hist-brewing: Cordials

[Bruce R. Gordon]

Greetings
     Sorry to rain on the parade, but I'm afraid it's not a fallacy. 
Check Title 27 in Federal regulations. To quote from the ATF's own 
website: "You cannot produce spirits for beverage purposes without 
paying taxes and without prior approval of paperwork to operate a 
distilled spirits plant. [See 26 U.S.C. 5601 & 5602 for some of the 
criminal penalties.] There are numerous requirements that must be met 
that make it impractical to produce spirits for personal or beverage 
use. Some of these requirements are paying special tax, filing an 
extensive application, filing a bond, providing adequate equipment to 
measure spirits, providing suitable tanks and pipelines, providing a 
separate building (other than a dwelling) and maintaining detailed 
records, and filing reports. All of these requirements are listed in 27 
CFR Part 19."
     Beer and wine fall under different arrangements, and it is 
relatively simple to ferment for home use. But not distillation. Now, 
having said that, am I implying that if you cook up a gallon or two of 
booze in your own kitchen, that ATF agents are going to suddenly pop 
out of the woodwork and haul you off? Probably not. But it is 
nevertheless illegal, and they can if they find out about you and feel 
sufficiently motivated to pester you. And in any event, the SCA as a 
not-for-profit organization cannot be seen as condoning illegal 
activity, and so cannot knowingly permit home-distilled products to be 
displayed at SCA sanctioned activities, such as A+S fairs.

Bruce R. Gordon

> On Mon, 30 Jun 2003 12:20:36 -0400, Bruce R. Gordon wrote
> > Greetings
> >      Well, in theory I could agree, but in actual practice the 
> > distillation of alcohol is entirely illegal in the USA without very 
> > expensive and extremely difficult-to-obtain licensing.
> 
> This is a fallacy. There are Home-brewing supply stores all over the 
nation 
> selling distilling equipment (for instance: 
http://www.thehomebrewstore.com). 
> It is prohibited at a *State-level*. The part that is illegal "in the 
USA" 
> (read "by the Feds") is the part about transporting said beverage and 
its 
> sale. 
> 
> > I don't know 
> > how they do things in Calontir, but in the Middle, where I am from,
> >  presentation of home-distilled products at an A+S fair isn't 
> > permitted, since it is illegal.
> 
> If it is illegal in your state, then at the LEAST, the entrant should 
explain 
> the choice of a pre-made liquor, and choose one appropriate to the 
context, 
> and since vodka was rare (until later period) and everclear was 
unheard of. 
> Again, my point isn't about legality, which as stated above is the 
biggest 
> fallacy in the brewing world, my question is about where/how it 
should be 
> discussed/judged.
> 
> >   I would have 
> > to disagree that blending flavours is a lesser skill
> 
> NOTICE, I didn't say it was a lesser skill, I said that it maybe 
belonged in 
> cooking. I can't make a good quiche, and all that is is mixing 
ingredients. 
> There is some skill there. My point of conversation was to examine 
whether it 
> is fair to place cordials in "brewing." Making Sekanjabin ISN'T 
generally 
> considered "brewing," right? That is the SAME as making a cordial. 
But 
> Sekanjabin is included with cooking not brewing, and my question is 
whether 
> cordials should be placed there too.
> 
> HL Rory McGowen
> 
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