LATEST ON STANDARDS OF FILL FOR WINE AND DISTILLED SPIRITS
On August 12, 2019, the Alcohol Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (“TTB”) announced that it will provide 60 day extension for the public to comment on its proposal to eliminate all but a minimum “standard of fill” for wine containers, and all but a maximum and minimum “standard of fill” for distilled spirits containers.
The public will now have until October 30, 2019 to comment on TTB’s proposals.
“Standard of fill” means the authorized amount of liquid that will fit in a particular container.
TTB currently permits wine and distilled liquors to be sold only in containers holding specified quantities of liquid, such as 1 liter, 750 milliliters, 375 milliliters, 100 milliliters, and 50 milliliters.
TTB’s proposal would permit (i) distilled liquors to be sold in containers holding any quantity between 50 milliliters and 3.785 liters (1 gallon); and (ii) wine to be sold in any container holding at least 50 millimeters.
This regulation will affect manufacturers, distillers, and rectifiers of wine and distilled spirits.
The proposal’s objective is to eliminate unnecessary regulatory requirements and expand consumer choice.