Alexandria, VA – The majority of state liquor administrators from across the nation have joined the beer industry in supporting the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau’s (TTB) proposed standard clarifying the alcohol composition requirements of flavored malt beverages (FMB).

Specifically, the proposed standard requires at least 90 percent of the alcohol contained in FMBs to be derived from the malting process, stating that no more than 10 percent may come from alcohol flavoring.

“It spe aks volumes for the TTB to have the support of 30 state liquor administrators confirming this position,” said NBWA President David Rehr.  “State regulators are understandably concerned, because any change to the proposed rule would force most states to enact new legislation, and in some cases, change its constitution.”

The TTB proposal is consistent with the way state legislatures, state alcohol beverage regulators, and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) defines malt beverages for taxation and distribution purposes. 

Thus far, more than 850 beer wholesalers, 32 brewer representatives and 30 state liquor administrators have filed comments with the TTB in support of the proposed rule.  Those states are: Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming.

The TTB’s comment period on this standard, as well as other approaches, ends today.