Page 74 - Craft of Whiskey Distilling

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So You Want to Be a Micro-Distiller?
then you need to know about formulas.
Robin Bowman
You have your federal and state licenses— so what’s next. Before you fire up your still, you should determine whether the distilled spirits product you intend to produce requires a formula approval by the Alcohol & Tobacco Tax & Trade Bureau (TTB). Federal law requires domestic distillers to submit formulas for certain distilled spirits products to TTB for approval before production can begin. Formula approvals are required in order to ensure that the products meet federal food safety requirements, are taxed appropriately, and bear labels that are not misleading to consumers.1
To begin, not every distilled spirit requires a formula approval by TTB. TTB’s formula regulations do not clearly identify which distilled spirits require formula approval. Rather, they state a general rule that requires distillers to obtain formula approval if they add
1 In order to import certain foreigh-produced distilled spirits into the united States, importers must obtain a pre-import approval from TTB by submitting an ingredient list and quantitative formula for the product signed by the foreign manufacturer. This information can be submitted on TTB From 5100.51 or in letter form on the foreign manufacturer’s letterhead.