alcohol beverages generally

I have not looked at The Dieline in a while, so it’s time to catch up. This website does an excellent job of showing the best and most creative package and graphic design from around the world.

I am struck by what a huge percentage of the posts relate to food packaging — and alcohol beverages in particular. Below is a fairly random sampling, the last 27 posts, covering the past five days (in September of 2014). Fully 11 of 27 (40%) directly relate to alcohol beverages; I put those in black. The other foods are in medium blue, and the unrelated posts are in light blue.

1. Coffee beans
2. Juice
3. Beer
4. Mezcal
5. Tattoos
6. Lemoncello
7. Gewurztraminer
8. Rum
9. Gardening products
10. Biscuits
11. Whisky
12. Juice
13. Playing cards
14. Energy drink
15. Chopped tomatoes
16. Chocolate
17. Salsa

As of April 8-21, 2014, this was approved. The federal government approved this brand of powderized alcohol two weeks ago. The reviewing agency has been TTB (not FDA, as some press accounts have said). TTB is a sub-unit of the US Department of Treasury.

March 10, 2015 Update: Palcohol is back.

First and for a long time, alcohol was just liquid. Then it was whipped, solidified and almost vaporized. And now alcohol is powderized. A really good TV summary is here.

April 21, 2014, 5 pm ET, Update:  The Palcohol company has surrendered all seven label approvals back to TTB. Here is one of the labels as approved on April 8, 2014 and then the same label as “surrendered” April 21. The differing status is shown at the center of each document. TTB has not said much about the change of course. Palcohol has said:  “We have been in touch with the TTB and there seemed to be a discrepancy on our fill level, how much powder is in the bag. There was a mutual agreement for us to surrender the...

I am thinking this may be the best label ever, about lawyers. If I am not mistaken, that is a garden-variety lawyer, right below “Welcome, Trademark Attorneys!” and right above the briefcase. The lawyer just happens to be wearing a pink shirt, white suit, and closely resembles a werewolf.

It all started when Clown Shoes beer company got label approval for a Vampire Slayer beer in 2011. It is important to note that this beer claims to be made with “holy water” and “vampire killing stakes.”

In short order, the company that controls various VAMPIRE-related trademarks, pounced, and pushed Clown Shoes to cease and desist from using VAMPIRE terminology. Here is an example of a recent label approval, for a wine marketed by the company that controls the VAMPIRE mark. Clown Shoes explains:

Vampire Brands and TI Beverage Group, connected companies out of California that primarily market vampire themed wine, were suing us. They came to market six months after Vampire Slayer began distribution with a beer made in Belgium called Vampire Pale Ale, but they filed a trademark application prior to our distribution. Their position was that our use of the name Vampire Slayer was harming their ability to sell Vampire Pale...