Monitor Thy Drink: Alcohol Import Regulations Under the TTB (Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau)
The final quarter of the year is the alcohol industry’s busiest period, accounting for approximately 70% of annual business. Many holiday-themed seasonal products are beginning to make their way to market, and it is important...more
Many alcohol beverage industry clients are faced with lawsuits attacking product labels. These lawsuits can be frustrating for clients, particularly when the labels at issue were previously approved by the Alcohol and Tobacco...more
In the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau’s (TTB) final Industry Circular of the year, they provided DSPs guidance on how to calculate effective tax rates for distilled spirits products eligible for the Craft Beverage...more
Due to the uptick in alcohol advertisement on social media platforms, the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) issued guidance on advertising via social media and how TTB’s rules on advertising generally apply in...more
Each year the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) issues “Industry Circulars” that apply statutory or regulatory requirements to a “specific circumstance or set of facts” or restate existing requirements. TTB also...more
On August 2, 2021 and March 3, 2022 we reported on Executive Order 14036 (E.O. 14036) and the subsequent Treasury report entitled, “Competition in the Markets for Beer, Wine, and Spirits” (Report), which, among other things,...more
The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) recently proposed amendments to 27 CFR Part 4 that would allow winemakers to reference added distilled spirits on labels and in advertisements. Currently, wine labels and...more
As consumers continue to trend toward more health-conscious options, including in their choice of alcoholic beverages, the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) has responded with guidance on health-related marketing...more
On February 9, 2022, the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) published a final rule that implements Phase 2 of its rulemaking modernizing certain labeling and advertising regulations for malt beverages and...more
We recently posted that the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) issued warnings to a large number of companies in various industries about “unfair” or “deceptive” trade practices related to third-party endorsements. Some of the...more
Crafting appealing alcoholic beverage labels that check the regulatory boxes and minimize litigation exposure is not as simple as deciding between shaken or stirred (hint: stirred, hands down). Our Food & Beverage Team...more
Alcohol beverage companies must contend with an ever-evolving regulatory landscape, including unpacking the new environment under US President Joe Biden’s executive order on competition. How do you differentiate as a brand...more
As alcohol products compete in an increasingly competitive marketplace, how do you differentiate as a brand while being mindful of regulatory landmines? Join us for the second webinar in our Alcohol Quarterly Update Series on...more
When you think of the relationship between alcohol and food, the classics come to mind: tiramisu, coq au vin and beer cheese. While there is a long culinary tradition of using alcohol in food, the newest trend is to utilize...more
On April 2, 2020, the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (“TTB”) issued a final rule, Modernization of the Labeling and Advertising Regulations for Wine, Distilled Spirits, and Malt Beverages. While it does not require...more
The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau of the US Treasury Department published a final rule on April 2, 2020, modernizing labeling and advertising regulations for alcoholic beverages. The rule is intended to give more...more
WHAT IS, AND IS NOT, ADVERTISING? At the outset it is important to understand what is, and is not, considered to be advertising or an advertisement under U.S. law. Generally speaking, as applied to any product, be it beer,...more
A Washington, D.C., judge poured out an action from a vodka company over its advertising claims in an appeal from the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB)....more
Last week in its regular newsletter, Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) announced updates to the Fall edition of the semi-annual Unified Agenda of Federal Regulatory and Deregulatory Actions (Regulatory Agenda)....more
Recently, the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) issued an update to its existing public guidance on personalized labels. The current update clarifies the process for obtaining an approved COLA for personalized...more
On March 13, the European Commission approved a report that calls on members of the alcohol beverage industry to develop a comprehensive self-regulatory system of ingredient and nutritional labeling for beer, wine, and...more
Food and beverage companies, beset by lawsuits about their product labels, struggle to find consistent application of consumer protection laws across the country. The experience of one distiller and its use of one word on its...more
On March 16, the federal Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) published a list of frequently asked questions expanding further on a ruling issued in February on application of the federal “tied house law” to...more
FDA Wants to Pour Some Sugar on the Nutrition Label - Adding to the proposed changes to the Nutrition Facts label—the first tweaks in 20 years—the Food and Drug Administration has suggested yet another: adding the...more
Late last year, the Alcohol & Tobacco Tax & Trade Bureau (TTB) published its semi-annual regulatory agenda in the Federal Register. The agenda provides useful insights into TTB’s regulatory plans and goals for the coming...more