pics and audio from House Tourism Committee Hearing on SB153

Here’s the audio from the March 3 House Tourism and Travel Committee Hearing on SB153. Normally, speakers are limited to 3 minutes each. However, in this case, the Chairman of the House Tourism and Travel committee did not set a time limit. He let the speakers say anything they wanted to say, [...]

SB153 passes Alabama Senate

It has been a whirlwind this week, so this will be short and sweet. Thanks to Senator Larry Dixon and the strong efforts of members of Alabama homebrew clubs: Auburn Brew Club (Auburn/Opelika) | Carboy Junkies (Birmingham) | Central Alabama Brewers Society (Montgomery) | Hopheads (Phenix City) | Malty Orgasmics of Lower Alabama (Dothan) [...]

Push for a Senate Floor Vote on SB153

Your calls, letters and faxes worked!!!
Yesterday, the Senate Tourism Committee met for their first meeting of the year, and we really wanted to be on the committee’s agenda. Going into this week, we didn’t know this would be a really big week for Bingo in the committees. Electronic bingo, gambling, raids and a [...]

Help needed to get SB153 out of Committee

We need your help! Please contact the members of the Senate Tourism and Marketing Committee and ask them to send SB153 (permitting the home brewing and winemaking hobby in Alabama) to the Senate floor.
Everything you need to equip you to make this contact is located here.
We thought we’d have it a bit easier this [...]

2010 Alabama Senate Bill 153 (SB153)

We are very grateful to Senator Larry Dixon of Montgomery for representing us as a matter of principle in the Alabama legislature. Here is the Alabama homebrewing legalization bill for 2010, as introduced.
2010 AL SB153

History of Alabama Homebrewing Legalization Efforts (part II)

Well, this is the week. The 2010 Alabama Legislative Session begins. Many Alabama home brewing and winemaking enthusiasts (outlaws because of our enjoyment of a craft that people in 47 other states legally enjoy) are very optimistic and worried at the same time.
We’re optimistic because we managed to secure a Senate sponsor on [...]

Oh, what a tangled web of morality we weave.

I’ve been finding out more and more info about the Craft Beer Bill the longer I talk to club members and people in the booze industry in Auburn. Some of it is a little odd, but the latest tidbit I found just really stuck out as ridiculous.

Silly laws go against common sense.

The passage of the [...]

June 9, 2009, Mobile Press Register article on homebrewing legalization effort

Advocates for homebrewing in Alabama said they hope to build on the recent success of the gourmet beer lobby when the Legislature convenes its next session.
Alabama is one of four states — Kentucky, Mississippi and Oklahoma being the other three — in which it is illegal for a person to brew his own beer, according [...]

That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for beer drinking kind!

Ok, so I modified the famous line from Neil Armstrong when he became the first man to walk on the moon on July 19, 1969. With the passage of legislative measure HB373, our limit has been raised from 6.0 percent 13.9 percent. We can drink foreign and microbrew beer now (legally)!
Overall this might not [...]

Alabama Religious Leader Opposed to Limited Home Brewing and Winemaking, Unopposed to Death by Obesity

From the April 9, 2009, Alabama Baptist:
Godfrey said those who want to legalize home brewing compare themselves to those who compete in barbecue competitions.
“My response to that is that I’ve never heard of anyone being killed while under the influence of barbecue,” he said. …
“We would have no idea of who’s drinking this. This is [...]

Alabama Home Brewing Legalization Action Alert !!!

Friends of Craft Brewing in Alabama:
Thanks to all your efforts, Alabama Senate Bill 492 passed the Senate Tourism & Marketing (T&M) Committee on Thursday, March 26 with a 7-0 unanimous favorable vote. Passing the T&M Committee was a crucial step in a multi-step process, and we hope SB492 picks up steam in the next week [...]

Home Brewing Legalization Talking Points Reposted

These Home Brewing Legalization Talking Points written by Gary Glass of the American Homebrewers Association were originally posted last year and were just edited slightly to indicate:
Homebrewing is currently (as of March, 2009) legal in 46 states.
Unfortunately, Alabama is not one of them.

Home Brewing Legal Issues on the BN Sunday Session

Thanks to Brant, who keeps current on BN shows more than any of the rest of us, for pointing out last Sunday’s BN Session, which included an interview with Gary Glass of the American Homebrewers Association.
We’ve got an eclectic show happening this week on The Session. First we speak to Gary Glass of the AHA [...]

SB492 – Thank You Senator Larry Dixon

Please take a moment to write an email or letter thanking Senator Larry Dixon (Montgomery and Elmore counties) for introducing the Home Brewing Legalization bill in the Alabama Senate. Senator Dixon loved our Belgian Beers at the 2009 Tourism Bash. The bill is SB492. There’s a typo in (d) which will be [...]

Alabama Home Brews Featured at 2009 Tourism Bash

The Alabama Travel Council held its 9th Annual Tourism Bash in Montgomery on Tuesday March 10, and Alabama’s Home Brewers and Winemakers were invited to participate after the beer, wine, mead and cider provided by local brewers was so well received at their February 24, 2009, Legislative Reception.
The short notice and logistics of getting so [...]

Hope on the Horizon

Here’s an update on all that has been going on this week. 15 volunteer homebrewers from around Alabama took the day off work to walk the floors of the Alabama State House and talk to the State’s Representatives and Senators about the homebrewing legalization effort. Particularly, the following clubs volunteered significant time and [...]