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Selling mead at a Ren Faire???

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Evermancer

NewBee
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Mar 20, 2015
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So do you need a license to sell mead at a ren fair? I see people doing it at our local fairs sometimes but they seam like just home-brewers for the most part and it would seam rather expensive to me to pay huge amounts of money for a license unless you planned on selling full time and all year around. I feel my own mead could easily outshine the stuff being sold in my area. What would I need to do to sell my mead? I only make about 20 gallons or so a year so It's not like I'm pumping out huge cylos of the stuff. Is there a type of license if you just want to sell a bottle here and there or some type of rule/law that allows it to be sold at ren fairs for some reason? I've been brewing for a couple years but never even thought of selling it until it was suggested to me, so I don't know anything about what one has to do. Also if I did have to get a license how do I get one and how much do they cost?
 

mannye

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Oct 10, 2012
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Miami Beach, FL
There are special permits you can get for events. But if it was easy everyone would do it. Just be ready to start getting that permit now...so next year you will be able to sell mead at the renfair.
 

Chevette Girl

All around BAD EXAMPLE
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Apr 27, 2010
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Ottawa, ON
That totally depends on where you are and where your renfaire is. In Ontario we're SOL for that kind of thing, they've recently passed a law that says that licensed wineries may sell wines at farmer's markets but they still have to be fully licensed wineries, which in Ontario is a go big or go home kind of thing, same thing with meaderies (must be a licensed beekeeper maintaining over 100 hives). If you're not in the same state as your faire there may be legal issues with transporting as well.
 

fubarstyle89

NewBee
Registered Member
Apr 6, 2015
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Well it all depends if your giving it away with a donation say 1 bottle for a 10 doller donation well then who is selling
 

mannye

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Oct 10, 2012
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Miami Beach, FL
Well it all depends if your giving it away with a donation say 1 bottle for a 10 doller donation well then who is selling

You would need to make sure the renfair management is ok with that. It's a common idea and I would be surprised if the authorities haven't found a way to thwart that yet.


Sent from my TARDIS at the restaurant at the end of the universe while eating Phil.
 

ScottBehrens

Premium Patron
Premium Patron
Aug 26, 2012
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Vero Beach, FL
A fledgling homebrew shop/club/wannabe bar tried to get away with that donation idea in our town. They were shut down in a very short time and then immediately out of business.
 

mannye

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Oct 10, 2012
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Miami Beach, FL
They have a COP-1 license here that's fairly easy to get and economical. Cop means Consume On Premises. It's made specifically for microbrew places. They also have a variation that's for events. As long as no one can take a bottle home. It's a fraction of the cost of a true license.


Sent from my TARDIS at the restaurant at the end of the universe while eating Phil.
 

Keystone

NewBee
Registered Member
Apr 16, 2015
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http://www.ttb.gov/faqs/alcohol_faqs.shtml#hw

HW21 deals with permitting. Mead is considered wine. I'm not familiar with wine or beer, only DSP's for liquor. But pretty much you can rest assured that fees and reporting requirements mean that producing/selling alcohol is not something one can dabble in. however, there is money to be made if you can get started.
 

JayH

Worker Bee
Registered Member
May 9, 2006
355
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Corrales, NM
I believe you are actually asking a two part question here.

The first is it legal for you tell sell what you make as a home brewer and as far as I know the answer that question is very definitive no in all 50 states, it's a federal thing among other limitations, you have to be a licensed Winery to sell you product at all.

The second is can you then sell your mead (or other alcohol) and that tends to vary from state to state and in some states such as Texas from county to county. Also the ale booths at ren faires are usually their largest money maker and there is no way they are going to let you horn in on this financial stream without you tithing quite a bit back to the ren faire.

So to do it legally would cost you a lot more in time and money than you would ever be able to make. On the other hand if you keep it small and no tells on you?


Cheers
Jay
 
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