distilled spirits specialty

An anonymous reader wrote to us about this Zubrowka label as follows:

Free Range Vodka? As if there weren’t already enough confusion with health food terms like organic, natural, cage-free, and free-range, we’ve found a product that extends the health craze to alcoholic beverages. Meet Zubrowka, bottled with “neutralized” buffalo grass. What exactly is neutralized buffalo grass? Well, your guess is as good as ours. But if one were to assume that by neutralizing it, it is rendered somewhat inactive or less potent, that begs the question, why bother adding the ingredient in the first place? So, the purpose of adding a neutralized ingredient is definitely curious, but the label’s image may give us some clues. The image of a large, muscular, and almost fearsome bison dominates the label. One could assume the message here is that by ingesting the very essence of what these imposing creatures thrive on, the drinker would too be infused with virility and strength.

In fact, there is a good reason it’s neutralized. Real bisongrass raises serious health concerns as suggested by Bill Dowd here. Zubrowka is native to Poland and goes back at least 500 years.

This may look like just another ready-to-drink spirit but there is quite a lot going on here.

1. It is two products on one label approval form. Box 19 (of the approval linked above) carefully notes “there are two pre-import letters associated with this product.”
2. It is important to sell these in a four-pack because each cup is only 25 ml. TTB does not allow 25 ml. for spirits. When four are joined together, as here, it conforms to the 100 ml. “standard of fill.” These standard of fill rules have been important to TTB for many decades. TTB calls this aggregate packaging.
3. To reinforce the aggregation, it is helpful to say NOT FOR INDIVIDUAL SALE.
4. Because they are tiny, it is helpful to state NOT FOR CHILDREN. This can help avoid the shame of a Liquid Lunchables designation.
5. It is important to put some labeling on the outer pack and some on the inner pack.

The origin (New Zealand) is also a bit unusual for spirits. There are a great many products in the Twistee Shots line, imported by Smart Beverage of Louisville, Kentucky.

A great many brands hint at it, but Frank-Lin has gone right to the heart of the matter, launching Sex in a Bottle. The Hula Girl is very direct and to the point, especially compared to something like Tease brand wine. Frank-Lin has about 11 variations of this distilled spirits specialty, approved over the past year. Sex in a Bottle (above) is “luscious peach” flavor, made with grain neutral spirits, rum and flavors. Bikini Bling has a pina colada-type flavor.