When used in this part and on forms prescribed under this part, the following terms have the meaning assigned to them in this section, unless the terms appear in a context that requires a different meaning. Any other term defined in the Federal Alcohol Administration Act (FAA Act) and used in this part has the same meaning assigned to it by the FAA Act.

Administrator. The Administrator, Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau, Department of the Treasury.

Advertisement or Advertising. See § 7.232 for meaning of these terms as used in subpart N of this part.

Appropriate TTB officer. An officer or employee of the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) authorized to perform any function relating to the administration or enforcement of this part by the current version of TTB Order 1135.7, Delegation of the Administrator's Authorities in 27 CFR part 7, Labeling and Advertising of Malt Beverages.

Bottler. Any brewer or wholesaler who places malt beverages in containers.

Brand name. The name under which a malt beverage or a line of malt beverages is sold.

Certificate holder. The permittee or brewer whose name, address, and basic permit number, plant registry number, or brewer's notice number appears on an approved TTB Form 5100.31.

Certificate of exemption from label approval. A certificate issued on TTB Form 5100.31, which authorizes the bottling of wine or distilled spirits, under the condition that the product will under no circumstances be sold, offered for sale, shipped, delivered for shipment, or otherwise introduced by the applicant, directly or indirectly, into interstate or foreign commerce.

Certificate of label approval (COLA). A certificate issued on form TTB Form 5100.31 that authorizes the bottling of wine, distilled spirits, or malt beverages, or the removal of bottled wine, distilled spirits, or malt beverages from customs custody for introduction into commerce, as long as the product bears labels identical to the labels appearing on the face of the certificate, or labels with changes authorized by TTB on the certificate or otherwise (such as through the issuance of public guidance available on the TTB website at https://www.ttb.gov).

Container. Any can, bottle, box, cask, keg, barrel or other closed receptacle, in any size or material, which is for use in the sale of malt beverages at retail.

Customs officer. An officer of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) or any agent or other person authorized by law to perform the duties of such an officer.

Distinctive or fanciful name. A descriptive name or phrase chosen to identify a malt beverage product on the label. It does not include a brand name, class or type designation, statement of composition, or designation known to the trade or consumers.

FAA Act. The Federal Alcohol Administration Act.

Gallon. A U.S. gallon of 231 cubic inches of malt beverages at 39.1 degrees Fahrenheit (4 degrees Celsius). All other liquid measures used are subdivisions of the gallon as defined.

Interstate or foreign commerce. Commerce between any State and any place outside of that State or commerce within the District of Columbia or commerce between points within the same State but through any place outside of that State.

Keg collar. A disk that is pushed down over the keg's bung or tap cover.

Malt beverage. A beverage made by the alcoholic fermentation of an infusion or decoction, or combination of both, in potable brewing water, of malted barley with hops, or their parts, or their products, and with or without other malted cereals, and with or without the addition of unmalted or prepared cereals, other carbohydrates or products prepared therefrom, and with or without the addition of carbon dioxide, and with or without other wholesome products suitable for human food consumption. See § 7.5 for standards applying to the use of processing methods and flavors in malt beverage production.

Net contents. The amount, by volume, of a malt beverage held in a container.

Permittee. Any person holding a basic permit under the FAA Act.

Person. Any individual, corporation, partnership, association, joint-stock company, business trust, limited liability company, or other form of business enterprise, including a receiver, trustee, or liquidating agent and including an officer or employee of any agency of a State or political subdivision of a State.

Responsible advertiser. The permittee or brewer responsible for the publication or broadcast of an advertisement.

State. One of the 50 States of the United States, the District of Columbia, or the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.

Tap cover. A cap, usually made of plastic, that fits over the top of the tap (or bung) of a keg.

TTB. The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau of the Department of the Treasury.

United States (U.S.). The 50 States, the District of Columbia, and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.

The provisions of this part apply to the 50 States, the District of Columbia, and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.

(a) Certificates of label approval (COLAs). Subject to the requirements and exceptions set forth in the regulations in subpart B of this part, any brewer or wholesaler who bottles malt beverages, and any person who removes malt beverages in containers from customs custody for sale or any other commercial purpose, is required to first obtain from TTB a certificate of label approval (COLA) covering the label(s) on each container.

(b) Alteration, mutilation, destruction, obliteration, or removal of labels. Subject to the requirements and exceptions set forth in the regulations in subpart C of this part, it is unlawful to alter, mutilate, destroy, obliterate, or remove labels on malt beverage containers. This prohibition applies to any person, including retailers, holding malt beverages for sale in interstate or foreign commerce or any person holding malt beverages for sale after shipment in interstate or foreign commerce.

(c) Labeling requirements for malt beverages. Subject to the jurisdictional limits of the FAA Act, as set forth in § 7.4, it is unlawful for any person engaged in business as a brewer, wholesaler, or importer of malt beverages, directly or indirectly, or through an affiliate, to sell or ship, or deliver for sale or shipment, or otherwise introduce or receive in interstate or foreign commerce, or remove from customs custody, any malt beverages in containers unless such containers are marked, branded, labeled, and packaged in conformity with the regulations in this part.

(d) Labeled in accordance with this part. In order to be labeled in accordance with the regulations in this part, a container of malt beverages must be in compliance with the following requirements:

(1) It must bear one or more labels meeting the standards for “labels” set forth in subpart D of this part;

(2) One or more of the labels on the container must include the mandatory information set forth in subpart E of this part;

(3) Claims on any label, container, or packaging (as defined in § 7.81) must comply with the rules for restricted label statements, as applicable, set forth in subpart F of this part;

(4) Statements or any other representations on any malt beverage label, container, or packaging (as defined in §§ 7.101 and 7.121) may not violate the regulations in subparts G and H of this part regarding certain practices on labeling of malt beverages; and

(5) The class and type designation on any label, as well as any designation appearing on containers or packaging, must comply with the standards for classes and types set forth in subpart I of this part.

(a) Malt beverages sold in interstate or foreign commerce—(1) General. The labeling provisions of this part apply to malt beverages sold or shipped or delivered for shipment, or otherwise introduced into or received in any State from any place outside thereof, only to the extent that the laws or regulations of such State impose requirements similar to the requirements of the regulations in this part, with respect to the labels and labeling of malt beverages not sold or shipped or delivered for shipment or otherwise introduced into or received in such State from any place outside thereof.

(2) Similar State law. For purposes of this section, a “similar” State law may be found in State laws or regulations that apply specifically to malt beverages or in State laws or regulations that provide general labeling requirements that are not specific to malt beverages but that do apply to malt beverages. In order to be “similar” to the Federal requirements, the State requirements need not be identical to the Federal requirements. Nonetheless, if the label in question does not violate the laws or regulations of the State or States into which the brewer, wholesaler, or importer is shipping the malt beverages, it does not violate this part.

(b) Malt beverages not sold in interstate or foreign commerce. The labeling regulations in this part do not apply to domestically bottled malt beverages that are not and will not be sold, or offered for sale, or shipped or delivered for shipment, or otherwise introduced in interstate or foreign commerce.

(a) Use of nonbeverage flavors and other nonbeverage ingredients containing alcohol. (1) Nonbeverage flavors and other nonbeverage ingredients containing alcohol may be used in producing a malt beverage (sometimes referred to as a “flavored malt beverage”). Except as provided in paragraph (a)(2) of this section, no more than 49 percent of the overall alcohol content (determined without regard to any tolerance otherwise allowed by this part) of the finished product may be derived from the addition of nonbeverage flavors and other nonbeverage ingredients containing alcohol. For example, a finished malt beverage that contains 5.0 percent alcohol by volume must derive a minimum of 2.55 percent alcohol by volume from the fermentation of barley malt and other materials and may derive not more than 2.45 percent alcohol by volume from the addition of nonbeverage flavors and other nonbeverage ingredients containing alcohol.

(2) In the case of malt beverages with an alcohol content of more than 6 percent by volume (determined without regard to any tolerance otherwise allowed by this part), no more than 1.5 percent of the volume of the malt beverage may consist of alcohol derived from added nonbeverage flavors and other nonbeverage ingredients containing alcohol.

(b) Processing. Malt beverages may be filtered or otherwise processed in order to remove color, taste, aroma, bitterness, or other characteristics derived from fermentation.

Certain fermented products that are regulated as “beer” under the Internal Revenue Code (IRC) do not fall within the definition of a “malt beverage” under the FAA Act and thus are not subject to this part. See § 7.7 for related TTB regulations that may apply to these products. See §§ 25.11 and 27.11 of this chapter for the definition of “beer” under the IRC.

(a) Saké and similar products. Saké and similar products (including products that fall within the definition of “beer” under parts 25 and 27 of this chapter) that fall within the definition of a “wine” under the FAA Act are covered by the labeling regulations for wine in 27 CFR part 4.

(b) Other beers not made with both malted barley and hops. The regulations in this part do not cover beer products that are not made with both malted barley and hops, or their parts or their products, or that do not fall within the definition of a “malt beverage” under § 7.1 for any other reason. Bottlers and importers of alcohol beverages that do not fall within the definition of malt beverages, wine, or distilled spirits under the FAA Act should refer to the applicable labeling regulations for foods issued by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. See 21 CFR part 101.

In addition to the regulations in this part, malt beverages must also comply with the following TTB labeling regulations:

(a) Health warning statement. Alcoholic beverages, including malt beverages, that contain at least 0.5 percent alcohol by volume, must be labeled with a health warning statement in accordance with the Alcoholic Beverage Labeling Act of 1988 (ABLA). The regulations implementing the ABLA are contained in 27 CFR part 16.

(b) Internal Revenue Code requirements. The labeling and marking requirements for beer under the Internal Revenue Code are found in 27 CFR part 25, subpart J (for domestic breweries) and 27 CFR part 27, subpart E (for importers).

The regulations in this part shall not apply to malt beverages exported in bond.

(a) TTB regulations. Other TTB regulations that relate to malt beverages are listed in paragraphs (a)(1) through (8) of this section:

(1) 27 CFR part 1—Basic Permit Requirements Under the Federal Alcohol Administration Act, Nonindustrial Use of Distilled Spirits and Wine, Bulk Sales and Bottling of Distilled Spirits;

(2) 27 CFR part 13—Labeling Proceedings;

(3) 27 CFR part 16—Alcoholic Beverage Health Warning Statement;

(4) 27 CFR part 25—Beer;

(5) 27 CFR part 26—Liquors and Articles from Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands;

(6) 27 CFR part 27—Importation of Distilled Spirits, Wines, and Beer;

(7) 27 CFR part 28—Exportation of Alcohol; and

(8) 27 CFR part 71—Rules of Practice in Permit Proceedings.

(b) Other Federal regulations. The regulations listed in paragraphs (b)(1) through (8) of this section issued by other Federal agencies also may apply:

(1) 7 CFR part 205—National Organic Program;

(2) 19 CFR part 11—Packing and Stamping; Marking;

(3) 19 CFR part 102—Rules of Origin;

(4) 19 CFR part 134—Country of Origin Marking;

(5) 21 CFR part 1—General Enforcement Provisions, Subpart H, Registration of Food Facilities, and Subpart I, Prior Notice of Imported Food;

(6) 21 CFR parts 70-82, which pertain to food and color additives;

(7) 21 CFR part 110—Current Good Manufacturing Practice in Manufacturing, Packing, or Holding Human Food; and

(8) 21 CFR parts 170-189, which pertain to food additives and secondary direct food additives for human consumption.

(a) General. TTB prescribes and makes available all forms required by this part. Any person completing a form must provide all of the information required by each form as indicated by the headings on the form and the instructions for the form. Each form must be filed in accordance with this part and the instructions for the form.

(b) Electronically filing forms. The forms required by this part can be filed electronically by using TTB's online filing systems: COLAs Online and Formulas Online. Anyone who intends to use one of these online filing systems must first register to use the system by accessing the TTB website at https://www.ttb.gov.

(c) Obtaining paper forms. Forms required by this part are available for printing through the TTB website (https://www.ttb.gov) or by mailing a request to the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau, National Revenue Center, 550 Main Street, Room 8002, Cincinnati, OH 45202.

Most of the regulatory authorities of the Administrator contained in this part are delegated to “appropriate TTB officers.” To find out which officers have been delegated specific authorities, see the current version of TTB Order 1135.7, Delegation of the Administrator's Authorities in 27 CFR part 7, Labeling and Advertising of Malt Beverages. Copies of this order can be obtained by accessing the TTB website (https://www.ttb.gov) or by mailing a request to the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau, National Revenue Center, 550 Main Street, Room 8002, Cincinnati, OH 45202.