Reconstruction-era home-distilling ban struck down by 5th Circuit

A U.S. appeals court in New Orleans (the 5th Circuit) ruled that the Reconstruction-era federal ban on home distilling is unconstitutional, saying Congress cannot criminalize in-home activities merely to collect taxes and that the ban actually reduced tax revenue by curbing distilling. The decision affirms a 2024 lower-court ruling and was praised as a victory for individual liberty by the Hobby Distillers Association, while the Justice Department did not immediately comment.