Wisconsin to accept new label applications during government shutdown

The federal government requires all beer labels to include certain information, and if you’re sadistic enough you can read all label requirements here.

The United States Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) has been sidelined during the government shutdown (check out our full article on the subject here). While they’re still accepting excise taxes, permits for new breweries, new recipes and new labels are still on hold. That means no new breweries can open, and existing breweries can’t bring new beers to market. This is especially harmful to the craft beer industry as any new beer formula that requires adjuncts (additives to the beer such as spices or fruit), also require oversight from the TTB to make sure the product is safe.

Well one state, long beloved for its beer, is not standing still. According to an Associated Press article buzzing around the Internet, Wisconsin tax officials are saying in-state brewers won’t need approval from Washington to sell new beers (i.e. labels) within the state during the federal shutdown. We quote the article:

The state Department of Revenue regulates beer sales in Wisconsin. Federal regulations don’t mandate brewers obtain TTB approval to sell new labels within a state but DOR has required it. DOR officials said Friday they’re relaxing that requirement. They say brewers can sell new labels in Wisconsin if they’ve completed an application for TTB label approval. Brewers who need TTB approval for new recipes, however, remain in limbo.