Supreme Court agrees to review a Reconstruction - era ban on distilling spirits in private homes

The United States Supreme Court agreed on Monday to review the legality of a federal ban on distilling alcoholic spirits in private homes. The 160-year-old prohibition, enacted in 1868 following the Civil War, was originally established to crack down on liquor tax evasion.

While federal law permits Americans to legally brew beer and make wine at home, producing spirits such as whiskey and vodka remains prohibited and carries the penalty of federal imprisonment. The Supreme Court's decision to hear the challenge sets up a review that could potentially alter the longstanding restrictions on home-distilled liquor.