Dan Aykroyd’s Crystal Head Vodka sued Elements Spirits for making a similar skull shaped tequila bottle with the KAH Day of the Dead Tequila brand.�...
ABC’s of Celebrity Booze Endorsements
Endorsements from celebrities can boost sales of craft beverage products. This success rate has prompted several celebrities to create their own boo...
Is a Private Label Arrangement the right move for you?
Private label arrangements can bring in new sales channels and revenue streams. However, a craft beverage producer should carefully evaluate whether...
Craft Beverage Producers take note – Native American names are off limits
Craft beverage producers take a significant risk in using product names that reference Native American Indians and their culture. Even when used wit...
AT THE CROSSROADS OF TRADEMARK AND LIQUOR LAW
Trademarks for the alcoholic beverage industry can be significantly different than trademarks in other industries. There is a litany of regulations ...
Liquor & Grocery Stores Now Being Subject to TTB Inspections of Shelf Plans and Schematics
The federal TTB issued its first 2016 ruling (2016-1) announcing its efforts to identify non-compliance with tied house rules prohibiting breweries, w...
Can wine and liquor stores give away free alcohol in holiday promotions?
The Authority has confirmed that a holiday promotion such as “Buy 2 bottles, get a 3rd free” is compliant with ABC laws. Similarly a BOGO offer on...
Case Study (and YES, it’s a true story)
When it lost its lease and was forced to move to a new location, a local bar prepared and filed its own removal application with the State Liquor Auth...
Tasting of Spirits
When offering tastings of spirits, each patron is limited to three 0.25 oz tastings in a calendar day and each of the samples cannot have anything add...
Handwritten craft beverage labels
A new craft beverage producer produced two varieties of hard cider. It wondered if the State Liquor Authority would accept a label that had preprinted...