In the past decade, millions of Americans have converted to gluten-free diets. Originally a practice dictated solely by the medical needs of those who suffer from celiac disease, gluten-free has entered the mainstream. This article will explore the evolving and somewhat uncertain status of labeling and advertising beer as “gluten-free.”
On Monday, September 29 2014, the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) issued Industry Circular 2014-2, which expands the list of Allowable Revisions to Approved Alcohol Beverage Labels.
Industry Circular 2014-2 permits the following changes to already-approved malt beverage, wine and distilled spirits labels without the need for a new certificate of label approval (COLA):
Deletion or revision of sponsorship themed graphics, logos, artwork, events, etc. and/or sponsorship information
Addition, deletion or revision of awards, ratings or recognitions (i.e., “rated as the best 2012 wine by x association”)
Deletion of organic claims (Note: The deletion of a single organic claim is not permitted. All organic claims must be removed from the label or a new COLA is required to delete individual references.)
Revision of an approved sulfite/sulphite statement according to the formats prescribed in the Industry Circular (“Contains Sulfites/Sulphites,” “Contains (a) Sulfiting//Sulphiting Agent(s),” “Contains [name of specific sulfating/sulphating agent],” “Contains Naturally Occurring and Added Sulfites/Sulphites” or “Contains Naturally Occurring Sulfites/Sulphites”)
Addition, deletion or revision of information regarding the number of bottles made, produced, distilled or brewed in a batch
Addition of instructional statements vis-à-vis how to best consume and/or serve the product specified in the Industry Circular (“Refrigerate After Opening,” “Do Not Store In Direct Sunlight,” “Best If Frozen For ___ to ___ Hours,” “Shake Well,” “Pour Over Ice,” “Best When Chilled,” “Best Served Chilled,” “Serve Chilled,” “Serve at Room Temperature”)
Hard cider has shown phenomenal growth in the past several years. With rising consumer demand, more and more craft brewers are entering this rapidly expanding market. Although hard cider is typically distributed and marketed like a beer product, the federal government and most states actually tax and regulate cider as a type of wine. Brewers contemplating the production of cider accordingly must carefully consider the legal issues surrounding cider production and distribution that distinguish cider from beer. This article outlines some of the most important (though certainly not all) of these issues.