- Joined
- Jul 3, 2023
Yeah, I know he's all good on the homebrewing. Distilling is a whole other beast, however. Nothing you get out the other side could be claimed to be mead, beer, or wine, those might just be your feedstock.Distilling alcohol without a license is a federal crime. Bootlegging is also illegal in Wyoming, pursuant to W.S. § 12-8-102(a), although this statute specifically exempts mead by name, along with beer and wine, so long as you make less than 100 gallons per year for a single person household. In Wyoming it's a misdemeanor punishable by up to a $1,000 fine, one year in jail, or both (although the likelihood of actually doing jail time for common bootlegging is pretty slim). The federal offense is a felony punishable by up to 5 years in the pokey, but the feds really could not give less of a shit about one regard making bogshine in a trailer in Wyoming.
Never quite understood why distilling continues to be illegal in the land of the free, doesn't seem to have caused an issue in comparable societies where it is legal. I guess just a quirk of history coupled with no political will to change it.
Even if someone could get away with a bit of it done quietly in the privacy of their home, that's not an option for Josh since his weens would rat him out immediately. Probably for the best since his lacklustre approach to rigor when it comes to homebrewing would spell disaster if he attempted distillation.