US Congress Approves Major FET Reduction for Craft Distillers
After years of uncertainty, the US Congress today voted to finally pass into law the long-awaited Craft Beverage Modernization and Tax Reform Act (CMBTRA), making permanent the reduction in the federal excise tax (FET) rate paid by distillers. The...
A Tale of Two Distilleries: Exploring Two Paths to Building a Code-Compliant Distillery
As the craft-spirits industry expands and gains prominence nationwide, there has been an accompanying increase in scrutiny by building and fire officials. The applicable codes are often not well understood, not only by members of the distilling community, but...
A Law of Unintended Consequences
When it comes to the law of unintended consequences, there is now the case of a law, originally intended to encourage the use of Michigan farm products within the state’s distilleries and brewpubs, unexpectedly transforming the Wolverine State into...
The Low Down on Shipping Hand Sanitizer
Due to the ongoing COVID-19 crisis, supplies of hand sanitizer have been running low at health care facilities for weeks, and the demand is only getting higher. In response, most distillers of alcoholic beverages have switched over some of...
FET Follow-up: How Distilleries are Capitalizing on Permanent FET Reduction
When the Craft Beverage Modernization and Tax Reform Act was initially passed at the end of 2017 (with an effective date of January 1, 2018), it marked both the culmination of years of effort and also the beginning of...
TTB vs FDA
When it comes to understanding the authority differences between the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB), there is a great deal of confusion among craft distillers. What role does the FDA have on...
Defending Yourself from Trademark Infringement
What should you do when someone accuses you of “trademark infringement,” often in a certified letter written by a lawyer? This article contains some suggestions on how to handle the situation.
What is Trademark Infringement?
Trademark infringement occurs when consumers are...
Spirits Industry Launches “Ship My Spirits” Campaign in Support of Spirits Direct-to-Consumer Shipping in...
Spirits DTC would increase New York jobs and consumer convenience
ALBANY, N.Y. – The American Craft Spirits Association (ACSA), American Distilling Institute (ADI) and Distilled Spirits Council of the United States (DISCUS), three of the nation’s leading trade associations representing distillers...
Reading the label — The Basics
Product labels are among the many critical items in the distillery start-up process, and they are just as important in the growth of the distiller’s product line in the marketplace. Whether simple and direct, or complex and wordy, the...
Craft Distilling’s Next Big Thing: Direct-to-Consumer Liquor Sales
Since the repeal of Prohibition in 1933 federal and state governments have held a tight rein over the US liquor market. Only in limited circumstances has a consumer been able to purchase a bottle of liquor from the person...
