means no sharing it at meetings, or in any other situation.

I am very interested in getting this reversed as this would create huge issues for many clubs in CA. Just wondering what, if any, progress has been made and if my homebrew club can help out in any way. I think there are probably many grass roots efforts happening which probably should be coordinated more effectively.