I had no idea?? Alabama & Mississippi Beer Ban

[dstranger99]

So, any brewers from these 2 states ?



The Bible Belt brouhaha over beer
By Tommy Andres, CNN


Montgomery, Alabama (CNN) - Despite the fact that it has been federally legal since 1979, there are still two U.S. states that don't allow residents to make beer in their own homes: Alabama and Mississippi.

The issue is expected to be one of the first to surface in Alabama's state legislature as lawmakers there head back to session this week, and a colorful standoff is likely.

Homebrew laws have failed to materialize for the past five years, with religion and morality arguments narrowly beating out the estimated 5,000 underground homebrewers in the state who say their civil liberties are on the line.


Kraig Torres owns a craft beer store in Birmingham, called Hop City. He learned first-hand that the law against homebrewing is still enforced. Homebrew supplies he planned to sell were confiscated by state authorities the day before he opened in September:

[:45] "I think anyone agrees this is not so much a beer issue as a civil liberties issue. Things you can do commercially for money in the state of Alabama, why can't you do in your kitchen legally? It'd be like saying you can only buy cherry pies at a bakery instead of making them in your kitchen."

Leading the charge against the bill is the Alabama Citizens Action Program, or ALCAP. Its leader, Joe Godfrey, has been lobbying against any law that relaxes alcohol laws in the state:

[4:14] "I've met with some of the homebrewers and they tell me, 'Oh, we're fine upstanding citizens. We go to church, we're active in our community, we don't overindulge, we don't get drunk.' Well, they might not, but I've never met an alcoholic that started out saying, 'I'm going to become an alcoholic.' They start out socially drinking. They start out homebrewing and tasting."

Homebrew laws have previously passed in the Alabama state Senate and House of Representatives respectively the past two years. But not in both. Hobbyists hope this will finally be their year. But it won't be easy, because one thing is for certain: this issue is much bigger than beer.

 

[Bedlam]

If you ARE from those two states...DO NOT post up! No need to advertise that you are breaking the law (no matter how stupid) on a public forum. We should just set the default for everyone to New Zealand.

Dang zealots ruining all our fun!

 

[WileECoyote]

Making Home Brew is against the law, Guess Ill NEVER move to ether of those states.

+1 to Bedlam's post, don't post if you live in ether state.

Cheers

 

[kellysrepairs]

Thats just insane, I live near Denver Colorado and could hit 3 LHBS with a golf ball from my patio. I could even go to a despensary and buy an ounce of mary jane if I smoked it. I had no idea it was like that down there.

 

[Yooper]

This is one reason to join the AHA! The AHA has been working hard to make homebrewing legal in every state. (Just "won" in Utah a year or two ago).

Even in places where it is legal, it can still be quite restricted- like only being allowed to make 50 gallons a year, and/or only being allowed to consume it in your own home (and not even take it to your own campsite or cottage or to a friend's).

Check your local laws, be cause they do vary wildly!

 

[two_hearted]

From what I understand, there isn't a task force hunting down homebrewers and shutting down their operations. Its still legal to buy grain, yeast, hops, buckets and fermenters. There are LHBSs. Its an old law that those 'traditional' state's won't amend.

Join the AHA, write to your representative.

 

[Airplanedoc]

I would say it's all about tax revenue, but this is Mississippi and Alabama we are talking about

 

[johns]

I dont understand how anyone or anyplace can legislate against yeast or a plant. Even if you dont have barley, one can ferment grapes or honey. Anything that has sugar in it can be fermented. So if you have grapes or honey on your home in these states, there would be a risk of arrest? How do they enforce that? It seems like a silly law that is unenforceable. Oh well, Glad I dont live there and also glad i will never visit those states. I feel bad for anyone that has to live there actually.

 

[Cromwell]

Interesting that even Utah allows homebrew and these two don't.

 

[rexbanner]

Joe Godfrey is a stupid ninny.

 

[Airplanedoc]

Here is you answer

 

[two_hearted]

I dont understand how anyone or anyplace can legislate against yeast or a plant. Even if you dont have barley, one can ferment grapes or honey. Anything that has sugar in it can be fermented. So if you have grapes or honey on your home in these states, there would be a risk of arrest? How do they enforce that? It seems like a silly law that is unenforceable. Oh well, Glad I dont live there and also glad i will never visit those states. I feel bad for anyone that has to live there actually.

There's no law against having or buying anything fermentable... You can go to a homebrew store and buy anything you want in these states.

 

[dstranger99]

I'm not sure about Mississippi, but I do know Alabama still has something called a blue law where you cannot buy beer on Sunday, I know from 1st hand experience when I was down there, there are also parishes in Louisiana where beer is a no no on Sundays, When I was in Alabama to buy a 6 pack at around 1pm they had all the beer freezers locked, and like an idiot I stood there pulling on it, and that's when I remembered it was a Sunday........

 

[Homercidal]

Interesting that even Utah allows homebrew and these two don't.

Not that surprising when you've seen their legislators in action...

 

[Cromwell]

Not that surprising when you've seen their legislators in action...

Their legislators a product of their own public school system? *snark*

 

[BetterSense]

I dont understand how anyone or anyplace can legislate against yeast or a plant.

I agree with your sentiment but it's been going on for decades (centuries?). See Gonzales v. Raich et. al.

If anything, homebrewing should be 'more bannable' than growing cannabis. You have to malt grain, mash it, and ferment it before you infringe the law. Even in states like Alabama where hombrewing is illegal, grain and yeast is still legal; it's the act of making the beer that is illegal. But cannabis is actually illegal, and it's just a plant. It doesn't matter if you were the one who grew it, or if it was somebody else, or if it grew wild, or if you even know what a cannabis plant looks like, you can still go to jail. Anti-homebrew laws are pretty tame in comparison.

Precedent is unfortunately on the side of the homebrew-banners.

 

[OrdinaryAvgGuy]

On a side note, I find humor in the fact that legalization is being held up by all the bible thumpers who consider beer to be the devil's juice.

Meanwhile, a few hundred miles to the north the Catholics don't have any reservations drinking the sauce in public after church on Sunday. Iv'e attended both a baptist church in the south for many years and Catholic church in the north for a few years and the difference is evident.

When I visited the priest prior to getting married up north he gave us a bunch of literature to read and told me to "go home, have a few brews and discuss this with your woman."

Same god, same country, opposing views on alcohol consumption.

 

[Homercidal]

Before prohibition beer wasn't considered by many people to be evil in and of itself. The rise of the prohibitionists, and the political party who favored them, led to the belief that alcohol of any kind, in any amount, was sinful. That belief persists today.

And the basic question remains: Does a prohibition on making alcohol really keep people from drinking it? People in dry counties in the South actually enjoy the game of trying to outwit the authorities.

Banning homebrewing is inane for the simple fact that it's WAY cheaper and WAY easier to simply buy cheap beer, or any alcohol for that matter, than to make it yourself, especially for the underaged.

The people standing against homebrewing consistently argue with false facts, lies, and misleading statements. But they don't care because their constituents just want them to keep alcohol illegal, period. When enough voters make their desire to homebrew known, then maybe the politicians will start making changes.

 

[ldbf]

Meanwhile, a few hundred miles to the north the Catholics don't have any reservations drinking the sauce in public after church on Sunday. Iv'e attended both a baptist church in the south for many years and Catholic church in the north for a few years and the difference is evident.

As a Catholic, I'd like to point out that we also drink during church...

 

[OrdinaryAvgGuy]

As a Catholic, I'd like to point out that we also drink during church...

My best man came up to PA from NC for my wedding a few months ago. He's a good ole boy, never stepped foot in a catholic church in all 50 years of his life.

Afterwards, he said "that priest really likes the wine, he drank before everyone else and then polished off what was left!" He just couldn't get over the fact that everyone was drinking at church.

 

[johns]

Still to this day there are places where alcohol sales are prohibited on Sunday. Even in Wheaton Illinois until recently it was against the law to sell any kind of alcoholic beverages, period.

Pot should be legal, and you could make the argument that tobacco should be illegal, because cigarettes are more addictive then ingesting pot. I don’t smoke pot, but I certainly understand the argument behind smoking it.

Even Jesus drank wine so, the reasoning that homebrew shops are not allowed in some states to me seems a bit strange and dated.

Just my 2 cents worth
.

 

[Ostomo517]

[4:14] "I've met with some of the homebrewers and they tell me, 'Oh, we're fine upstanding citizens. We go to church, we're active in our community, we don't overindulge, we don't get drunk.' Well, they might not, but I've never met an alcoholic that started out saying, 'I'm going to become an alcoholic.' They start out socially drinking. They start out homebrewing and tasting."

So we are all doomed to be hopeless homeless alcoholics ???Dammit no one told me this! That must be why you see homeless guys gathering around a open fire, they must be mashing in.

 

[bobbrewedit]

Still to this day there are places where alcohol sales are prohibited on Sunday. Even in Wheaton Illinois until recently it was against the law to sell any kind of alcoholic beverages, period.

Pot should be legal, and you could make the argument that tobacco should be illegal, because cigarettes are more addictive then ingesting pot. I don’t smoke pot, but I certainly understand the argument behind smoking it.

Even Jesus drank wine so, the reasoning that homebrew shops are not allowed in some states to me seems a bit strange and dated.

Just my 2 cents worth
.

I'm a firm believer that the ban on weed has nothing to do with religion, like alcohol. The feds dont want weed legal because it causes laziness, and heaven forbid they allow something that will cause our work force to be less productive...just my guess. Seems odd that tobacco has been so demonized while MJ is being passed off as medicinal. The stats on how much worse MJ is for you that tobacco is pretty convincing...but what do I know.

 

[JeepDiver]

When I visited the priest prior to getting married up north he gave us a bunch of literature to read and told me to "go home, have a few brews and discuss this with your woman."

Same god, same country, opposing views on alcohol consumption.

You do realize that if you go to a Catholic Chruch in the South and a Baptist Chruch in the North you will still get the same anwers from the clergy. Has nothing to do with which side of the Mason Dixon Line you are on.

 

[Airplanedoc]

The crazy part is that all these city's, counties, and states with theses backward alcohol laws are only hurting themselves by missing out on huge amounts of tax revenue. Their citizens are still procuring alcohol via either unregulated means, or traveling to places where it legal to acquire them, and they are loosing out on money from people passing thru.

I was traveling thru Arkansas and while checking into a hotel asked where the nearest liquor store was. When told "This is a dry county" I tore up my paperwork and handed it back to the person at the desk and thanked him for his time. The man told me that it happens all the time, and suggested that I try exit###, where I would find a liquor store and a nice selection of places to stay. I got back in my car and headed on up the road. My situation alone cost the community my money for a hotel, a liquor store purchase, dinner, breakfast, and gas, probably totaling about $250, and I was clearly not the first person who had done this.

 

[OrdinaryAvgGuy]

You do realize that if you go to a Catholic Chruch in the South and a Baptist Chruch in the North you will still get the same anwers from the clergy. Has nothing to do with which side of the Mason Dixon Line you are on.

Yeah. Just the fact that Catholics are more prevalent up north.

 

[Homercidal]

The crazy part is that all these city's, counties, and states with theses backward alcohol laws are only hurting themselves by missing out on huge amounts of tax revenue. Their citizens are still procuring alcohol via either unregulated means, or traveling to places where it legal to acquire them, and they are loosing out on money from people passing thru.

I was traveling thru Arkansas and while checking into a hotel asked where the nearest liquor store was. When told "This is a dry county" I tore up my paperwork and handed it back to the person at the desk and thanked him for his time. The man told me that it happens all the time, and suggested that I try exit###, where I would find a liquor store and a nice selection of places to stay. I got back in my car and headed on up the road. My situation alone cost the community my money for a hotel, a liquor store purchase, dinner, breakfast, and gas, probably totaling about $250, and I was clearly not the first person who had done this.

True. But the voting population in that dry county probably prefers that a heathen like you doesn't stay there anyway!

 

[Airplanedoc]

True. But the voting population in that dry county probably prefers that a heathen like you doesn't stay there anyway!

I'm sure that is true, but the guy running the hotel didn't seem too happy to be loosing another customer.