Oklahoma governor signs homebrewing bill

Oklahoma Governor Brad Henry has signed into law legislation that makes homebrewing beer legal in the state.

House Bill 2348 officially legalized the home production of beer for personal use in Oklahoma. Home production of wine and cider for personal use was already legal in Oklahoma. The passage of HB 2348 leaves Alabama and Mississippi as the only remaining states where the homebrewing hobby is not yet legal. The U.S. government made homebrewing legal on a federal level in 1979.

Gary Shellman, a member of the American Homebrewers Association and editor for Oklahoma City’s homebrew club, the High Plains Draughters, initiated the legalization process and worked to ensure the bill’s passage. Shellman spent months lining up a sponsor for a homebrew bill.

“Our theme from the very beginning was to get support from all sectors of the brewing community to bring parity for homebrewed beer with that already long enjoyed by home wine and cider makers,” Shellman said. “We are proud to say that we finally got the job done, but none of this would have been possible without the diligent efforts of Rep. Colby Schwartz.”

The AHA is currently working with homebrewers in Alabama and Mississippi on efforts to legalize homebrewing in those states.