I’m a home brewer in Georgia and am planning a trip to Texas in September (via auto). I’d like to take a couple of corny kegs of home brew to share with friends and colleagues.
Does anyone know if it’s ok (or not ok) to transport home brew across state lines from Georgia, through Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana, to Texas?
Thanks in advance for your comments!
I wondered the same while driving 20 kegs to nhc.
I think the strict answer might be no, but the practical answer is you’re not likely to get in trouble unless you do something else to get your car searched.
Every state has different laws, until a couple of months ago homebrewing wasn’t even legal in Bama. But I’m pretty sure their new freedom doesn’t include the right to transport homebrew from the house to another place so I’m guessing they won’t make a distinction as to where the homebrew was brewed. You’re about to drive through the 3 most anti-alcohol states in the country.
Having said all that if you obey the speed limits, drive safely and don’t give law enforcement any reason to be interested in you you’ll be fine. When all else fails plead complete and utter ignorance.
And\Or offer 'em a cold one!
The other thing is that kegs of beer are legal. Many people wouldn’t know the difference between yours and commercial kegs
You don’t happen to be driving a black Trans Am?
As far as I know, it is legal to transport through Texas. It is extremely legal to drop those kegs off at my house in Texas. Local crazy Governor Perry insists on it.
“I believe that ignorance of the law is no excuse, and I’m quoting a New York City judge on this one.”
-Ron White
Texas limits the amount to 24 12oz containers unless you are moving into the state.
West bound and down!
I say it’s legal (of course I’m not the best person to interpret laws). Put 'em in your trunk or in the back of your pickup. How is it any different than driving a keg of commercial beer from the store to your keg party? It’s not like you’re going to be stopping at rest stops to do keg stands…are you? 8)
The difference is Texas wants her money.
Oh so many witty inappropriate things to say, but I’ll refrain
Sounds like your friends are going to have to meet you in Lousiana!
When I lived in Alabama kegs were illegal in Mobile County(except at bars) but not in Baldwin across the bay. But you could lose your car if you got caught bringing a keg from Baldwin County back to Mobile. Also transporting booze across state lines involves taxes-Alabama used to have little tax stamps glued across the top of any liquor or wine bottle. Get busted with bottles that don’t have those and you were in deep doo-doo. States want their alcohol tax revenue.
Is that the number of open containers you’re allowed in Texas in your car?
I have heard stories of those days from friends and co-workers. As long as as the driver was not legally drunk, he/she could drink while driving. I think the law changed in the mid 90’s.
It changed in 2000 or 2001. I remember when I first started going out on the weekends in 1999 you would drive down the freeway and everybody was getting drunk in the car. The driver couldn’t have a drink in hand so if you saw a cop the driver would just hand somebody else their beer.
You can drink in the car in Missouri, so long as you’re the passenger: http://ipp.missouri.edu/files/ipp/attachments/missouri_state_and_local_open_container_laws.pdf ← not the statute, cause I can’t find it right now, but close.