Homebrewing is the brewing of beer, wine, sake, mead, cider, perry and other beverages through fermentation on a small scale as a hobby for personal consumption, free distribution at social gatherings, amateur brewing competitions or other non-commercial reasons. Both alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages can be made at home.
Brewing on a domestic level has been done for thousands of years, but has been subject to regulation and prohibition during some time periods in certain places. Restrictions on homebrewing were lifted in the UK in 1963, Australia followed suit in 1972, and the USA in 1978, though individual states were allowed to pass their own laws limiting production.
The legality of homebrewing varies from country to country, and some countries limit the volume an individual can legally brew. Fewer countries allow distillation of alcohol in the home.
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