Two new bills are being considered in the coming months by the Wisconsin Senate involving home brewing. One bill applies to homebrew stores, while the other applies to home brewers. Both will affect how homebrewed beer, wine, cider and mead are treated in the future.

For years, homebrew club members have promoted the craft with events such as “Big Brew” and “International Teach a Friend to Homebrew Day.” Beneficiaries of Belle City Club events have been Safe Haven, HALO, the Food Bank and the Racine Kilties. Our state statute was vague regarding the use of homebrew outside the home, but homebrewers were doing things expressly allowed by federal statutes.

In the past few years, the state Department of Revenue began to threaten these homebrew clubs and fundraisers with a $10,000 fine if homebrew was taken outside the home. It selectively continued to allow certain events like state-sponsored State Fair brewing and winemaking competitions.

A law not fairly applied is an unjust law. Not only was our state cutting funding to many much-needed programs, it was also restricting fundraising activities at a time when many agencies sorely needed new funding sources. The DOR attempt to discourage homebrewers by threatening huge fines spurred Wisconsin homebrewing and winemaking clubs to take action, and Senate Bills 205 and 395 were drawn up to address the issue.

Current DOR “opinion” makes Wisconsin’s homebrew statute one of the most restrictive in the country.

Bill 395 makes it expressly legal for homebrewers to participate in events such as contests, fundraisers, club functions and city, county and state fairs as long as the homebrewer does not receive compensation for his donations. It removes the “gray area” Wisconsin’s DOR was using to shut down many charitable events and fundraisers, such as the Homebrew Island part of Racine’s Brewfest and the locally held Schooner Homebrew Contest. As hosts for the Schooner event from 2006 to 2010, an event which annually brings in more than 600 entries from more than 20 states, we were dismayed by its move to another city in 2011. Local officials’ reaction to DOR “opinion” caused organizers to move the event from Racine.

Bill 205 applies to homebrew and wine supply shops. As a shop, we are obligated to teach the fundamental methods of sanitation and brewing and winemaking techniques to our customers. We alert people to common mistakes made, and teach about the many styles of beer and wine, mead and cider.

Tasting is mandatory to discern the styles and/or faults. To promote the craft, club tasting events were held regularly. All were recently deemed illegal in our state’s eyes, and put a sizable dent in our business. SB205 makes it expressly legal for homebrew shops to teach their craft as they had been doing in the past, and both bills more closely mirror what federal statutes expressly allow.

If you believe in Wisconsin citizens’ right to brew and make wine for use without compensation, contact your state senator and ask him/her to support these to bills. If you think it ridiculous that an individual could not make a bottle of beer or wine and then give it as a gift to anyone without threat of a $10,000 fine for tax evasion, contact your senator and ask him/her to support these bills. If you believe that shop-owners should be allowed to teach correct techniques in home brewing and winemaking, contact your senator and ask him/her to support these bills.

Nearly 1 million Americans make wine or beer at home, and more than 300 home-brew contests take place annually across the country. There are about 30 homebrew supply shops in Wisconsin, and current membership in the Racine Club approaches 60 individuals. The local Hop To It store has more than 100 loyal customers. Your endorsement will be appreciated by many.

Mark Flynn is a member of the Wisconsin Homebrewers Alliance, a group of about 39 individuals from across the state assembled to amend the statutes due to their current state interpretation. Hop To It Brewing and Winemaking Supplies has been a department within D.P. Wigley Co. since 2006 and is operated by Mark and Chris Flynn, owners of D.P. Wigley Co., a feed and grain mill established in the 1890s and purchased by the Flynns in 1998.

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