Supreme Court to Review Reconstruction-Era Ban on Home Distilling
The Supreme Court has agreed to review an antiquated ban from the Reconstruction era that prohibits distilling spirits in private homes, questioning Congress's constitutional authority to enforce it.
Binghamton, NY, October 19, 2026 —
The Supreme Court has agreed to review a Reconstruction-era ban that prohibits distilling spirits in private homes, taking up a question about Congress’s constitutional authority to enforce the prohibition.
The review will consider the federal government’s authority in relation to the ban, according to the available description of the case. The court’s decision to hear the matter does not itself resolve that constitutional question. No ruling, timetable or explanation of the justices’ decision to review the ban was provided.
The information provided does not identify the case, the parties involved or the law’s specific provisions. It also does not describe the legal arguments made by either side, explain how the dispute reached the Supreme Court or state what outcome either party is seeking. The date of the court’s action was not provided.
The central issue identified is whether Congress has constitutional authority to enforce a prohibition on distilling spirits in private homes. The summary describes the measure as an antiquated ban dating to the Reconstruction era, but gives no further account of its history or how it has been applied.
Details about the next steps in the case, including when the court may hear arguments or issue a decision, were not provided. Until the court rules, the constitutional question remains unresolved in the information available. The scope of any eventual ruling and its effect on the prohibition are also not specified.
Story summarized from the original created by MICHAEL KUNZELMAN, Associated Press on www.binghamtonhomepage.com, see more information here.
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