Selling homemade alcohol at Christmas

[gemmafitzpatrick82]

Hi There,

I was considering making some homemade flavoured vodka using brought brands of vodka (i.e. not making vodka itself) and then packaging up as Christmas gifts to sell to friends, family and possibly through some local shops/craft markets. Before I went any further on this idea, do I need to have a licence at all for any aspect?

Wondered if anyone had any advice and could help/direct me.

Many thanks in advance,

Gemma

 

[emailexpert]

Yes there would be a whole raft of the from On/Off Sale Liquor license's, health, hygiene... selling at fairs etc is a definate non-starter.

 

[mike.davis]

Besides the legalitys, why would someone buy from you when the large brands already do flavored vodka? And as you said - you won't be making the vodka, therefore it's not home made.

By the time you buy the vodka - flavor it, and re-package it, you will have spent too much to be able to sell it on to a local shop - because they will make more buying the branded flavored vodka.

 

[winelabels]

Its illegal to sell alcohol without a license. The penalty is £20,000 fine or 6 months in jail or both!
Its not too difficult to get a license, but it does take time. The criminal record check is never quick.

 

[papverpoppies]

Its illegal to sell alcohol without a license. The penalty is £20,000 fine or 6 months in jail or both!
Its not too difficult to get a license, but it does take time. The criminal record check is never quick.

A local farm was selling homemade cider, doing a roaring trade. I guess they had not applied and gone through all of the procedures..as the trade stopped.

Someone shopped them (hacked off landlord or shop keeper maybe) anyway they got into some serious trouble.

Homemade flavoured booze is fantastic, (to hell with the shop stuff) that is rubbish compared to really good home made stuff, and people will buy it, believe you me.

Explore what you need to comply and what the costs are, and see if you still have a viable market.

We have the annual beer fest in early September, its amazing what there is out there being made, that, if not for these folks, we would never get to see and taste. The pubs and supermarkets have a lot to answer for!
What they mainly sell is a poor excuse for 'real' booze/alcohol.


Poppy xx

 

[Dawg]

Now is the time to start on your Christmas Pudding flavour voddy and brandy.
Use the voddy to make Xmas Jelly, and seriously reduce the brandy for the sauce.
Alternatively, get squiffy in a seasonal way.

 

[Esk247]

is it the same type of problem for those wanting to actually sell already licensed alcohol e.g. theres a company near me that deliver alcohol and cigarettes, but they dont have a premises, you just phone a mobile number in the paper and they'll bring it round

 

[winelabels]

Its not the alcohol itself that needs the license, its the person (personal license) and the place of sale (premises license).
The place they operate from must be licensed even if customers don't/can't visit.

We run our retail side entirely on-line, but our warehouse still needs to be licensed because that is the point from where we dispatch to the customer.
In your example the licensed premises should be wherever they pick up the alcohol from.

 

[UKSBD]

A local farm was selling homemade cider, doing a roaring trade. I guess they had not applied and gone through all of the procedures..as the trade stopped.

Joe and Eddie?

 

[LicensedToTrade]

A local farm was selling homemade cider, doing a roaring trade. I guess they had not applied and gone through all of the procedures..as the trade stopped.

Brewing your own beer/cider is not illegal in the UK, selling it without a license is. It is spirits that you are aren't allowed to ferment yourself, so making your own vodka, poteen, whisky etc is a big no no.

 

[winelabels]

If you brew commercially you have to be registered with HMRC to pay alcohol duty.

 

[papverpoppies]

Brewing your own beer/cider is not illegal in the UK, selling it without a license is. It is spirits that you are aren't allowed to ferment yourself, so making your own vodka, poteen, whisky etc is a big no no.

Unless you don't get caught.

My neigbour made some home made wine -god it was awful, it took the enamel of your teeth.

Several of the bottles that were sitting under the heater in the kitchen exploded at about 2.00am in the morning.
Her hubbie though a bomb had gone off, dived out of bed and broke his toe (before he had even drank any of the stuff)!! their house stunk for weeks and weeks as it had soaked into all of the walls.

Having tasted the stuff I wish it had all of exploded - talk about chemical warfare.

Tasted the most beautiful home made sloe gin, that was heavenly, nothing like the gin you buy from the shops..

Anyone make their own booze (for themselves of course)!

Poppy xx

 

[LicensedToTrade]

Anyone make their own booze (for themselves of course)!

Poppy xx

I think I've had a go at mulled wine once or twice over the years but that is the extent of it. I prefer to drink the stuff rather than make it!!

I'm drinking a Northern Irish single malt whiskey at the moment, bushmills 21 years. Worth a try if you haven't had it before.

 

[Rhyl Lightworks]

is it the same type of problem for those wanting to actually sell already licensed alcohol e.g. theres a company near me that deliver alcohol and cigarettes, but they dont have a premises, you just phone a mobile number in the paper and they'll bring it round

Just like a drug dealer - come to think of it they are drug dealers.

Barrie