Hobby Distiller's Association

10/14/2026

⚖️ Supreme Court Update

There’s a new entry on the docket! On October 13, the petition in HDA’s case was distributed again for the justices’ conference this Friday, October 16, following its earlier October 9 conference date.

The Court has not yet announced whether it will hear the case. We’re still waiting, and this entry alone doesn’t tell us which way the justices are leaning—but we wanted to keep you informed.

Thank you to everyone standing with HDA in the fight for legal home distilling. Your support matters!

Follow the official docket here:

10/11/2026

Once, twice, three times? How many times do you distill your wash? 🤔

So many conflicting answers, and it’s all as clear as mud! Head over to the forum and chime in with your thoughts—and don’t forget to tell us your why.

The HDA forum is about asking questions, getting answers, and talking about your hobby with people who share your interest.

Here’s a discussion to get you started:
https://forum.hobbydistillersassociation.com/threads/double-and-triple-distillation.1742/

10/09/2026

The Supreme Court is getting ALL my attention today… no work getting done over here! 😂

Sharing the official docket link so I’m not alone in my anxiety. Join me in refreshing the screen over and over and over… lol. 👀⚖️

10/08/2026

⚖️ October 9 — Supreme Court Docket Watch!

This Friday could be pretty interesting for all of us.

We will be watching the Supreme Court’s October 9 conference, where the Justices will consider whether to take up the cases of McNutt v. DOJ (HDA) and Ream v. U.S. Department of the Treasury. We need at least four Justices to agree to hear a case.

HDA has been fighting to legalize home distilling since 2014, and we are hopeful that we may finally be on the home stretch.

Right now we have two federal appeals courts that have come to two completely different conclusions on the same federal law. The Fifth Circuit, in HDA’s case, ruled in our favor, while the Sixth Circuit, in Ream, upheld the federal ban.

So now we have two courts, the same federal law, and two different answers. One of the reasons the Supreme Court may decide to step in is to resolve conflicts like this between federal appeals courts.

Does all of this mean they will take one of the cases? No. There are no guarantees.

But after years of fighting for the right of adults to legally distill at home for their own personal use, we are certainly hopeful that the Justices will decide this is worth hearing.

We also want to take a moment to thank The Buckeye Institute, which has been representing HDA pro bono (free of charge) throughout this legal battle. The Buckeye Institute relies on donations to take on important cases like ours, and we are incredibly grateful for the time, work, and resources they have put into fighting for our cause.

We will be keeping a close eye on the docket and will let you know as soon as we know. 🤞

09/30/2026

IT’S FINALLY LIVE!

The former Brewhaus Forum is back—now as the Hobby Distillers Association Forum!

Years of old discussions, tips, tricks and knowledge are still there, and now we have a place to keep the conversation going.

Already an HDA member? Sign up using the same email address you used for your HDA membership.

Come take a look, introduce yourself and help us get this thing rolling again!

https://forum.hobbydistillersassociation.com/

09/28/2026

MYTH: A thumper doubles your proof.

FACT: No.

We can understand where this myth comes from. After all, a thumper is sometimes called a doubler.

What a thumper actually does is give the alcohol v***r another stage of distillation. This can increase the proof, but it doesn’t automatically double it—and it certainly doesn’t create twice as much alcohol.

A thumper can also add or enhance flavor, depending on what you put inside it. Some people add fruit, while others use some of their wash to carry more flavor into the finished spirit.

Can a thumper increase your proof and influence the flavor? Yes.

Does it double your alcohol? No. That’s a myth.

09/25/2026

🥃 5 Distilling Mistakes That Can RUIN Your Spirit

Sometimes it isn’t your recipe that’s the problem.

A few simple mistakes during the distilling process can completely change what ends up in your glass—and some of them are easier to make than you might think.

Rick breaks down 5 common distilling mistakes, why they matter, and what you can do differently.

Whether you’re new to the hobby or have been doing this for years, you might recognize at least one of these. 😏

👇 Watch the video and then tell us—what mistake would you add to the list?

Five common distilling mistakes can turn a good wash into a disappo...

09/23/2026

If you were part of the old Brewhaus forum, this one’s for you. ❤️

It’s been a long time since the forum was easy to access and post on, but the conversations you built there haven’t been forgotten. We’re bringing them over to the new Hobby Distillers Association forum—and the numbers surprised even us:

8,408 users. 33,774 threads. 59,448 posts. 492 attachments.

That’s a lot of questions answered, problems solved, recipes shared, and knowledge passed from one distiller to another. To everyone who posted, replied, or helped someone just getting started: thank you. You made the Brewhaus forum what it was.

The HDA forum is in the home stretch now. We hope you’ll come back, find some familiar names, and help us get the conversations going again. We’ll share the link when it opens!

09/23/2026

I know, I know—we’ve been talking about the HDA forum for a while. But we’re finally in the home stretch! 👀

We’re bringing the conversations from the old Brewhaus forum over to HDA, so all that knowledge and experience can keep growing in its new home.

Soon we’ll have a place to ask questions, share what we’ve learned, help each other troubleshoot, and keep those discussions going together. And no good forum is complete without a recipe swap! 😉

Here’s a little peek at what’s taking shape. It’s still under construction, but we’re getting close. We’ll share the link as soon as it’s ready!

09/18/2026

Is home distilling really dangerous?

Rick tackles that question in his newest video. Watch and tell us what you think! 👇

https://youtube.com/watch?v=cslPvI7vSrU

https://youtu.be/cslPvI7vSrU?is=xC3cq5rsPIEPQ9_M

Distilling has a reputation for being dangerous. Fires. Explosions....