In a shocking but true accouncement as reported in the New York Times, the US government has passed a regulation that will require what is taxed as beer to be at least 51% beer twelve months from now:
Popular flavored malt beverages must have the majority of their alcohol come from the process of brewing if they want to be taxed and treated as beer products rather than higher-taxed liquor products. That's the upshot of final regulations announced Tuesday by the Treasury Department's Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau. Companies will have until early January 2006 to comply. The new regulations require that at least 51 percent of alcohol in flavored malt drinks be derived from the brewing process. No more than 49 percent of the alcohol may come from other flavorings added to the product, the bureau said in a release.While this relates to beverages which are a long way off of real ale, you still would think that this would have been an obvious requirement. That would not, however, have taken into account the fact that brewing is one of the biggest business rackets going and just because it looks like beer or claims that it is beer on an income tax return doesn't mean it is a beer. One day beer will have to have its ingredients listed so that we can all see how much sea weed, which is added commonly to add body to corn sugar based brews, is in which beer. Here is the TTB announcement.
Comments
Farid - March 25, 2005 5:06 AM
If you can help me, I will really appreciate it.
Can anyone tell me what is Us Laws & regulation regarding Expiration date for Beers?
Do we have US mandate law on beer Expiration?
Thank you so much for your kind Response.
I have posted My E-mail in case anyone would know the naswer to E-mail me.
God Bless.
Farid Afshar
Faridafsha@aol.com
Alan - March 25, 2005 7:01 AM
I have no idea but it would depend on strength as a strong ale like a barleywine would last years in a celler while a "lite" mass produced beer should not be trusted after a number of weeks. It really should not be trusted at all of course.
Jim - December 20, 2005 10:09 AM
I know this is a little late, but I thought I would still post. There is no federal expiration date for beer, the quality is controlled by the market, not the government. Like Alan mentioned, it would depend on the strength of the beer and other factors, but not the government.
Sal - June 22, 2006 2:46 PM
Hope you eventually find an answer to this, my good friend. Anyway, you may already have checked these sites (http://cbs4boston.com/food/local_story_054200922.html,
http://www.accidentalhedonist.com/index.php/2006/02/08/more_on_beer_expiration_dates,
http://www.tastings.com/beer/perishable.html, and,
http://www.digg.com/science/The_Secret_Code_of_Beer_Expiration_Dates),
but even THEY don't give a definitive answer. I guess we'll just have to buy some (good) beer, hold onto it for a while, and then sit out-side somewhere nice (Santa Monica?) one evening and put it to a test.
I'm looking forward to this. Until then, stay well.
Alan - June 22, 2006 3:33 PM
Better still - always ensure we have fresh stuff where it is under 7% or so. Over that and I am quite happy to age it.