It has proven to be a great week. Our meetings in Washington this week went well, with nothing standing out as concerning to our legalization effort. Then, in our mail yesterday was a letter from the TTB. Any time that you get an official letter your heart drops for a second, but knowing that the TTB and Treasury have not been against our effort, I quickly recovered and opened the letter. And, what the letter said will be of interest to all hobbyists:

Brewhaus is no longer required to report the sale of distillers, columns, or boilers to the TTB

Do not jump for joy just yet, or read too much into it. The existing law still requires all manufacturer and sellers of distillers to keep a record of those sales in case the TTB requests it, but as of now we are not required to submit that list as we have for the past nearly two years.

What prompted this change is unknown. We hope that it is a result of our legalization effort, and that the TTB has decided the hobbyist is not a significant enough concern to focus time and effort on, but I expect that they will still focus on those that are selling illegally (and well they should!).

For now let's take this as a sign that things are looking more favorable for the hobbyist, and that the TTB is accepting of our effort and potential legalization. Don't slow down. Keep contacting your elected officials and supporting the HDA. We are close. This latest move by the TTB is great news for the hobbyist, but it is still every bit as important to get this hobby legal parity with home brewing and winemaking. Until that happens, the hobbyist distiller will have to continue hiding and looking over their shoulder to enjoy their hobby.