By Jedidiah McKeehan

Making your own beer has become a hip and trendy thing to do in this day and age.  If you fall in to the category of people who are brewing their own beer, are there any Tennessee laws that apply to what you are doing?

Yes, there are.  Tennessee Code Annotated section 57-5-111 is actually titled, “Homemade beer.”

It states that “homemade beer,” is beer made by a person’s own efforts and not made for a commercial purpose.  No license or permit is required to make the homemade beer, possess it, transport it, or store it.  Someone who makes homemade beer is not allowed to make more than 100 gallons of beer per year if one adult lives in the household, and 200 gallons if two adults live in the household.

Homemade beer made in compliance with the statute may be consumed by the person who made it, their family, neighbors, and friends at any private residence or other private location.

Homemade beer can be used for exhibition, demonstration, judging, tasting, sampling, contest or competition.

Most importantly, the government cannot tax individuals who make homemade beer in compliance with this statute!

 

Jedidiah McKeehan is an attorney practicing in Knox County and surrounding counties.  He works in many areas, including criminal, personal injury, landlord-tenant, probate, and estate planning. Visit attorney-knoxville.com for more information about this legal issue and other legal issues.