Distilled Spirits Formulas and Labels: What is the Connection

November 25, 2024│Office of Communications

For distilled spirits products that require a TTB-approved formula, one of the most common reasons that distilled spirits label applications are returned for correction is because the label information is inconsistent with the product's formula. So, what is the connection between formulas and labels?

Certain parts of a product label are determined by the product's formulation. These include the class and type of the product; statement of composition (if required); alcohol content; and whether mandatory disclosures are required. When creating your product label, keep in mind that the label information must be supported by the formula information.

The information necessary for your product label can be found in the Formula tab, Results tab, and Docs/Links tab in Formulas Online. Ensuring that your product's label information is supported by your approved formula will help you to avoid delays in getting your label approved and your product to market.

A new presentation, TTB Distilled Spirits Formulas and Labels: What is the Connection? is now available in the Distilled Spirits section of our Presentations page, along with a companion chart of examples showing fictitious products with their product descriptions and ingredients, class/types, allowable labeling statements, and inadequate labeling statements.

You can find even more in-depth explanations in the Distilled Spirits Example Formulas on our Formulation- Alcohol Beverage Approval page and helpful tips in the Anatomy of a Distilled Spirits Label Tool on our Distilled Spirits Labeling page.

We hope these resources help you to better understand the connection between formulas and labels!

Additional Information

Distilled Spirits Industry