beer

Unlike in the case of say Justice Kavanaugh, it not clear that Putin likes beer. But it’s increasingly clear that beer does not like Putin. We are still looking for the pro-Putin label that may have slipped through.

Two of the above labels seem to refer to Putin Huilo. Wiki says it means:

“Putin – khuylo!” (Russian: Пу́тин — хуйло́, IPA: [ˈputʲɪn xʊjˈlo]; Ukrainian: Пу́тін — хуйло́, IPA: [ˈput⁽ʲ⁾in xʊjˈlɔ]; commonly translated as “Putin is a dickhead”)[1] is a Ukrainian, Belarusian and Russian slogan deriding Russian President Vladimir Putin. It originated in Ukraine in 2014 having grown from a football chant first performed by FC Metalist Kharkiv ultras and Shaktar Donetsk ultras in March 2014 on the onset of the Russo-Ukrainian War. The phrase has become a protest song and is very widespread throughout Ukraine among supporters of Ukrainian sovereignty and territorial integrity, and, more generally, those who opposed Vladimir Putin in both Russia and Ukraine.

In order, the above labels are:

• Russian Warship Vodka
• Rogue F*#K Putin Ale
• Icarus Putin Huylo Ale with Coriander

Let us know if you see other good ones.

Atlas Brew Works sued the United States on January 15, 2019 in the DC District Court. Atlas is a brewer based in Washington, DC and argued that the law does not allow the government to, at the same time, require a label approval for beer, when the shutdown makes it impossible to obtain such an approval.

As of this writing, Google has 48,600 articles about the controversy, so I will refrain from summarizing the case, or trying to guess who will win. Instead, I will set out some of the juiciest morsels, from the fascinating arguments presented by both sides. On one side is the famous lawyer Alan Gura, representing the beer company. On the other side is the Acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason T. Cohen. The judge is the hugely accomplished Christopher R. Cooper.

Atlas’ complaint, filed January 15th, begins:

The First Amendment never “shuts down.” … The [FAA Act] subjects Atlas to criminal penalties should it ship beer with unapproved labels in interstate commerce. But Congress has not enacted legislation funding the issuance of [COLAs] for beer labels at the present time. There is no telling whether or when such legislation might be forthcoming, or how long it might take the government to approve COLA applications...

Summer is upon us, which means it’s time for crisp beers, sparkling wines, and the newest member of the “refreshing” alcohol beverage family – hard seltzer. By now you’re likely aware of hard seltzer, but despite its growing popularity, consumers are still relatively limited to a few national brands and a handful of regional brands. High consumer demand and room for competition make entering the hard seltzer market an appealing proposition. If you are considering launching a line of hard seltzers, keep reading, as this article lays out some important regulatory considerations to keep in mind.

The majority of hard seltzer is produced from either a brewed-malt (“clear malt”) or brewed-sugar (where 100% of the fermentables are derived from non-malt sugar) base, with carbonated water and added flavor. Under Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) regulations, both malt- and sugar-based hard seltzers are considered “beer,” but only malt-based hard seltzers are also considered “malt beverages.” This means that federal beer rules (27 CFR Part 25) apply to both malt- and sugar-based hard seltzers, but federal malt beverage labeling and advertising rules (27 CFR Part 7) apply only to malt-based hard seltzers.

The upshot of all this is that producing a hard seltzer with either type of base requires a Brewer’s Notice, and – if you’re...