Remember What Happened in Florida?

We’ve noticed that many members are letting their memberships expire instead of renewing, but why? At no time in the past has a legalization effort EVER been this close! Remember when the TTB raided Florida last year, resulting in 8 arrests and the seizure of 46 stills? The HDA was formed because this should not happen to hobby distillers who distill for enjoyment without the intent to sell.

In February of this year, the TTB informed Brewhaus that they no longer have to submit sales reports on a regular basis—a firm requirement that previously had been in effect for the last couple of years. Clearly, the HDA’s efforts have reached the TTB. But we’re not done yet.

We still need your help to see this through so the hobby you love will hopefully be legal soon. Enjoying the right to legally distill your own spirits without continuously looking over your shoulder or dreading a knock on your door doesn’t just happen without any effort.

Our Lobbyist Works for All of Us

I sound like a broken record, but again I need to bring the matter of funding to the attention of those who aren’t dues-paying members. Currently, all dues paid by HDA members go to fund our lobbyist, which continues to cost about $3000 per month. This means that the HDA has spent approximately $45,000 to pay the lobbyist since the HDA was formed in March of 2014.

As you already know, Brewhaus owner Rick Morris is a member of HDA leadership, and Brewhaus has been paying all costs beyond what membership dues have covered since the HDA was created. At this point, Brewhaus has contributed over $20,000 to continue paying the lobbyist each month and keep the HDA efforts moving forward. Without our lobbyist, we would not have made the progress that we have.

We know that Brewhaus could have a lot to gain once hobby distilling becomes legal in the United States. But anyone involved in this industry—from manufacturers to wholesalers to retailers to hobbyists—will also enjoy those benefits. Don’t take the attitude of “It doesn’t matter if someone else does all the work: we’ll still get the rewards in the end.”

So this is just a reminder that our lobbyist works for all of us—supporters, hobbyists, wholesalers, etc.—so let’s work together to help distribute the burden of these costs. If every one of our 1070 non-paying supporters donated $10 to the HDA, our lobbyist would be covered for the next 3 1/2 months. If every one of those members paid $30 for a 1-year membership, then funding also could begin towards legalizing hobby distilling at the state level.

The HDA is Making a Difference

Again, let me stress that results from our efforts continue to progress positively, and your support is essential. We appreciate your understanding that we can’t always reveal much at the request of our lobbyist because we don’t want to impede the substantial progress we’ve made over the past year. Please spread the word about the HDA, and remember to renew your membership.

Thank you, dear members. We can do this!