On October 14, 1978, President Jimmy Carter signed into law H.R. 1337, a bill that included a provision legalizing the home production of a certain amount of beer and wine for personal use. This was a significant moment in American brewing history, as it lifted restrictions that had been in place since the Prohibition era.
While the law itself didn’t immediately spark a homebrewing revolution, it allowed individuals to brew up to 100 gallons per person (or 200 gallons per household) of beer or wine each year without paying taxes on it. This created the legal groundwork for the homebrewing movement, which eventually contributed to the craft beer boom in the U.S.
Homebrewing had been illegal in the U.S. since Prohibition (1920–1933), and while winemaking had been re-legalized after Prohibition ended, brewing beer at home remained illegal until Carter’s law passed.
Though Carter is credited with signing the bill, the push for homebrewing legalization was largely driven by California Senator Alan Cranston, who added the homebrewing provision to H.R. 1337, which primarily dealt with taxation on transportation fuels.
This change in the law encouraged a rise in the hobby of homebrewing, and many of today’s successful craft brewers got their start in homebrewing.
Last States to Legalize Homebrewing
Utah didn’t legalize homebrewing until 2009, Oklahoma until 2010, and Alabama and Mississippi until 2013. However, Mississippi still has cities and counties that are considered “dry” where no alcoholic beverages are allowed.