It may be safe to put away that gnarly old ruler, from fifth grade. A few days ago, TTB announced that it will ease up on scrutinizing your cpi’s and mm’s. At first this sounds like a good thing, and the “streamlining” as described — because many are the frustrations about waiting on a coveted COLA — only to find it lying in the tatters of rejection, because of a few letters too big or too small. Industry Circular 2011-04 says:

(TTB) will no longer examine labels to determine whether the images included in the applications meet the type size, characters per inch, and contrasting background requirements.  As a result, TTB will no longer return applications for correction due to these issues.  However, TTB reserves the right to review and return applications for these reasons when it deems necessary.

In some ways this may be good, especially if it speeds up the system and makes TTB more efficient. But the main effect may be a shift of this not so trivial burden over to the applicant. There is no change to the various CFR rules requiring all your cpi’s and mm’s to be just right, and this Circular in no way mitigates that burden. In fact, TTB hastens to add:  “The responsible industry member...

We bring you this vodka for several reasons. According to the label it is “fair trade certified” and “sustainable.” But mostly because it highlights quinoa. The back label bills quinoa as “the mother of all grains, a superfood long worshipped by the Inca people. …”

Lo and behold, quinoa does in fact pop up at number five on WebMD’s list of top ten “superfoods.” Near yogurt, eggs, nuts, kiwi, and other leading superfoods, quinoa is described as:

one of the best whole grains you can eat. … “It is an ancient grain, easy to make, interesting, high in protein (8 grams in 1 cup cooked), fiber (5 grams per cup) and a naturally good source of iron,”… Quinoa (pronounced keen-wa) also has plenty of zinc, vitamin E, and selenium to help control your weight and lower your risk for heart disease and diabetes. …

So far we see one other vodka distilled largely from quinoa, but very little in the way of quinoa beer, other than this one.

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 Huckleberry wine to the list.

1. Agave wine
2. Apple wine
3. Apricot wine
4. Aronia berry wine
5. Avocado wine
6. Banana wine
7. Blackberry wine
8. Blueberry wine
9. Buffaloberry wine
10. Cantaloupe wine
11. Cherry wine
12. Cranberry wine
13. Dandelion wine
14. Elderberry wine
15. Elder flower wine
16. Fig wine
17. Gooseberry wine
18. Grape wine
19. Hibiscus wine
20. Huckleberry wine. Made by Flathead Lake Winery of Ronan, Montana.
21. Jasmine fruit wine
22. Kiwi wine
23. Linden flower wine
24. Lingonberry
25. Lychee wine
26. Mango wine
27. Mangosteen wine
28. Marionberry wine
29. Onion wine
30. Peach wine
31. Pear wine
32. Pepper wine
33. Persimmon wine
34. Pineapple wine
35. Pomegranate wine
36. Rhubarb wine
37. Strawberry wine
38. Tomato wine
39. Watermelon wine

A long way from painted urns, or ink on paper, here is another example of innovative, functional, modern, social(?) beverage packaging. My Bud Light encourages the consumer to modify the labeling a little bit. Bud’s press release says:

Message On A Bottle: Bud Light Introduces ‘My Bud Light’ Packaging New Package Allows Consumers to Add Personal Message on Bottle’s Label ST. LOUIS (April 1, 2011) – Bud Light, the world’s best-selling beer, is introducing a new way for beer drinkers to personalize their bottles with the brand’s latest packaging innovation, “My Bud Light.” Beginning April 4, Bud Light 12-oz. bottles will feature the My Bud Light label, which allows adult beer drinkers the unique opportunity to add their own personal touch to the bottle. Using a key or coin, consumers can “write” a message or draw an image on the label. “This new bottle is one of the many ways we can bring Bud Light’s fun personality to life,” said Mike Sundet, senior director, Bud Light. “Bud Light drinkers are always looking for fun, quirky ways to express themselves, and the My Bud Light bottle offers them a canvas to do just that.”

A Chicago purveyor of other beer-personalization-paraphernalia hastens to add:  “Following BeerTAG’s footprint, the new innovation from Budweiser further confirms the...

On or about September 17, 2009, Flying Dog Brewery requested permission to sell Raging Bitch beer in Michigan. About two months later, the Michigan Liquor Control Commission denied the application, asserting: “The Commission finds that the proposed label which includes the brand name ‘Raging Bitch’ contains such language deemed detrimental to the health, safety or welfare of the general public.” Flying Dog filed a lawsuit last month, in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Michigan. In a later post, we’ll review the state’s rationale. But for today, we highlight a few of the juiciest portions from the pleadings submitted by Flying Dog (and attorney Alan Gura). The complaint asserts:

Regrettably, the Michigan Liquor Control Commission and its members have taken it upon themselves to control not merely alcoholic beverages, but speech as well. Acting as a censorial board, Defendants wield state authority to impose their personal tastes as a prior restraint against core First Amendment expression that happens to be placed on beer labels.

The supporting memorandum goes on to cite the Staub case wherein the U.S. Supreme Court said:

It is settled by a long line of recent decisions of this Court that an ordinance which … makes the peaceful enjoyment of freedoms which the Constitution guarantees...