Wisconsin Homebrewer Rights Bill Signed into Law

Madison, WI • April 2, 2012—Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker signed Senate Bill 395 into law Monday April 2.

Governor Walker signs the homebrewing bill
Facebook post of photo

The new law allows Wisconsin homebrewers to remove the beers and wines they make from their homes to share with family and friends, to enter homebrew competitions and to showcase at beer and wine exhibitions. These activities were commonplace among the state’s homebrewers prior to 2011, when the Wisconsin Department of Revenue determined that the existing law does not allow for homebrew to be removed from the residence of the maker.

“The members of the Beer Barons of Milwaukee Cooperative are extremely pleased to see our grassroots efforts have paid off and the Wisconsin legislature has restored to homebrewers, rights they had been exercising up until last year,” said Jason Heindel, President of the Beer Barons of Milwaukee Cooperative. “Our club is ready to re-engage in all of the activities our members had previously participated in such as the Midwinter and Germanfest Homebrewing Competitions and educating the public in the art and craft of homebrewing.”

Senate Bill 395 has been championed by the Wisconsin Homebrewers Alliance, a group representing the state’s homebrew clubs and homebrew shops that formed in 2011 to change Wisconsin law. The Wisconsin Homebrewers Alliance’s cause received support from the 30,000 member-strong American Homebrewers Association (AHA), a national organization aimed at promoting the homebrewing hobby and protecting homebrewer rights. “The AHA is resolved to support the rights of homebrewers everywhere,” comments Gary Glass, director of the American Homebrewers Association. “I have been impressed by the dedication and level of activism Wisconsin’s homebrewers have demonstrated in this legislative fight. They should be proud of what they have accomplished.”

The AHA estimates that nearly 1 million Americans make beer and wine at home. Currently there are more than 1,100 homebrew clubs, 600 homebrew supply retailers, and over 400 homebrew competitions held annually throughout the nation. Homebrewing is a longstanding tradition in the U.S., dating back to the earliest European settlements in what is now the United States. Many of the Nation’s founders were homebrewers, including George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and James Madison.

The homebrewing hobby represents an important source of growth in a down economy. In both 2009 and 2010, homebrew supply retailers saw revenue growth of 16 percent, according to the AHA, and likely had similar growth in 2011. Most of the craft breweries being opened in the U.S. today are founded by homebrewers. Craft brewing is another rare growth industry in the U.S., but growth of the industry in Wisconsin could have beem stifled without changes to the state’s homebrew laws.

Jason Heindel
President
Beer Barons of Milwaukee Cooperative

The Beer Barons of Milwaukee Cooperative is a 200 plus, member owned, not-for-profit cooperative founded in 1989. Our mission is dedicated to the education and enjoyment of fermented malt beverages. We provide educational opportunities at all levels of the homebrewing hobby. We also sponsor a Midwest professional brewer’s scholarship program in conjunction with the Siebel Institute in Chicago. We run two Beer Judge Certification Program (BJCP) sanctioned homebrewing competitions. We also teach beer judging through our BJCP training program. The Beer Barons of Milwaukee Cooperative also operate the World of Beer Festival. Please visit www.beerbarons.org for more information or follow us on Twitter or join us on Facebook.

Proposed Legislation

Who are the Beer Barons?

The Beer Barons of Milwaukee, Cooperative is a group of over 200 homebrewers and beer lovers who meet monthly to learn about beer and brewing. New members are always welcome.

Membership

The club is open to anybody of legal drinking age. Current membership is $20/year for individuals or $30 for couples. Trial memberships last for 3 months and allow you to participate in club activities to get a feel for it before joining. If you want to join you can mail a check to the address at the bottom of the page or just come to a meeting and pay there. Remember to include the name of the member on your check. Contact the treasurer with any additional questions. More Info

Some of our other club activities

• Running the Germanfest, Schooner, and Mid-Winter Homebrew Competitions.
• Helping with other competitions in the Milwaukee area including the judging for Wisconsin State Fair.
• Participating in the BJCP (Beer Judge Certification Program) program through training judges.
• Run the World of Beer festival with beer tasting, seminars, and more each year!
• Bus trips to several Wisconsin and Illinois beer festivals.
• Running Brew-U to teach beer evaluation, styles, and brewing techniques.

 

Support Your Local Brewery Support Your Local Brewery is a national, grassroots partnership of beer enthusiasts, professional trade associations and brewers dedicated to supporting and protecting the legislative and regulatory interests of small, traditional and independent craft breweries. This is run by the Brewers Association & AHA. Sign up today! Click the image to go to their web site.