It’s one of the most common and oldest words in the English language. Except nobody knows what it means, apparently. Pure. TTB generally does not allow it on spirits labels, when it appears to describe the end product. So it’s okay to say “made with pure water” but it’s not okay to say “Pure Vodka.” By contrast, there is no such restriction as to wine or beer. It is therefore perfectly okay to suggest that wine, such as the one above, is pure, or to be ambiguous about what is pure. A teenager might call it random and a judge might call it arbitrary. It is not especially clear why Purity Vodka and Pure BS wine should be okay, but Pure Vodka should not be okay. Absolut has pressed to have these age-old restrictions removed (since way back in 2006), but they don’t appear to be going anywhere fast. The rationale has been that it’s very difficult to define what is and isn’t “pure,” so it’s best to put the term off limits. Thanks to Master Distiller Masters for bringing these labels to our attention.
Continue Reading Leave a CommentOf GCGs and Rejewvenators
I am not so sure these two go together — but what the hell. Good Catholic Girl wine is Shiraz from Australia. It’s imported by (I should have guessed it) The Grateful Palate of Oxnard, California. It’s a tribute to the winemaker’s grandmother “who was the quintessential GCG.” About as far as possible from an Australian wine is He’Brew Rejewvenator Ale, made in Saratoga Springs, New York. The Man Room seems to have a copy of the announcement for this beer:
Rejewvenator ferments nearly 500 gallons of Fig juice into a half doppleboch, half Belgian inspired dubbel hybrid lager/ale. … With projected 2008 annual sales at over $1.5 million, Shmaltz Brewing is no longer a one-man operation of sole proprietor Jeremy Cowan. Matching his 550% sales increase with 500% growth of his staff, Shmaltz Brewing now operates with five full-time employees.
They sound good. Together?
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Allergens, Nuts and Such
. There is a lot going on at TTB, so it would be easy to lose track of allergens. Way back in 2005 TTB proposed to require allergens (such as nuts and milk) to be disclosed on all alcohol beverage labels. This would follow the 2004 law change for foods more generally. The final rule is due out someday soon, according to TTB’s Agenda. In the meantime, TTB is qualifying some approvals with the following language as on the above approvals:
The disclosure of allergens used in this product is voluntary, pending final rulemaking (See Notice No. 62, 71 FR 42329). However; any reference made to allergens must declare all allergens used in the production of this product, including fining or processing agents.
For those eager to get started, the 16-page proposal is here. O’Riley’s Cream Liqueur (link above) has milk products and a detailed ingredient list. DoReMi Cream Liqueur has about the same, plus nuts.
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NABI and Presidents' Forum Comments; Top 7 Things to Know
It is likely that all beer, wine and spirits labels will change dramatically in the near future. TTB has been working on new rules since CSPI and other groups submitted a petition in 2003. The new rules would require a “Serving Facts” panel on every container. This panel would include a lot more information, such as the typical serving size, number of servings per container, calories, carbohydrates, protein and fat. Because this is a big, controversial change, TTB has received more than 18,000 public comments during the past few years. There are far too many comments for most people to review, and so we will highlight and summarize the most noteworthy comments here. The most recent proposal and comments are here. This is comment 18 in a series; to see others, click on the “serving facts” tag below. NABI is the National Association of Beverage Importers. It is a trade association whose members produce, import and distribute alcohol beverage products. Its three page comment said:
- The manner of presenting the information should be optional and depend on the space available.
- For example, a linear format may be suitable in some cases and in others the company could provide the information via a website.
- The rule is complex especially in combination with state and international rules, and allergen...
Tags: policy, serving facts/allergens
For . . . Women Only
For Girls Chicks Women Only. Yes; it is difficult to imagine a male sipping this, with a straight face. Chick Food watermelon schnapps (above) is also available as pomegranate schnapps. The products are made by Side Pocket Foods of Cottage Grove, Oregon.
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