A New Brew: "Civil Disobedience"

That's now the official name of my Belgian tripel(proper spelling in this case) home brew.

The scene of the crime...(recreated for highly sarcastic purposes)

Last year the Wisconsin Department of Revenue issued a ruling saying current law prohibited those who home-brew beer (which happens to include me) could not legally transport it from the premises where it was brewed. I can't invite people to my house to drink it, but I cannot deliver it to them. This not only precludes tasting parties for home brew enthusiasts, but meant home brews can't be used in fundraisers or other events.

So, to show the lunacy of this rule I intentionally violated it earlier today, on the air. I delivered a jar of my home brew tripel to my producer, Jason Miller. I am admitting this publicly. I look forward to hearing from the Wisconsin DOR concerning this infraction. I really, really do. And if they choose not to enforce the rule and impose a fine in this instance, I'm going to declare home brew transport Bastille Day.

If they're going to selectively not enforce it with me, how can they enforce it with anybody. Picture my best phony southern accent: "C'mon Mister Revenoor, come and git me."

Yes we've been having fun with this on the air, but the notion that government can get away with being this intrusive in our lives should be frightening. And because the commercial brewing industry and tavern league have issues with some of the provisions of a bill to remedy this insanity, its fate in the state legislature remains uncertain.

So, to my producer and friend Jason, hoise a glass of "Civil Disobedience" tonight and enjoy.