# Cato Experts Available: Supreme Court to Hear Home Distilling Case 

October 19, 2026 • News Releases 

Today, the Supreme Court agreed to hear [*McNutt v. U.S. Department of Justice*](https://url.avanan.click/v2/r01/___https://zwly9k6z.r.us-east-1.awstrack.me/L0/https:*2F*2Fwww.cato.org*2Flegal-briefs*2Fmcnutt-v-us-department-justice/1/010001a154f31c3c-47c563de-2702-4445-8f4a-d4b780808624-000000/4VCdB8Eb0JB985-63Cj7GyzXqRo=473___.YXAzOmNhdG9pbnN0aXR1dGU6YTpvOmE0YmVkNzE5NTVlNjg5NTU3NWIyZDBlMDM2MzU5YTgzOjc6ZjAzZjozOGE3NGVmMDJiZGUzOWZlM2VhMzhhYjhiNjVjZjFhMjk1ZjhlYWY4ZWNkNTc3MzM2ZDg4MzZkM2RmNzkyZmMyOmg6VDpO), a case focused on whether the at-home distilling ban is unconstitutional. Scholars at the Cato Institute filed an [amicus brief](https://url.avanan.click/v2/r01/___https://zwly9k6z.r.us-east-1.awstrack.me/L0/https:*2F*2Fwww.cato.org*2Fsites*2Fcato.org*2Ffiles*2F2025-01*2FMcNutt_Final.pdf/1/010001a154f31c3c-47c563de-2702-4445-8f4a-d4b780808624-000000/LUBh881mya7FbdmbF9oi9-JSGzg=473___.YXAzOmNhdG9pbnN0aXR1dGU6YTpvOmE0YmVkNzE5NTVlNjg5NTU3NWIyZDBlMDM2MzU5YTgzOjc6YmE3ZTpmNjYxMWU1MjRmNGI3MWQ4NTFkMzY4MzhkNGZiYzk4ZTg2MzA3YzhkYmM3N2I4OGFiNmEyMGM1ZGE2ZDE1NTNkOmg6VDpO) in the circuit court in support of McNutt.

In a [blog post](https://url.avanan.click/v2/r01/___https://zwly9k6z.r.us-east-1.awstrack.me/L0/https:*2F*2Fwww.cato.org*2Fblog*2Ffederal-government-cant-ban-home-distilling-home-consumption/1/010001a154f31c3c-47c563de-2702-4445-8f4a-d4b780808624-000000/ybZlyZ4fWBbaNLnNbyjSHbRg3dI=473___.YXAzOmNhdG9pbnN0aXR1dGU6YTpvOmE0YmVkNzE5NTVlNjg5NTU3NWIyZDBlMDM2MzU5YTgzOjc6MGVkMzpjYzY0MWRlZjZkNmYwNGZjNjcyYzNlM2ZlOWQ0NTMyOWMxY2U1MWU1OGM3OGNmZDg1M2UwZDFiMTQ2NjNhMTllOmg6VDpO) detailing the brief, [Thomas Berry](https://url.avanan.click/v2/r01/___https://zwly9k6z.r.us-east-1.awstrack.me/L0/https:*2F*2Fwww.cato.org*2Fpeople*2Fthomas-berry/1/010001a154f31c3c-47c563de-2702-4445-8f4a-d4b780808624-000000/cQvan7LXqREU0QS5xmFvhx9ogWY=473___.YXAzOmNhdG9pbnN0aXR1dGU6YTpvOmE0YmVkNzE5NTVlNjg5NTU3NWIyZDBlMDM2MzU5YTgzOjc6ODk3Yzo0MzVhZTBkMjRiY2U5MGU1YTI1MDk2MTdjZDI5Mjg0MjQ3MTFkMGMxYmEzNjNiZGY5ODAxY2M1MDM0N2RmMjc0Omg6VDpO), the director of the Cato Institute’s Robert A. Levy Center for Constitutional Studies, raises three main points:

- An outright prohibition on home distilling has a far more tenuous relation to collecting revenue, and the precedents the government relies on do not apply here.
- Taxing power must serve a revenue-generating purpose, but the criminalization of at-home distilling does not raise revenue.
- The federal government offers no limiting principle to its contention that it may prohibit taxable conduct that occurs within the home.

To speak with Berry, contact [Christopher Tarvardian](mailto:ctarvardian@cato.org).

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