We have a brew festival here in our town that is put on by a PAC to raise funds for their operations.
As with the rest of the festivals, all the beer is donated by the breweries. No one is admitted unless they are over 21. Then they buy a glass, they buy tickets. You can get in to the festival if you are over 21. You are NOT required to buy the glass or the tickets to get in the door, but then of course you can't sample the commercial beers.
Last year, our club had a booth and poured home brew. It was free...they did not have to purchase glass...our beer was served in 3oz. plastic cups. The premise was because they got in to the event free (only drinking the commercial beers required a purchased glass & tickets) so therefore it was fine to pour the home brew. No one who came to our booth, came only to have home brew. They had their glasses and their tickets. Most only hung around if they were very interested in getting into brewing or were already home brewers. It was a great awareness opportunity for our club and home brewing.
We are still allowed to pour home brew at our town's Art & Wine walks, from which no one makes money. It's just for exposure of the downtown merchants.
However, this year they have said no to the festival pouring. We may "donate" our homebrew to the PAC, then they can pour it to the paying attendees from their booths, not ours.
I'm not sure who figured that one out. I'm told it was the decision of our local liquor control, but I suspect that the festival organizers were mostly concerned about our pouring beer for which they were not getting income. (my opinion, I haven't talked to LCC ) I think this is screwed up. Why in this instance is it OK for home brew to be "sold". They say because it's being donated, and the PAC is a tax exempt organization.
(So? Most home brew clubs are tax exempt organizations. Could we donate it to our club and sell it? Of course we have no political affiliations, so I'm sure that wouldn't work)
I am bothered by this and don't understand how it passes the sniff test.