Every brewer knows the importance of a good label. How you market and display your products can make all the difference for a customer looking through a store’s coolers.
But aside from their use as a marketing tool, labels come with a panoply of regulations and rules that govern what must, and what cannot, appear on them. In addition, there are any number of registration requirements, both federal and state-by-state, that must be met before products can be sold. Failing to abide by these rules and registrations requirements can force a brewer to delay product releases, require you to take product off market, or could even lead to fines.
To avoid disruption or even potential disaster, all brewers, whether you are distributing widely or just beginning to sell, need to be aware of these rules and requirements.
This session will cover the key compliance concerns for designing and registering beer labels. We will discuss:
-Federal and state labeling laws and how they apply to beer products
-When and where a brewer needs to have a Certificate of Label Approval (COLA)
-How to manage state brand/label registration processes
Franchise and other distributor relationship laws, and how they relate to label registrations
Based in Boulder, Colorado, Alex Koral is Regulatory General Counsel for Sovos ShipCompliant, where he serves as lead legal researcher for beverage alcohol regulation and has become a leading expert on interstate distribution of alcohol. He has spoken on the topic at many industry events including Craft Beer Professionals Virtual Conferences, Craft Brewers Conference, American Craft Spirits Association Convention, as well as meetings for the National Council of State Liquor Administrators and the National Liquor Law Enforcement Association. Alex has been in the beverage alcohol arena since 2015, after receiving his J.D. from the University of Colorado Law School.