Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1921-09-29
''HOME-BREWy RULING
FROM COLLECTOR HAM

Hon. Frank ]. Ham, collector af
internal revenue for the District ~
Maine, wednesday received a COM
munlcation from Hon. David n.
Blair, the commissioner of internal
revenue at Washington, declaring
that under the law all alcohol. bran
dy, Whiskey, rum. gin, beer, ale. nor.
ter and wine are intoxicating LIQUORS
regardless Of alcohol content. and II
Is illegal to manufacture them with
out permit.
The liquors known by the general
description of 'home-brew' are either
beer. ale or porter. and therefore IT
is Illegal to sell materials whereby
80 caiied home-brew may be made
IN the home, even though the alco-
hollc content OF the beverages is in
tended to be less than one half of
one per cent. by volume" saws the
communication of Commissioner
Blair
NO property rights exist in the
materials, malt extract, grape must.
stiiis, ETC., intended for use, or for
sale for use in the manufacture of
liquor in the home or elsewhere in
violation of the National Prohibition
Act or in the liquor made therefrom
and the same may be seized and for
lelted, continues the communica-
ton.
No permit has been issued bv
this Office for the manufacture of
wine, home-brew, distilled spirits or
any other Intoxicating liquors for
beverage use in the home or else
where and under the law cannot is
sue such permits.
notwithstanding fruit juice can
be made in the home. intoxicating
wine, home brew, and distilled spirit
may not be made
TWO hundred gallons of non-in-
toxicating fruit juices may be manu-
featured tax free by the head of the
family by registering with the Col
lector of Internal Revenue. This
tax exemption provision has been the
source of confusion. The effect of
this is not to allow the manufacture
of 200 gallons of intoxicating wine
Tree from the restrictions of the Ma
tlonal Prohibition Act, but merely to
allow the manufacture of 200 gallons
of Notwithstanding fruit juices free
of tax.
Notwithstanding fruit juices may
be made from home grown fruit. or
from fruit purchased for the purpose
or one may take fruit belonging to
him to a. commercial mill to have the
juice expressed therefrom, provided
the juice is removed to the home of
the owner before it contains as much
as one half per cent of alcohol by
volume. The possessor of fruit
juices in the home such as cider is
at liberty to convert the same into
vinegar for home use or to sell the
/ same to permittees for conversion in
TO vinegar.
Under Section Is of Title II of the
National Prohibition Act, it is illegal
to furnish stills. worms or coils, malt
eXtnct or syrups, unfcrmented fruit
juices, such as grape must or any
! fermentable material, recipes or for
mulae for the manufacture of liquor
for use in the home Or elsewhere for
beverage purposes.
1T is a violation of the law to
manufacture. sell or POSSESS for
sale, except to a person holding a
permit under the National Prohibi
ton Act, malt extract with hops and
clarificr for the manufacture of
cereal beverages or malt liquor.
There Is a widespread impress
sion that it is legal TO manufacture
without permit, in the home or
elsewhere, beer, ale, and porter, con-
tanning less than one half of one per
cent of alcohol by volume The law
does not actually permit of the
Manufacture without a permit of
beer, ole and porter. even though
the alcoholic content be less than
one half of one per cent of alcohol
by volume"