SALEM -- Trouble was brewing in Beervana last spring when a new interpretation of an old state law blocked home brewers and amateur winemakers in Oregon from participating in friendly tastings and contests.



Even the Oregon State Fair canceled its homemade beer and wine competition after the Oregon Liquor Control Commission received an advisory from the Department of Justice saying the law did not allow nonlicensed amateurs to share their carefully crafted stout or pinot anywhere except at home.



Brewers' blogs foamed with anger. One even complained about the "Gestapo-like crackdown." Several state lawmakers set to work to fix the problem.



Tuesday, the Oregon Senate unanimously endorsed Senate Bill 444, which would rewrite state law to allow homemade beer and wine to be made, transported and consumed. It would clear the way for contests to resume in time for summer and fall judging.



The bill was carried on the floor by Sen. Floyd Prozanski, D-Eugene, who has been brewing his own beer since 1987.



"I was shocked," Prozanski said about last year's legal ruling. "My brew partner was extremely concerned because we brew at my house. Under current law, he would be subject to prosecution for transporting his portion home."



The bill still must get through the House. But it passed the Senate without debate.



Denny Conn, a member of both the American Homebrewers Association and the Cascade Brewers Society in Eugene, said he's optimistic about its prospects.



"We have a big brewfest down here in May, the Sasquatch Brew Fest," said Conn, a certified beer judge as well as a member of the national association's governing committee. "At this point we're going ahead."



Small aside: Conn noted a guy doesn't become a certified beer judge simply by sitting down and lifting some pints. He had to pass a three-hour test, answering 10 essay questions.



Oregon is home to an estimated 20,000 home brewers and amateur winemakers.



Gary Glass, director of the American Homebrewers Association, said Oregon has one of the oldest laws in the nation, dating to the Prohibition era.



Even though it's been a tough time for Oregon home brewers, he suggests it could be worse. Two states, Alabama and Mississippi, have laws that prohibit home brewing altogether.



Brett Begani, a member of the PDX Brewers board, called Tuesday's Senate vote "a fantastic victory."



"When I first started home brewing three years ago, I looked up the statute because so many laws are in flux for home brewers, and I felt it was saying I couldn't move my beer," Begani said. He then asked other brewers about it.



"Everybody said: 'That may be the way the law is written, but we hold competitions, and somebody would have said something,'" he said.



If Senate Bill 444 passes the House and is signed by the governor, Begani hopes the law will finally be clear.



"We have an emergency rider on the bill," he added, "so the minute the governor signs it, it will be law, and we will be able to have a nice celebration."



-- Michelle Cole

