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
As we previously reported, the Treasury Department released a 2022 report on Competition in the Markets for Beer, Wine, and Spirits (the Competition Report) recommending, in part, that the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade...more
The alcohol industry has proven to be quite resilient in 2022. As palates change and customers seek exciting new flavors and compositions, companies must be nimble to keep up with consumers’ needs and demands. Producers 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
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
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
On Monday, July 1, 2019, the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) published two eagerly anticipated notices of proposed rulemaking (NPRMs) to largely repeal the standards of fill for wine and distilled spirits...more
Certificate of Label Approval (or COLA) can be one of the more frustrating processes for brewers. Each label must be approved by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB). Once the COLA is issued, only certain,...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 October 11, 2017, the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) reopened the comment period for the following three notices of proposed rulemaking... ...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
On January 10, 2017, TTB published a Federal Register notice adjusting the civil monetary penalty imposed for violations of the Alcohol Beverage Labeling Act of 1988 (the ABLA). The ABLA requires the labels of alcohol...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
What are the concerns for filling a growler? A growler is either a bottle or a large glass. The distinction is solely dependent on the manner in which the brewer fills the container. When is a growler a bottle? A growler is a...more
On Tuesday, July 1, 2014, the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) released new Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) concerning sugar claims made on labels and in advertising. The FAQs articulate, for the first time,...more