Legal Matters to Know About Beer in Germany

Legal Aspects of Home Brewing

Hobby brewers, who make their own beer in their own household for their private consumption, are authorized to produce a quantity of up to 200 l of bear each year free of tax. This beer must not be sold. Before his first brewing procedure, the hobby brewer has to advise the competent main customs office of his intentions. This is stipulated in writing in the official regulation on the execution of the German Law on Beer Tax (BierStV), as follows:

§ 2 – Production by home and hobby brewers

(1) Beer that is prepared by home and hobby brewers in their households for their private consumption exclusively and which is not sold shall be exempt from tax for a quantity of 2 hectolitres per calendar year. Beer that is produced by home brewers in non-commercial municipal or local breweries shall be deemed as beer produced in the home brewers´ private households.

(2) Home and hobby brewers shall advise the main customs office of the beginning and the place of their beer production in advance. This announcement must include the quantity of beer which will probably be produced in the course of the calendar year. The main customs office may concede alleviations.

The local customs office in charge of your first brewing application is mentioned under www.zoll-d.de. An announcement to the customs office can be made by facsimile or by postal letter and could look like the following draft letter.

Address Main customs office Address Sender Date Announcement of beer production in a private home Dear Sirs and Madams, I have the intention to produce beer in my home at the above-referenced address, for my private consumption. Place of production: (if it differs from the sender’s address) Data of production: Quantity of beer: 20 l of top-fermented wheat bear with an original wort content of approx. 11 degr. Plato I do not intend to produce more than 200 l of beer in the calendar year of 2006. Faithfully yours,

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