Five prominent policy organizations and public interest law firms have filed amicus briefs with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit in support of The Buckeye Institute’s case, Ream v. U.S. Department of Treasury. This case challenges the federal government’s ban on home distilling.
Andrew M. Grossman, a senior legal fellow at The Buckeye Institute and partner at BakerHostetler’s Washington, D.C., office, stated, “What better way to celebrate our country’s 249th birthday than by defending the U.S. Constitution?” He added that The Buckeye Institute is grateful for the support from these five organizations on behalf of their client John Ream of Licking County, Ohio.
The groups filing briefs include Americans for Prosperity Foundation, Cato Institute, Center for Individual Rights, Liberty Justice Center, and Southeastern Legal Foundation.
A historian from Colonial Williamsburg noted that during the American Revolution, whiskey became more prevalent due to British blockades affecting rum production. Whiskey was considered an all-American drink made domestically from American grain.
Robert Alt, president and CEO of The Buckeye Institute and lead attorney on the case said: “A timely and fitting way to honor our great nation’s independence and courageous founders is to recognize that Congress still possesses limited powers, which do not include the authority to regulate home distilling for personal consumption.”
John Ream received a home brewing kit from his wife Kristin before they were married. His hobby led him to open Trek Brewing Company in Newark, Ohio in 2017. Despite this success in brewing beer commercially, Mr. Ream faces legal challenges if he attempts home distilling due to federal regulations threatening severe penalties.
Further information about The Buckeye Institute’s case can be found at BuckeyeInstitute.org/ReamvUSTreasury.
