Important Craft Beer Label Requirements

In the alcoholic beverage market, there are many rules and regulations for manufacturers and sellers to follow before an item can even end up on a liquor store shelf. Being a small or independent brewery in the craft beer market won’t make you exempt from the many rules and regulations of the liquor industry, and there are important label requirements you’ll need to follow in accordance with the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax Trade Bureau (TTB).

Choose Labels That Stay Put

Craft beer bottles, like all beer bottles, should use high-quality, durable, and long-lasting product labels to ensure that labels don’t fade away or peel off due to condensation or cold temperatures. To get the job done right, print waterproof beer bottle labels from SheetLabels.com and enjoy our large selection of waterproof labels, including White Polyester, Removal White Polyester, White Gloss Polyester, Crystal Clear Gloss, Vinyl Inkjet, Vinyl Laser, High-Tack White Polyester, Silver Matte Polyester, White BOPP Permanent, Clear BOPP Permanent, and Silver BOPP Permanent.

Brand Name

Now that you have your perfect weatherproof labels picked out from SheetLabels.com, you still need to know what to include on them. Including all pertinent information on your craft beer labels is incredibly important, and it all starts with including your brand’s name. According to the Brewers Association, you should include the name of the importer, bottler, or packer if the craft beverage is not sold under a brand name. Brand names are to be completely legible, on the front of the bottle, and should be written on contrasting backgrounds. The minimum type size must be 2 mm for bottles larger than a ½ pint and 1 mm for bottles that are a ½ pint or less.

Include Beverage Specifics

Another important requirement that should appear on the front of your product is the class and type designation of your craft beer. The class includes whether it’s ale or lager, and the type or style must not be misleading. If a brewery sells a German-style beer but was brewed in America, companies should make sure that the label says “German-style beer” or “brewed in America” so customers are not misled. The name and address of the bottler are other label requirements. When you print waterproof labels, you’ll want to make sure that domestic malt beverages say “brewed and bottled/packed by”, or “brewed by” and that imported beverages say “imported by”. You must also include the country that the product originated from.

Don’t Forget Alcohol and Net Contents

Malt beverages can be bottled in any size container, but must include net contents according to the size of the bottle in American measure. Alcohol content is optional unless required by state law. If included, alcohol content must be written as “__% ALCOHOL (ALC) BY VOLUME (VOL)”.

Food Coloring and Additives

Just like non-alcoholic food and beverage products, food coloring and additives must also be included on all nutrition labels. Beverages that contain FD&C Yellow #5 must say “CONTAINS FD&C YELLOW #5". Saccharin, a sweetener, must also come with a disclaimer. Any beverage that contains saccharin must say “USE OF THIS PRODUCT MAY BE HAZARDOUS TO YOUR HEALTH. THIS PRODUCT CONTAINS SACCHARIN, WHICH HAS BEEN DETERMINED TO CAUSE CANCER IN LABORATORY ANIMALS.” If the beverage contains aspartame, you must say “PHENYLKETONURICS: CONTAINS PHENYLALANINE.” If your beverage contains 10 or more parts per million (ppm) of sulfites, you must say “CONTAINS SULFITES”. In addition, all alcoholic beverages in the U.S. containing at least 0.5 percent alcohol by volume must include a government warning. The government warning is as follows: “GOVERNMENT WARNING: (1) According to the Surgeon General, women should not drink alcoholic beverages during pregnancy because of the risk of birth defects. (2) Consumption of alcoholic beverages impairs your ability to drive a car or operate machinery, and may cause health problems.”

Print Waterproof Labels Today

Sure, there are plenty of legalities to consider before your craft beer becomes shelf-ready, but that doesn’t stop brewers from sticking with their passion of presenting great-tasting beers to beer lovers worldwide. The U.S. alone drinks 50 billion pints of beer annually! That on its own is enough reasons to pursue your passion for brewing craft beer. Contact SheetLabels.com and let us help you get started with labeling your bottles. We’re here to help!