Young also argues lowering the bar will primarily benefit out of state dollar and drug store chains. In written testimony, Save Sunday Ohio chairman Bob Young complains that this is the third time in two years that lawmakers have tried to ease Sunday sales restrictions. “One of the clubs I belong to, I think there’s eight at last count, that have come out of this club that have gone into the professional brewing industry.”īut a different provision, making it easier for retailers to sell alcohol on Sundays, has raised objections. “You become a homebrewer, you get your feet wet, you learn how to do it, you learn how to make good beer and then you take it to a competition somewhere and let judges evaluate it, and then you get an idea whether you can do it or not,” Steingass said. Steingass, meanwhile, argued supporting homebrewers means supporting the state’s growing craft beer industry, because so many craft brewers started out at home. Stein also referenced the “missed opportunity” for economic benefit that could flow to the state from events like the AHA’s annual convention called Homebrew Con. “I don’t know if you’re aware but it’s technically illegal for us to give a couple bottles of wine in a basket to anyone and have them raffle that off at an event. “You may occasionally be asked to bring a gift basket for a silent auction at your local political affiliation or maybe some charity organization,” Stein said. Dick Stein, R-Norwalk, brought up another change related to raffles. House lawmakers rolled in a number of additional changes before approving the measure, including expanding the size and number of districts where local governments can allow people to carry open containers. “The AHA said that they didn’t want to take a chance on coming back to Ohio again because the possibility that we would get permission to have such an event in Ohio, and then at the last minute not be able to get a permit would be prohibitive,” Steingass explained. He described how in 2008, the last time the American homebrewers hosted their convention in Ohio, opening the doors required a last-minute mad dash for permits. “So that’s kind of why we started working on this is to bring the Ohio liquor laws into compliance with what is permitted under federal law,” Steingass said. Federal law allows homebrewing, but because Ohio law is silent on the matter, it hasn’t always been clear what is and isn’t allowed. The core of the proposal codifies the right to brew beer or ferment wine in Ohio without a liquor permit, so long as it’s for personal consumption or to share with friends and family. Kristina Roegner, R-Hudson, sponsored the measure which passed the Senate easily Wednesday on a vote of 30-1 after the House tacked on a number of additional provisions. Steingass sits on the American Homebrewers Association governing committee, and he’s been pushing for this legislation for four years. Mike DeWine’s desk would clear the path for homebrewers and fermenters to host events showing off their latest batch. That’s because homebrewing falls into a bit of a grey area under Ohio law. It’s going to be tough to get a taste, though. We couldn't be happier with what we have and we can't wait to share it with you!įollow us on Facebook.Elmer Steingass’ friends call him Goose, and his brown ale took home a gold medal at a recent homebrewing competition. A lot of hard work paid off and we were able to open with a world class brew system, a gorgeous taproom, and an eviable amount of space to grow and improve our operations. The next 2 years comprised of financing, finding a location, and developing it to become a brewery. Not only was the path to professional brewing before him, he was practically being pushed down it. He won the most medals in the competition and Best in Show. Well, "good enough" was never in question. The beers got better and the reviews were great, but how true is the praise from people who are given free beer? In 2013, Fuller entered a number of his beers in the Ohio Brew Week homebrew competition to get some unbiased feedback, with the mindset that if he did "well enough", then he would consider going pro. Not surprisingly, the early beers were less than desirable, but a fire was lit.įor the next 8 years, Fuller focused on perfecting his craft. He decided to teach himself how to make his own beer with just the help of the internet and some of his family's old winemaking equipment. Unlike most undergrads, Fuller had a passion for craft beers, but affordability was an issue for a college student. Brewmaster Cameron Fuller grew up around winemaking, but when he reached college, his interests shifted towards beer. Like many of today's best microbreweries, the origins of Devil's Kettle go back to a kitchen stovetop, with some pots and buckets. We opened in June of 2015, making us the second oldest brewery in Athens! Devil's Kettle Brewing is a microbrewery in Athens, Ohio.
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