Having trouble viewing this email? View it as a Web page.

File Disaster Claims – Disaster Relief

March 14, 2025

How Can Malt Beverages Produced with Ingredients Exempt from Formula Requirements be Labeled?

Brewers often wonder what their options are for the class/type labeling designation of a malt beverage produced with ingredients exempt from formula approval requirements.

The general rule to follow:

The class/type designation that appears on the label should include the base product (such as “malt beverage,” “beer,” etc.) and enough information to make it clear that the product contains at least one of the ingredients exempted under TTB Ruling 2015-1. 

How to describe the additional product information:

For example, let’s say you are brewing an ale with the addition of cherry juice, cinnamon, and nutmeg — which are all ingredients determined to be generally recognized as traditional ingredients in malt beverage production and exempt from TTB formula requirements. You can:

• Identify each ingredient (“Ale with cherry juice, cinnamon and nutmeg”), or
• Refer to the ingredients by category (such as “Fruit ale,” “Spiced ale,” or “Ale with natural flavors”), or
• Use the ingredient that best exemplifies the product (such as “Cherry ale,” “Cinnamon ale,” or “Nutmeg ale”).

All parts of the designation must appear together and be readily legible on a contrasting background.  See 27 CFR 7.144. 

For more examples, see TTB Ruling 2015-1 Attachment 2: Examples of Adequate and Inadequate Designations in Accordance with Trade Understanding.

What is a Commodity Statement?

Photo credit: Google, Gemini 2.0, https://gemini.google.com

The commodity statement, a mandatory label statement for neutral spirits and gin, is intended to provide the consumer with a clear understanding of the fermentable ingredient used in the distillation process. The commodity can be identified specifically or by general class, e.g., for rye, either “rye” or “grain” may be used; for apples, either “apples” or “fruit” may be used.

Format of statement:

For neutral spirits/alcohol produced by original distillation, vodka produced by original distillation, grain spirits produced by original distillation, and distilled gin, the commodity statement is expressed as “DISTILLED FROM _____________.”

For products containing neutral spirits or gin (other than cordials, liqueurs, flavored neutral spirits, including flavored vodka, and distilled spirits specialty products), the commodity statement is a statement disclosing the percentage of neutral spirits and the commodity from which the neutral spirits were distilled. For example, “______% NEUTRAL SPIRITS DISTILLED FROM __________.”

Examples of commodity statements:

• "Distilled from grain" 
• "Distilled from cane products" 
• "Distilled from California Grapes" 
• “40% neutral spirits distilled from potatoes”
• “75% grain neutral spirits”

See 27 CFR 5.71 for more information.

TTB Accepts Offer in Compromise

We have accepted an offer in compromise from JDSO, Inc. for allegedly failing to timely file and pay federal excise tax.

You may view all TTB administrative actions on TTB.gov.

Department of Agriculture: U.S. Codex Office Public Meeting on Methods and Analysis and Sampling

TTB-regulated industries may find this notice of interest.

SOURCE: Federal Register / Vol. 90, No. 345 / Monday, March 10, 2025

AGENCY: U.S. Codex Office, USDA

ACTION: Notice of public meeting and request for comments

SUMMARY: The U.S. Codex Office is sponsoring a public meeting on April 10, 2025. The objective of the public meeting is to provide information and receive public comments on agenda items to be discussed at the 44th Session of the Codex Committee on Methods and Analysis and Sampling (CCMAS) of the Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC), which will meet in Budapest, Hungary, from May 5–9, 2025. The U.S. Manager for Codex Alimentarius and the Under Secretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs recognize the importance of providing interested parties the opportunity to obtain background information on the 44th Session of the CCMAS and to address items on the agenda.

DATES: The public meeting is scheduled for April 10, 2025, from 1–3 p.m. ET.

What's Trending on TTB.gov: Distilled Spirits

• Distilled Spirits FAQs
• Distilled Spirits Labeling
• Distilled Spirits Statistics
• Conversion Tables

For More TTB News

TTB.gov Home

Newsletters Archive

Contact TTB