The issue at hand is the statue ORS 471.403 which production of alcohol by anyone except those who are licensed by the Oregon Liquor Control Commission. Yet, according to a recent article in the Democrat-Herald, it does not apply to fermented wines and fruit juices. In essence, the new law bans things like judged competitions and homebrew club tastings. The key sticking point of the whole statue is the confusion is how home consumption is defined. A group has formed the Oregon Home Brewers Alliance to lobby the OLCC and try to change the law. To see the full article, go here.
Oregon homebrewers have a problem. Our laws regarding homebrewing have fallen behind the times and need to be changed if our hobby is to continue legally. This site is dedicated to making that change.
The bottom line is that a recent interpretation of the law restricts homebrew to the home where it was brewed; no competitions, no club tastings, no family picnics. The problem is the law, not the agencies that enforce it. We are working on several fronts with the Legislature and other state officials to write a new law that reflects the current practice of homebrewing.
We need ALL homebrewers to be a part of that effort. On this site http://oregonhomebrewersalliance.org you should find all the information you need to understand our problem and join us in fixing it. Much of our effort will be focused on the 2011 session of the Legislature, but there is much you can do before then.
We hope you’ll join us in helping to spread the word.