In an update to an earlier blog post, the FDA issued warning letters today to four manufacturers of caffeinated alcoholic beverages. The FDA stated in the letters that caffeine added to malt alcoholic beverages was an “unsafe food additive ” and thus, such products are in violation of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act
Licenses & Permits
FDA May Issue Warning on Alcoholic Energy Drinks; States Move to Ban “Blackout in a Can”
Amidst rising incidences of hospitalizations in college and teenage drinkers linked to consumption of alcoholic energy drinks, the Washington State Liquor Control Board banned their sale effective tomorrow, November 18, 2010. The move came on the heels of a request by Washington Governor Christine Gregoire, whose office stated in a November 10 press release that they were “…particularly…
Bernie Kipp at Great American Distiller’s Festival
Craft distillers from coast to coast attended the 6th Annual Great American Distiller’s Festival (GADF) on October 23 and 24, 2010 at the Tiffany Center in NW Portland. 38 separate distilleries poured more than 70 gins, vodkas, whiskey’s and rums in a celebration of all things “spirited.”
Special events included seminars for distillers and tours of Portland distilleries. Seminar presenters…
Audit Supports More Liquor Permits for Utah
A recent legislative audit made several strong recommendations for reforming Utah’s liquor laws, in particular the quota system for granting alcohol permits. The audit echoes reports that the current shortage of alcohol permits is stifling economic development and does not reflect the state’s changing population.
Utah is in the small minority of control states that grant liquor…
Washington RESTAURANTS: Proposed Changes to Rules
WSLCB just issued a Notice of Rule Making that will amend rules that apply to retail licensees. While some of the proposed changes are organizational in nature – moving provisions from one chapter to another – there are a few key changes that restaurants should take note of. These changes will likely raise questions that…
Variations of Organic Labeling
Figuring out what information must be on your wine label can be tedious. Adding terms like "organic" or "sustainably-grown" can be even more challenging. Extra steps are required for adding organic certifications or claims to a wine label, although the regulation of such claims under the TTB COLA process has been made more clear with the Memorandum…
Oregon Homebrewers Stymied by New Interpretation of Law
By Guest Blogger, Summer Associate
The Oregon Liquor Control Commission and the Oregon Department of Justice recently opined that, under a post-prohibition-era law, homebrewed beer and homemade wine must be consumed at home. This opinion, reportedly in response to a question regarding the permissibility of public competitions involving homebrewed beer, is in effect a reversal…
States that Regulate . . . and Control
Taxes and One-Stop-Shopping
As we all know, Washington is not the only state that controls the sale and distribution of alcohol. Each of the 19 (1) “control states” have different practices that distinguish them. Here, and in future posts under “States that Regulate . . . and Control” we will provide bits of information on…