Most liquid beverages require a separate DHHS beverage license — they cannot be made under the homestead food program. Here's what's allowed, what needs a license, and what's prohibited entirely.
Kombucha cannot be made and sold under New Hampshire's homestead food program. DHHS has explicitly stated that kombucha requires a beverage license from the Food Protection Section — it does not qualify as a homestead food product.
There are two reasons kombucha is excluded. First, kombucha is a liquid beverage and falls under DHHS's beverage manufacturing framework, separate from homestead food rules. Second, and more critically, kombucha naturally produces alcohol through fermentation. Even "non-alcoholic" kombucha can approach or exceed the 0.5% ABV threshold, at which point the NH Liquor Commission also becomes involved.
If your kombucha consistently remains below 0.5% ABV and you obtain a DHHS beverage license, you can legally produce and sell it in New Hampshire. If it ever reaches or exceeds 0.5% ABV, it's regulated as an alcoholic beverage and requires a Liquor Commission license in addition to DHHS oversight.
The bottom line: kombucha requires licensing infrastructure that the homestead program was not designed to support. To pursue kombucha commercially, contact DHHS Food Protection for the beverage license application process.
Kombucha at or above 0.5% alcohol by volume is legally an alcoholic beverage in New Hampshire. At that point, the NH Liquor Commission must also be involved. Most commercial kombucha brewers keep their products below this threshold through careful fermentation control and testing.
Cold brew coffee cannot be made and sold under New Hampshire's homestead food program. Cold brew is a liquid beverage, and all liquid beverage production for sale requires a DHHS beverage license — separate from the homestead food framework.
Beyond the licensing requirement, cold brew coffee presents a real food safety concern. Cold brew that is not properly acidified, pasteurized, or processed in a controlled environment can support bacterial growth — it has a water activity well above 0.85, making it a potentially hazardous food under New Hampshire's definitions.
If you're passionate about cold brew, the path forward is obtaining a DHHS beverage manufacturing license, which requires a licensed production facility. Dry coffee products — roasted whole bean coffee and ground coffee — are fully allowed under the homestead program with no license required.
Fresh, cold-pressed, and unpasteurized juices cannot be produced and sold from a home kitchen in New Hampshire. All liquid juice products — apple juice, lemonade, orange juice, cold-pressed green juice — require a beverage manufacturing or food processing license from DHHS.
Fresh juices are particularly sensitive from a food safety standpoint. Unpasteurized juices can harbor E. coli, Salmonella, and Cryptosporidium — pathogens that have caused serious foodborne illness outbreaks in fresh juice products nationally. Commercial juice production requires pasteurization or equivalent processing controls that cannot be replicated in a home kitchen.
Specialty lemonade: Even fresh-squeezed lemonade for sale (not just for personal consumption) is a regulated beverage product in New Hampshire. The licensing requirement applies regardless of how simple the recipe is.
What's allowed instead: Lemon curd (with pH/Aw testing), dry lemonade mix, and similar shelf-stable preparations made from juice can potentially qualify as homestead products — but the finished liquid beverage cannot be produced at home for sale.
Shrubs (also called drinking vinegars) are concentrated syrup-like preparations made from fruit, sugar, and vinegar — typically diluted with water or soda before drinking. Their regulatory status in New Hampshire is nuanced and depends on how they're prepared and their final pH.
Because shrubs are vinegar-based and typically have a pH well below 4.6, they may qualify as acidified foods under the homestead program — particularly since HB 1565 (August 2024) explicitly added acidified foods to the allowed list. However, they still require a process review by a licensed food processing authority to confirm the pH and production method make the product shelf-stable and safe.
A few important caveats apply. If the shrub contains cooked fruit or vegetables as a component, the cooked component may disqualify it as a homestead product regardless of the vinegar content. Additionally, the liquid nature of shrubs means DHHS may treat them as beverages requiring a separate license rather than a shelf-stable condiment. Contact DHHS directly to confirm your specific shrub formula's status before selling.
Switchels (ginger-vinegar-molasses drinks) follow the same logic — potentially allowed if acidified and shelf-stable, but requiring process review and DHHS confirmation.
Apple cider — both fresh-pressed (non-alcoholic) and hard cider (alcoholic) — cannot be produced and sold under New Hampshire's homestead food program. DHHS has explicitly confirmed that apple cider is not a homestead food product.
Fresh apple cider requires a food processing license from DHHS. Hard cider (alcoholic) additionally requires a license from the NH Liquor Commission. Given New Hampshire's rich apple orchard heritage and thriving cider culture in towns like Keene and the Monadnock Region, this is a pathway many sellers explore — but it requires proper licensing infrastructure, not a home kitchen.
Apple products that are allowed under homestead law: apple butter (with process review), apple jam (NCHFP recipe), applesauce (shelf-stable), apple-based vinegars, and apple cider donuts — the baked goods, not the cider itself.
While most liquid beverages require a separate license, dry beverage preparations are shelf-stable solid products that are fully permitted under the homestead food program — no license required.
Whole bean and ground roasted coffee are fully allowed. You may roast in your home kitchen and sell under the homestead program with no license required.
Loose-leaf tea blends, herbal teas, and single-origin teas are dry shelf-stable products. Blend, package, and sell from home with no homestead license needed.
Dry spice chai blends — a mix of dry tea, cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, cloves — are shelf-stable and allowed. Do not include any liquid concentrates or fresh dairy.
Dried herb and flower blends — chamomile, lavender, hibiscus, mint — are fully allowed dry products. Package them as loose-leaf or in sachets.
Powdered lemonade mix made from dry citric acid, powdered sugar, and dried zest is a shelf-stable dry product. The dry mix is allowed — the finished liquid lemonade is not.
Dry hot cocoa mixes — cocoa powder, sugar, dry milk powder, spices — are shelf-stable dry products fully allowed under the homestead program. No license required.
Beer, wine, spirits, hard cider, mead, and any other alcoholic beverage cannot be produced for sale under New Hampshire's homestead food program. Alcoholic beverages are regulated exclusively by the New Hampshire Liquor Commission, which issues manufacturer licenses for breweries, wineries, distilleries, and cideries.
Home production of alcohol for personal consumption (home brewing of beer or wine) is legal federally and in New Hampshire for adults. But the moment money changes hands, a Liquor Commission manufacturer's license is required — and a licensed commercial facility.
If you're interested in launching an alcoholic beverage business in New Hampshire, visit the NH Liquor Commission for licensing information: NH Liquor Commission Enforcement →
If you're selling dry beverage products (tea, coffee, chai blends) under the homestead program, here's what your packaging and labeling must include.
All homestead food products — including dry teas and coffee — must display your name, physical or email address, and phone number; the product name; all ingredients in descending order by weight; and allergen information.
Unlicensed sellers must include: "This product is exempt from New Hampshire licensing and inspection." (minimum 10-point font). Licensed sellers use a different disclaimer. See the Label Requirements page for the exact wording.
All homestead products must include a product code identifying the batch — this can be as simple as a "packaged on" date. Licensed sellers have more detailed batch code requirements.
Dry tea and coffee products should be in sealed, airtight packaging appropriate to the product — resealable bags, tins, or jars. Proper packaging protects freshness and maintains the product's shelf-stable status.
List all 9 major allergens present: milk, eggs, fish, shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, soybeans, and sesame (added by the FASTER Act in 2023). Spice blends and chai mixes may contain tree nuts or sesame — always check.
As of July 2025 (HB 304), if you sell only from your home or farm stand, you may use a QR code or website link for the ingredient list — allergens must still appear on the physical label. Online and farmers market sellers must list ingredients on the physical packaging.
Use SellFood's Beverage Compliance Checker to understand what's needed for your specific product in New Hampshire.
Describe your beverage — how it's made, what it contains, and how it's stored — and get an assessment of whether it qualifies under New Hampshire's homestead food rules or requires a separate license.
Create Free Account to Use This Tool →Dry teas, roasted coffee, chai blends, hot cocoa mixes — New Hampshire lets you sell a wide range of dry beverage products from home with no license required.
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