The era of illegal homebrewing has come to an end! Alabama, the final remaining state to still outlaw the making of beer at home, officially legalized homebrewing with the passage of bill HB9 which was signed by Governor Robert Bentley on Thursday, May 9, 2013.
The Alabama law goes into effect immediately, making Alabama the forty-ninth state to allow homebrewing, despite being the fiftieth state to pass a homebrew bill. Mississippi Governor Phil Bryant signed a homebrew legalization bill on March 19, 2013, but the law will not officially go into effect until July 1, 2013, making the Magnolia State the last state to legalize homebrewing.
For the past five years, the American Homebrewers Association, Alabama advocacy groups and legislators have been working towards homebrew legalization, and it was no easy feat.
“Homebrewing has been an integral part of the history of America, so it’s thrilling to know that soon all 50 states will support this growing hobby and long-standing tradition,” said Gary Glass, director of the American Homebrewers Association. “We appreciate the backing of all of the homebrewers, the dedicated grassroots efforts of Right to Brew and the legislators who have worked so diligently to make homebrewing a reality in Alabama. We are especially grateful to Representative Mac McCutcheon who introduced this bill and has fought long and hard along with Senator Bill Holtzclaw for its passage.”
Read the AHA’s press release.
A Long Time Coming
Post-prohibition, homebrewing was not federally legal until President Jimmy Carter signed H.R.1337 on October 14, 1978, which officially went into effect on February 1, 1979. Shortly thereafter, the American Homebrewers Association (AHA) was formed by Charlie Papazian and Charlie Matzen to promote and celebrate homebrewing. The AHA has taken a leading role in advocating for homebrew rights and supporting the legislative efforts of local homebrew communities.
Preserving and advancing homebrewing rights in the United States is made possible through the support and dedication of our AHA members. If you would like to support the efforts of the AHA to promote and protect homebrewing rights, join the AHA today!
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