Brewing Syndicate - do regs apply?

DethApostle · Mar 28, 2019

Drunkula said:
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/alcohol-at-charity-meetings-and-events

Interesting one this, I have played around with a similar idea for a club fundraiser and to attract new members. I thought about giving away samples rather than half/pints which limits the losses of giving away your precious homebrew for free, or alternatively charging a monthly/yearly membership fee instead. All the alcohol could then be given away free to members once the fee had been paid...

Didn't get an awful lot further on than that vague plan though!

simon12 · Mar 28, 2019

DethApostle said:
Interesting one this, I have played around with a similar idea for a club fundraiser and to attract new members. I thought about giving away samples rather than half/pints which limits the losses of giving away your precious homebrew for free, or alternatively charging a monthly/yearly membership fee instead. All the alcohol could then be given away free to members once the fee had been paid...

Didn't get an awful lot further on than that vague plan though!

Problem is the article is about duty paid alcohol not home brew which is for personal consumption only though a few beers to friends is still considered personal consumption giving it to paying members of a club is not.

Chippy_Tea · Mar 28, 2019

There have been a few threads about this over the years and I was under the impression only the person making home brew is allowed to drink it if they give it to anyone else they have to pay duty on it.

simon12 · Mar 28, 2019

HMRC's wording in excise notice 226 is "

brewing solely for your own domestic consumption" which suggests you also have to drink it at home

and Alcoholic Liquor Duties Act 1979 Section 41 reads “The duty on beer produced in the United Kingdom shall not be chargeable on beer produced by a person who produces beer only for his own domestic use.” Which suggests women can't do it.

chrissyr63 · Mar 28, 2019

But domestic is a wide description.
If I cook loads of spag bol and pass it out to my family and friends I'd not need a licence of any kind?
Or we have a party and we serve it up no food standards etc?
If I brew a load of beer and give to the same people still for no gain or we have a party and beer is on tap for free how is that different?
If I do a load of beef and ale pies with my homebrew and do the same where do I sit then!
I think HMRC are more concerned with bigger things than a few people sharing some homebrew.