Is there bars that serve homebrew?

[LuNchBoX1371]

Hey im new to brewing and i dont go to the bars much and was wondering if there were bars that serve homebrew. A friend of mine said bring my beer on in and he would sell it so im just wondering if there are bars out there that sell BMC, and such, and homebrews.

 

[NervousDad]

Your friend owns a bar and wants to sell your home-brew? That would be illegal.

 

[Newsman]

Umm... pretty sure that's not allowed. At best I'd think that's probably a grey area.

 

[bob1852]

If they are legally selling it, it isn't homebrew.

 

[jro238]

depending where you are he *may* be able to give it away to people (although I still doubt it). Selling it would be very very illegal unless it was brewed at a licensed brewery.

 

[Drookit]

Donations for said beer?

On one of the Brewdogs episodes they showed a "bar" that served homebrew based on donations.

This is probably a gray area not worth crossing in to in the long run.

 

[ktblunden]

Your friend could lose his liquor license. It would not be a good idea.

 

[ktblunden]

On one of the Brewdogs episodes they showed a "bar" that served homebrew based on donations.

The "bar" is in the guy's basement and donations are encouraged but not required which keeps it at least somewhat legal.

 

[Newsman]

Here in our area we have a "festival" in which home brewers and commercial brewers "donate" beer to the festival and the festival in turn sells it. I think it's one of these things where the authorities turn a blind eye since it's for charity and not an on-going enterprise day-in and day-out. As has been pointed out, selling home brew is 100% illegal. However, I think part of the way that everyone in the festival gets around it is via the use of tokens, so there's no actual cash trading hands for home brew. There's a cut-out there. Between that, the fact that it's being done by a charity (for kids) and the one-day/year festival, I don't think it's worth the time for the authorities to make a stink about it.

OTOH, if your "buddy" in the bar were to sell your home brew, on a regular basis, that would DEFINITELY be illegal and probably cause the ABC (Alcoholic Beverage Commission) or what have you to step in and maybe even pull the bar's liquor license at the very least, if not send someone to jail.

Bottom line -- don't do it. Don't even THINK of doing it!

 

[Phunhog]

Yes it is illegal. Your friend would be risking having his liquor license suspensed/revoked. I seriously doubt anyone would go to jail over it. In the end it is strictly a money/tax issue. Easy and cheap to suspend/revoke a license but much expensive to actually prosecute someone in a criminal court.

 

[Drookit]

The "bar" is in the guy's basement and donations are encouraged but not required which keeps it at least somewhat legal.

Hence the reason I used quotation marks on the word bar. Meaning I was using the term bar as slang.

I also did not say that donations were required.

 

[wingedcoyote]

My favorite local brewpub, Raleigh Brewing Company, has an "employee tap" night where they tap an employee's homebrew. They don't make any money off of it though -- money for the employee beer is kept separate and goes straight to charity. Pretty sure any situation where they were actually selling homebrew would be illegal.

 

[mikescooling]

Depends on the laws of the country the OP is in. But yes if your in the states, homebrew is just that. It's a controlled substance, and they really really want control.

 

[bleme]

I had a liqueur store offer to sell my bottles on shares. I've also been to a bar where the owner brews and usually has a tap with his stuff on it. He puts a cup on the tap, which is usually his signal that it is dry, but those in the know can order it. It's all very illegal, but it happens.

 

[matt2778]

There's a pretty popular tap house in Exxon pa (the drafting room) that has a rotating featured homebrew http://www.draftingroom.com/#. I don't know if its brewed at a commercial brewery or if there is some other loophole.

 

[brewguyver]

Cali is changing the law that homebrew can be sold for charity (e.g. 6 pack at a church bake sale) but it isn't in effect yet.

Friends don't help friends ruin their businesses and go to jail.

Btw- this sounds like a good opportunity for you/bar owner to look into a brewpub license.

 

[Hello]

My favorite local brewpub, Raleigh Brewing Company, has an "employee tap" night where they tap an employee's homebrew. They don't make any money off of it though -- money for the employee beer is kept separate and goes straight to charity. Pretty sure any situation where they were actually selling homebrew would be illegal.

But that's employees brewing on their 10 gal pilot system in the brew house. I'd love to go do that there one day. What I don't know is if ABC needs to approve sale for profit. I never asked, but it seems like there's little chance they get approval for every beer they serve. Seems like that would be odd.

The bartenders are happy to take my homebrew though. They're super rad over there.

OP: your friend is definitely taking a risk selling your bottled brew.

 

[broadbill]

Btw- this sounds like a good opportunity for you/bar owner to look into a brewpub license.

The bar owner doesn't know/doesn't care that doing things like selling homebrew is illegal and could cost him his liquor licence...and you want OP to go into business with him?

 

[brewguyver]

The bar owner doesn't know/doesn't care that doing things like selling homebrew is illegal and could cost him his liquor licence...and you want OP to go into business with him?

Totally BB - it would mean so much to me if they would ::flutters eyelashes::. Seriously, not sure how my desires factor in, or where I said it should be done.

If a business is already successful, is meeting health regulations, then it's a good potential opportunity. If the numbers don't make sense, or there's risk, then you don't do it.

 

[Cider123]

The thread title says "serve" but you talk about your friend selling in the post. I wonder if it illegal for a bar to serve it free as a give away, promotion or just to have fun with a homebrew.

I serve homebrew all the time in my own little bar at home. I just don't sell it. If I did, I'd be the only one buying it. But then I'd probably take my money elsewhere, like to a classier joint

 

[Yooper]

The thread title says "serve" but you talk about your friend selling in the post. I wonder if it illegal for a bar to serve it free as a give away, promotion or just to have fun with a homebrew.

I serve homebrew all the time in my own little bar at home. I just don't sell it. If I did, I'd be the only one buying it. But then I'd probably take my money elsewhere, like to a classier joint

In places with a liquor license, serving homebrew is illegal. It doesnt' have to be sold- just served- to be illegal.

In some states, it's even illegal to take homebrew out of your home! It really depends on the laws where you reside as to what you can or cannot do.

In Michigan, it used to be allowed to give away one sixpack per year to an individual but it was changed to be 20 gallons. I can take homebrew to competitions, to my cottage, to my friend's house, etc. I can not sell it or barter it, or serve it at an event. I cannot serve it in a place with a liquor license.

 

[mikescooling]

Yooper I think they may have just changed the serve at an event law. My HBC just started serving at festivals.

 

[Yooper]

Yooper I think they may have just changed the serve at an event law. My HBC just started serving at festivals.

I think in California you can as well, but definitely not in Michigan or Wisconsin!

 

[NervousDad]

Will they be able to serve on club night this year at the NHC?

 

[passedpawn]

I'm 90% sure that bars down here can serve homebrew, they just can't sell it. I know 2 of them told me this.

I have ZERO idea what the actual laws say.

 

[Yooper]

Will they be able to serve on club night this year at the NHC?

Homebrew is always served at the NHC. There isn't any liquor license in the convention hall, nor any problem with bringing and serving.

It's when you try to serve at a bar, or even the VFW, when you get into the legalities of non-taxed beer being served (even for free) in places where they have a liquor license.

Homebrew events are fine, but it's things like concerts (if they have a license to serve alcohol) where you can't bring/serve homebrew or other untaxed alcohol like wine and cider.

 

[Phunhog]

Homebrew is always served at the NHC. There isn't any liquor license in the convention hall, nor any problem with bringing and serving.

It's when you try to serve at a bar, or even the VFW, when you get into the legalities of non-taxed beer being served (even for free) in places where they have a liquor license.

Homebrew events are fine, but it's things like concerts (if they have a license to serve alcohol) where you can't bring/serve homebrew or other untaxed alcohol like wine and cider.

I wonder how the AHA gets away with it at the NHC? You are esssentially buying a ticket to drink homebrew. Here in CA we have a similar event but it is free to all members of the CA Homebrewers Assoc. The NHC requires you to buy an additional ticket in addition to your membership dues.

 

[Yooper]

I wonder how the AHA gets away with it at the NHC? You are esssentially buying a ticket to drink homebrew. Here in CA we have a similar event but it is free to all members of the CA Homebrewers Assoc. The NHC requires you to buy an additional ticket in addition to your membership dues.

You aren't really. You're buying a ticket to the seminars, the events, etc. There is a club night where people serve homebrew, of course, but there isn't a ticket for that. In order to attend that, you have to buy a ticket for the conference.

 

[Phunhog]

You aren't really. You're buying a ticket to the seminars, the events, etc. There is a club night where people serve homebrew, of course, but there isn't a ticket for that. In order to attend that, you have to buy a ticket for the conference.

I thought you said it was illegal per Michigan law to serve homebrew at events?
I would hate for the NHC/AHA to get in legal trouble. It seems pretty obvious that if someone wants to drink homebrew at the NHC they have to buy a ticket. You can say that the ticket is for seminars and the beer is free. But that's no different than anyone else holding a ticketed event and claiming the same thing.....the beer is "free" and your money goes to "pay the band".

 

[Nightshade]

I thought you said it was illegal per Michigan law to serve homebrew at events?
I would hate for the NHC/AHA to get in legal trouble. It seems pretty obvious that if someone wants to drink homebrew at the NHC they have to buy a ticket. You can say that the ticket is for seminars and the beer is free. But that's no different than anyone else holding a ticketed event and claiming the same thing.....the beer is "free" and your money goes to "pay the band".

Reminds me of when people used to use the idea of, "You pay x for the glass and get the beer for free" Which also didn't hold water when it came down to it.

 

[bleme]

My homebrew club serves at about 10 charity events a year. Many are for Lion's Club brewfests. A few benefit hospital related charities. The law that becomes effective the 1st allows the charity to pay the brewer $30 for his keg of beer so it isn't all out-of-pocket for us.

I'm not sure if it is completely legal, but my club has always asked for 2 tickets per keg at any event we supply.

 

[mattd2]

From what I have read on the internet and on HBT my view is that only in the last few years has homebrewing gain enough popularity that it is also getting more public visibility. And this is causing some issues with what previously was either ignored by the local law enforcement of they were too unaware of the actual legality of the situation that HB events could take place and no one batted an eyelid (except breguyer it seems ), now with the greater public awareness things are being scrutinised more and more and the local establishmnet can not/will not just turn a blind eye to it.
Damn hipsters!

 

[Yooper]

I thought you said it was illegal per Michigan law to serve homebrew at events?
I would hate for the NHC/AHA to get in legal trouble. It seems pretty obvious that if someone wants to drink homebrew at the NHC they have to buy a ticket. You can say that the ticket is for seminars and the beer is free. But that's no different than anyone else holding a ticketed event and claiming the same thing.....the beer is "free" and your money goes to "pay the band".

Geez, that's not what I meant and that's obvious. You can pick on me for mispeaking by not clarifying it further, but I should think that the gist of it is pretty easy to understand.

"Events" like football games and public places that serve liquor as part of a liquor license would be an example. We have homebrew competitions all the time, and share homebrew at other times. Those are fine.

 

[krackin]

Just do a search for your own state's liquor laws. It really isn't all that difficult. Once you find them, read them. They tend to be quite clearly written so anyone except lawyers can understand them.

 

[Phunhog]

Geez, that's not what I meant and that's obvious. You can pick on me for mispeaking by not clarifying it further, but I should think that the gist of it is pretty easy to understand.

"Events" like football games and public places that serve liquor as part of a liquor license would be an example. We have homebrew competitions all the time, and share homebrew at other times. Those are fine.

Sorry if you thought I was being rude...wasn't trying to. My point is that a ticketed event like the NHC is much, much more than some homebrewers sharing some beer. We have always heard/been told that homebrew and the exchange of money is a bad idea.

 

[bad coffee]

El Bait Shop in Des Moines serves homebrew every week at their 'Jimmy Carter Happy Hour."

http://elbaitshop.com/calendar?entry=136&display=month