Short version: the TableTopStill we featured is gone: its website no longer loads and its old Amazon listing now shows a different product. More important, TTB (the federal alcohol regulator) still says federal law prohibits making distilled spirits at home without a permit. A federal appeals court struck the ban down in April 2026, another upheld it, and the Supreme Court agreed on October 19, 2026 to hear the case. Until it rules, the legal way to make your own booze is beer or wine, which adults may make at home for personal or family use.
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We used to joke about turning your kitchen into a moonshine operation. The law isn’t a joke, so here’s what’s allowed right now, based on TTB’s own pages and reporting on the court fight (this isn’t legal advice, and we didn’t test these kits hands-on).
| Activity | Federal rule (TTB) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Distilling spirits at home | Prohibited without a distilled spirits plant permit | The ban is now before the Supreme Court |
| Making beer or wine at home | Allowed for adults, for personal or family use | State and local rules may differ |
| Small still (a gallon or less) for water or steam-extracted essential oils | Not subject to TTB requirements | A solvent method that yields alcohol counts as distilling |
| Owning a small still | Allowed if you use it for other purposes | Check state and local law |
Specs from TTB’s home distilling page, TTB’s distilled spirits FAQs, The Spirits Business on the Supreme Court case. Checked October 2026.
What matters in real use
- Label check: the beer kit is our legal alternative, not a still.
- Beer is the easiest start. The Craft A Brew kit comes with equipment, ingredients and a brewing guide.
- Prefer wine? The Fresh Harvest one-gallon fruit wine kit makes small batches from fruit.
- Want a still on the counter anyway? A water distiller is the legal kind: the Megahome countertop water distiller is stainless steel with a glass collection bottle.
- Watch the Supreme Court. We’ll update this post when it rules on the home distilling ban.
Gift it to: the friend who talks about opening a brewery, the craft beer fan, or the dad who already owns three growlers.
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