It’s October 27th which means it is National American Beer Day. National American Beer Day is a special day in North Carolina, because October is also North Carolina Beer Month. North Carolina, with over 300 breweries, has a booming beer industry. Grab a cold one and celebrate with these facts about the beer industry in…
Several new ABC-Related laws went into effect this past summer on July 1, 2020. We have compiled the new laws (which can be found on the Virginia ABC website) which are most likely to affect breweries, wineries, distilleries, and restaurants in Virginia. Mixed Beverage Referendum (HB2634 and SB1110) – This law permits Virginia ABC to sell…
With the COVID-19 pandemic spreading throughout the world rapidly this year, the decision was made in April, during the height of the pandemic, to cancel Oktoberfest 2020 in Munich. While, many of us already know that it’s been cancelled, along with basically everything else this year, do you really know the story behind Oktoberfest and…
The information for this article can be read here. The Brewers Association has had a very busy January! First, they released a seal for supporters of independent craft beer. Anyone can use the seal, such as retailers, distributors, homebrew shops, state brewers’ guild, festivals, individual people, etc. If you’re not a brewer, then this seal…
*This information can be found here. Start the new year off right by filing your TTB reports! Below is a couple of reports to be aware of (and ones you probably should be filing if you received your Brewers Notice). Quarterly filing of operations report Fill out form TTB F 5130.26 Only file out that…
Recently, a company called Groovy Guy Gifts reached out and asked me to test one of their products. I picked the Forged knife and had it engraved with my father’s name. My father loved the knife and added it to his growing collection of pocket knives. Reasonably priced, the quality is great, and the locking…
A lot of buzz has been devoted to producing beer with hemp seeds and hemp generally. So much traction that the plethora of articles on the Internet suggest that this is a new category of beer. Actually, the first commercially available hemp-brewed beer came from Frederick Brewing Company in 1997. Recently, more breweries across the…
The information for this blog post can be viewed here. This information pertains to North Carolina. A proposed rule for homebrew products & competitions was filed with the North Carolina Office of Administrative Hearings for approval. The comment period ends on November 5, 2018, and all comments can be emailed to walker.reagan@abc.nc.gov. The rule…
*Please keep in mind that this is information is specific to North Carolina law. Contact an attorney in your state to find out specific information about this. House Bill 500 (HB 500) from the North Carolina General Assembly has been presented to Governor Roy Cooper for his signature. The Bill contains several changes to ABC…
The information for this blog can be read here. Reminder: COLA authorizes the bottling of wine, distilled spirits, and malt beverages. What if you have a wedding or a special event coming up and want to include a commemorative date or someone’s initials or name on the alcohol bottle? Believe or not special rules apply.…
Part 1 *This information is taken from the Small Business Center Network (SBCN), part of the North Carolina Community College System, and full packet, entitled “How to Develop a Business Plan” can be viewed here. *This blog is Part 1 of a series on small business guidance. Stay tuned for more blogs. First, what is…
*Please keep in mind that this is information is specific to North Carolina law. Contact an attorney in your state to find out specific information about this. *This information is provided by the NC Craft Brewers Guild. Read the original article here. Did you know that there are new FDA (Food and Drug Administration) labeling…
*Please keep in mind that this is information is specific to North Carolina law. Contact an attorney in your state to find out specific information about this. *This information is provided by the NC Craft Brewers Guild. Read the original article here. North Carolina now allows breweries and distilleries to be featured on highway road…
*Please keep in mind that this is information is specific to North Carolina law. Contact an attorney in your state to find out specific information about this. *This information is provided by the NC Craft Brewers Guild. Read the original article here. As many of you know, if you have an On-Premise Malt Beverage permit…
We receive SO many questions about specimens. When do I submit one? How do I submit one? What type of specimen? And even, what is a specimen? Have no fear! Let’s break it down. Taken from the USPTO website: a specimen is a sample of how you actually use the mark in commerce on your…
We get a lot, I mean A LOT, of questions about the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) and trademark legal stuff in general. So, if reading blogs about trademarks is not your thing, then you might want to skip our next couple blogs. The USPTO only: Reviews trademark applications and determines if the…
We have a HUGE announcement! We are so proud to announce the arrival of John’s book, Beer Law: What Brewers Need to Know After three years of dedicated hard work, it has finally hit the shelves! John’s book is available on Amazon and through our office. To buy the book through Beer Law Center contact…
Everything you need to know and probably more than you want to know about kombucha. I admit, I don’t think we have a client that produces kombucha. But, there must be a brewer out there who wants to know more about kombucha. Here you go: What is kombucha? Kombucha refers to a fermented beverage produced…
For this blog post I want to talk about two forms that are pretty standard for a TTB application, regardless of whether or not you’re a distillery or brewery. The forms are the Power of Attorney form and the Signing Authority form-both of which are linked below. What are the Power of Attorney and Signing…
Much like everything with alcohol it’s complicated. The ABC (specifically North Carolina General Statute §18-B-303 & §18B-400) details the exact rules, amounts, and volume of alcohol you can transport without getting a permit. I’ve divided alcohol into three categories: (1) beer, (2) unfortified wine, and (3) spirituous liquor & fortified wine. You do NOT need…