TTB gets a lot of labels. For this brand alone, it appears the brewer submitted over 1,500 labels since 2003. Why? There are many reasons why brewers submit multiple variations for a given brand (state deposit rules, container sizes, alcohol content, etc.). But here, it is probably mass customization. Due to advances in printing, small run labels are becoming increasingly common. It’s not always necessary to submit every permutation, but here are three: above, Syracuse, wide stance.
Search Results for: ttb
Recession Red, Table Wine
Three out of three West Coast vintners agree it’s a recession. Of these, The Ross Valley Winery (of San Anselmo, CA) was first, with TTB approval on May 6, 2008. Concannon Vineyard (of Livermore, CA) was second, with approval on June 3, 2008. TTB approved the label for Woods Lake Winery (of Woodinville, WA) on October 2, 2008.
This tends to show the common, simultaneous rush to grab onto a promising new trend. It also raises the question of how US trademark law would or should handle several wineries embracing one brand name at about the same time.
Update: Comment from a veteran trademark lawyer.
In this case, the three West coast wineries probably should have conducted trademark searches for RECESSION RED. Had they done so, they would have found that a Sea Cliff, New York company, Books & Tomatoes, Inc., filed a trademark application in March 2008 to register the mark RECESSION RED for wine. This application may cause these other wineries some difficulty. More…
How Long Until Cuban Rum?
If the US Government is warming up to North Korea, how much longer can it be until Cuban Rum is back? TTB has started to allow a small number of products from North Korea, and the news a few days ago is that this is part of a broader US-North Korea cooperation. Does anyone find the D in DPR a tad misleading? A good trend or bad?
We’ll go way out on a limb and foolishly boldly predict that Cuban Rum will be back in the US (legally) within two years, after an almost 50-year absence. The story is documented in this new book: “Bacardi and the Long Fight for Cuba: The Biography of a Cause.”
Chardonnay with Eggs and a Bit of Fish Protein
If the above sounds grotesque, you may need to get used to it. Egg whites, fish protein and milk are commonly used in alcohol beverages. New allergen rules may require much more frequent disclosure, on many more labels in the near future. TTB’s qualification says “The disclosure of allergens used in this product is voluntary, pending final rulemaking (See Notice No. 62, 71 FR 42329).”
Obama Beer
TTB is highly unlikely to approve John McCain beer anytime soon. Not because he can’t win. But because TTB is reluctant to approve labels referring to Presidents of the United States. Despite this, many companies come very close to this line. Above is Obama Ale. Here is an Illinois wine celebrating the debate between Lincoln and Douglas. And some might see our current President here.
No Shortage of Sins
Wine and brandy don’t seem especially sinful to us. But that apparently doesn’t stop lots of companies from portraying these products as evil or sinful. TTB approves about 100,000 alcohol beverage products per year, year in and year out, and a large percentage of these come equipped with references to sin, the devil, skulls and crossbones, and illegality. The Cognac above gets right to the point, branding itself illegal. And here is the original sin (apple wine).