Appeal Heard in HDA Court Case

Appeal Heard by the Fifth Circuit

As you may recall, the Hobby Distiller’s Association sued the US Government last year, and the ruling from the lawsuit came down in their favor.  The government appealed that decision, so it was off to the Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. We have been waiting for the appeal to get onto the docket for nearly a year now, and that date finally arrived.  The arguments for the lawsuit regarding hobby distilling were heard by the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals on August 4, 2025.  While we feel that the attorney for the HDA’s side, Andrew Grossman, did a great job of arguing the case, the fate of this round is to be decided by the Justices of the Fifth Circuit.  There is no pre-set timeline for when this may happen, so it is now a waiting game for all of us.

The Fifth Circuit could uphold District Judge Pittman’s ruling, they could rule in favor of the government, or they could even kick it back down to the lower courts.  We must all just wait, and hope.

If you would like to hear the full case it is available at the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit.  To hear the oral arguments, click here.