Man challenging 150-year-old ban on making liquor at home hopes Supreme Court takes his case

Americans can brew beer in their kitchens and make wine at home, but just try making a bottle of whiskey or gin — and people can run afoul of a federal law that dates back more than 150 years.

That distinction caught the attention of Ohio resident John Ream, a former aerospace engineer and home-brewing enthusiast who wants to distill small quantities of spirits at home for himself and his wife.

"It is perfectly legal to make beer at home or to make wine at home, but if you make even a single ounce of distilled spirits at home...