How do you legally distill bourbon?

The Federal Distilled Spirits Permit If you want to distill spirits at home to consume yourself or share with others, you must first apply for a Federal Distilled Spirits Permit. The permit requires a hefty fee, in addition to regulated inspections of your distillation equipment and facility.

What is the distillation limit for bourbon?

80%
Though the method and type of still isn’t dictated, bourbon cannot be distilled over 80% alcohol-by-volume (ABV). For some types of whiskey, you are allowed to distill up to 95% ABV. Not bourbon. The higher proof you distill at, the less flavor you retain.

Can bourbon only be made in Kentucky?

Location – Bourbon can be made anywhere in the US. Only whiskey produced in the State of Kentucky can be called labeled Kentucky Straight Whiskey.

Where is bourbon legally allowed to be made?

Kentucky
Bourbon is All-American. Whiskey may be made everywhere from Brooklyn to Scotland but in 1964, Congress declared bourbon “America’s Native Spirit.” That means to be called bourbon, it must be made in the U.S. But really, everyone knows that means Kentucky—95 percent of the world’s bourbon is made in Kentucky.

Why is making whiskey illegal?

According to federal law, making beverage alcohol at home is illegal, plain and simple. Distilled spirits like whiskey are taxed at the highest rate of any alcohol, far more than either beer or wine. (Actually, a tax on spirits as the very first tax ever levied in the United States.)

Can I distill my own whiskey?

Distilling in California is illegal, even if it would be federally legal.

Why is it illegal to make moonshine but not beer?

So why is moonshine still illegal? Because the liquor is worth more to the government than beer or wine. Uncle Sam takes an excise tax of $2.14 for each 750-milliliter bottle of 80-proof spirits, compared with 21 cents for a bottle of wine (of 14 percent alcohol or less) and 5 cents for a can of beer.