11-20-2015, 04:13 AM
HA! I had no idea it was brewed anywhere other than in Bremen these days.
I worked for a short while recently as a project manager for an agency responsible for redesigning the labels for a local craft brewer. As with most physical products, "everything works back from the pack date" when scheduling work and assigning due dates etc. and the most important milestone of each label project was getting the finished label design submitted for government approval because it takes about 3 weeks for the yay or nay to come back.
Including verbiage as to where it's brewed (country of origin) isn't one of the criteria necessary for approval. There's a LOT that's regulated about alcohol but this part remains essentially free to the marketers. That's also why for example, a little beer wanting to capitalize on its hip localness will say it's brewed "right here" but one hoping for a larger regional or national distribution will be silent about it.
That said, when you read a Beck's label and every reference is to Germany (particularly since the label hasn't essentially changed in eons) it isn't surprising InBev got sued and lost. The cost of swapping in a new label is low, you just have to let the new version make its way through the distribution chain. I think InBev didn't want to risk losing sales by making it look like it was a different beer. I suspect they'll find a way to ensure that while avoiding further hassles by printing a little something somewhere on it now.
After they submit their revision to the TTB.
I worked for a short while recently as a project manager for an agency responsible for redesigning the labels for a local craft brewer. As with most physical products, "everything works back from the pack date" when scheduling work and assigning due dates etc. and the most important milestone of each label project was getting the finished label design submitted for government approval because it takes about 3 weeks for the yay or nay to come back.
Including verbiage as to where it's brewed (country of origin) isn't one of the criteria necessary for approval. There's a LOT that's regulated about alcohol but this part remains essentially free to the marketers. That's also why for example, a little beer wanting to capitalize on its hip localness will say it's brewed "right here" but one hoping for a larger regional or national distribution will be silent about it.
That said, when you read a Beck's label and every reference is to Germany (particularly since the label hasn't essentially changed in eons) it isn't surprising InBev got sued and lost. The cost of swapping in a new label is low, you just have to let the new version make its way through the distribution chain. I think InBev didn't want to risk losing sales by making it look like it was a different beer. I suspect they'll find a way to ensure that while avoiding further hassles by printing a little something somewhere on it now.
After they submit their revision to the TTB.