Supreme Court Agrees to Review 1868 Ban on Home Distilling
The Supreme Court has agreed to review a Reconstruction-era law from 1868 that prohibits distilling spirits in private homes. Plaintiffs are challenging the constitutionality of this long-standing ban.
Burlington Plattsburgh, VT, October 19, 2026 —
The Supreme Court has agreed to review a law dating to 1868 that prohibits distilling spirits in private homes. Plaintiffs are challenging the constitutionality of the ban, described as a Reconstruction-era law.
The court’s agreement to review the law brings the longstanding prohibition before the justices for consideration. The available information does not identify the plaintiffs, the case name, the arguments they have made, or the legal grounds for their challenge beyond the broad constitutional question.
The details provided also do not specify when the court will hear the case, what prompted the challenge, or whether any lower court has ruled on it. No outcome has been reported. The court’s decision to review the law does not, by itself, resolve whether the prohibition is constitutional.
The dispute concerns a restriction on distilling spirits inside private homes. The summary does not describe the law’s full text, the scope of the prohibition, or any exceptions. It also does not provide information about how the law has been enforced or whether enforcement is at issue in the case.
Further details about the proceedings, including the parties’ identities and the court’s schedule, were not provided. For now, the reported development is that the Supreme Court has agreed to consider a constitutional challenge to the 1868 ban.
Story summarized from the original created by MICHAEL KUNZELMAN, Associated Press on www.mychamplainvalley.com, see more information here.
Media gallery
