Former Engineer Seeks Supreme Court Review of Century-old Liquor Ban

WHO:

NY Post - John Ream, an Ohio homebrewer and former aerospace engineer.

Fox News - Robert Alt, President and CEO of the Buckeye Institute, representing John Ream.

Fox News - Kristin, John Ream's wife.

WHAT:

NY Post - John Ream is challenging a 150-year-old federal ban on home distilling of liquor.

Fox News - The federal law prohibits Americans from distilling spirits at home, making it a felony.

Fox News - The Sixth Circuit ruled against Ream, while the Fifth Circuit ruled in favor of home distilling in separate cases.

Fox News - The Supreme Court receives between 7,000 and 10,000 petitions for review each year but only hears about 60 cases.

WHERE:

NY Post - Newark, Ohio, where John Ream and his wife opened Trek Brewing Company.

Fox News - The Buckeye Institute, an Ohio-based think tank.

WHEN:

Fox News - The federal law prohibiting home distilling was enacted in 1868.

Fox News - The Sixth Circuit ruling against Ream occurred in April.

WHY:

Fox News - The ban on home distilling is rooted in concerns about tax evasion and the collection of liquor taxes, dating back to the Whiskey Rebellion in 1791.

Fox News - John Ream's interest in distilling spirits arose from his experience with home brewing, which began with a gift from his wife.

HOW:

Fox News - The federal government argues that the restriction on home distilling is part of the system to protect and collect federal excise taxes on distilled spirits.

(UPDATED September 22, 2026 16:00 UTC)

John Ream, an Ohio homebrewer and former aerospace engineer, is challenging a 150-year-old federal ban on home distilling of liquor, which makes it a felony for Americans to distill spirits at home. Represented by Robert Alt, President and CEO of the Buckeye Institute, Ream's case comes after the Sixth Circuit ruled against him, while the Fifth Circuit ruled in favor of home distilling in separate cases. The federal law prohibiting home distilling was enacted in 1868, rooted in concerns about tax evasion that date back to the Whiskey Rebellion in 1791, and the government argues that this restriction is essential for protecting and collecting federal excise taxes on distilled spirits.