We thought this approval (for Smirnoff Frozen Vodka & Lemonade) was noteworthy because it points out several things.
First of all, it tends to show that it’s okay to add a little bit of extra verbiage, to the mandated statement of composition, on a distilled spirits specialty. The required statement is probably VODKA WITH NATURAL FLAVORS AND FD&C YELLOW #5. The one on this label adds a few extra words such as MADE WITH SMIRNOFF. It adds a few other descriptors nearby, at VODKA & LEMONADE.
Second, it tends to show it’s okay to put the color details on the back, if the general statement is on the front. CERTIFIED COLOR (general) is on the front and CONTAINS FD&C YELLOW #5 is on the back only.
Third, this shows it can take a lot of work and a mighty long time for a big company to bring a product to market. This approval is already about eight months old, and there is no sign of this product on the web or at the indicated domain.
Fourth, it’s probably an unusual, pouch-type package and freeze technology, based on the approval, but we’ll need to wait a bit longer to see it.
Finally, as with many other Smirnoff-branded products, the references to VODKA are very large, even though it could be said that it’s not vodka.
These are fairly technical points, but many of these issues arise often.
Blueberry Wine
This post will start short but is likely to grow long over time. Very long. We will try to show the enormous range of foodstuffs from which wine is produced. With each post we will add to the list, and I predict it will grow way past 50 60. Today we add Blueberry wine to the list.
- Avocado wine
- Banana wine
- Blueberry wine. Made by Coltsfoot Winery of Abingdon, Virginia.
- Buffaloberry wine
- Cantaloupe wine
- Dandelion wine
- Elder flower wine
- Fig wine
- Gooseberry wine
- Grape wine
- Jasmine fruit wine
- Kiwi wine
- Linden flower wine
- Lingonberry
- Lychee wine
- Mango wine
- Mangosteen wine
- Marionberry wine
- Onion wine
- Peach wine
- Pomegranate wine
- Pear wine
- Pepper wine
- Persimmon wine
- Pineapple wine
- Rhubarb wine
- Strawberry wine
- Tomato wine
- Watermelon wine
Just One Letter
Sometimes, just one letter can make a big difference. As with TEQUIZA versus TEQUILA. One is beer and the other is quite different.
TTB/ATF first allowed this brand name in 1997, for a malt beverage with natural flavors. A 1999 approval is shown above on the left, and the most recent approval is on the right above. Just a few months after the the 2008 approval, Anheuser-Busch apparently killed Tequiza in favor of Bud Light Lime. At this point, it’s gone almost without a trace, like Champale, Zima and other fading memories.
A lot of the branding stayed the same over the course of twelve years and 29 label approvals. But the legal description got trimmed considerably, during that time, to remove all references to the “NATURAL FLAVOR OF MEXICAN TEQUILA.” This part apparently went too far for the Tequila industry, or TTB, to accept, even if the brand name and agave references did not.
By way of another example, from the movies, Little Fockers probably would not be PG-13 if spelled with a u.
Salmon Vodka
Despite the title above, it is not vodka distilled from salmon. By contrast, it is Salmon Flavored Vodka.
Most people don’t think there is a big distinction between, for example, Lemon Vodka and Lemon Flavored Vodka, but this is an important distinction in TTB matters. The former would imply that it’s vodka distilled from lemons. Which is entirely possible. No word on whether it’s possible to distill a fish. But they do make a fine smoothie. It could happen — inasmuch as the very same Bassomatic purveyor also sells a vodka, already.
Buffaloberry Wine
This post will start short but is likely to grow long over time. Very long. We will try to show the enormous range of foodstuffs from which wine is produced. With each post we will add to the list, and I predict it will grow way past 50 60. Today we add Buffaloberry wine to the list.
- Avocado wine
- Banana wine
- Buffaloberry wine. Made by Strawbale Winery of Renner, South Dakota.
- Cantaloupe wine
- Dandelion wine
- Elder flower wine
- Fig wine
- Gooseberry wine
- Grape wine
- Jasmine fruit wine
- Kiwi wine
- Linden flower wine
- Lingonberry
- Lychee wine
- Mango wine
- Mangosteen wine
- Marionberry wine
- Onion wine
- Peach wine
- Pomegranate wine
- Pear wine
- Pepper wine
- Persimmon wine
- Pineapple wine
- Rhubarb wine
- Strawberry wine
- Tomato wine
- Watermelon wine
Unspeakable Beer
Because of that fancy umlaut, it is possible that it’s about something other than what you are probably thinking about at this very moment. But then again, now that I have watched the “banned Böner beer commercial” on YouTube, I am pretty sure I will decline if and when anyone offers me one of these. All these other labels didn’t bother us too much, but perhaps this one goes just a bit too far, such that you will have to Google the ad for yourself, so long as you are not easily offended. (Maybe the wit:prurience ratio was higher on the others.)
Böner Beer is made with orange, lemon, coriander and other flavors.
