By Harry Wiles, Exec. Dir.
"America' Beer, Wine and Spirits Retailers."
There' no mistaking that' whom ABL looks out for. I've said it time and again.
Still, I often talk about the importance of retailers' relationships with other tiers of the beverage alcohol industry, be they producers or wholesalers, and with good reason. Just like the many parts of a watch, we all have our own niche but form a greater whole to provide beverage alcohol products to responsible adults in a responsible manner.
In addition to working with our colleagues on the production and wholesale tiers while preserving the rights of beverage alcohol retailers, there are two groups that are also part of the larger picture of the beverage alcohol world that are sometimes overlooked, but we should not forget: the regulatory community and beverage alcohol consumers.
I, like many millions of Americans, enjoy a refreshing adult beverage every now and again, be it with dinner, in celebration or simply in the company of friends. Thanks in part to our three-tier beverage alcohol system, I am assured that the quality of the product that I am drinking has been paid the utmost attention and the utmost care has been used in its delivery and sale, be it a micro-brew from Vermont or a sparkling wine from Napa Valley.
In addition to the three-tier system, the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau, otherwise referred to simply as the "TTB," plays a large role in making sure that the beverage alcohol I am enjoying as a consumer is properly and accurately labeled. In other words, I know that the glass of chardonnay I am drinking is from the Russian River Valley because the TTB has exhaustively researched that vinicultural area and its geographic characteristics and, in its wisdom, determined where the boundaries should be drawn and just what wines can claim, on their labels and in their advertising, to derive from that area.
But, as the beverage alcohol community was reminded recently, geographic origin is just one aspect when it comes to labeling beverage alcohol products.
This past September, ABL took advantage of the opportunity to comment on some proposed changes to how beverage alcohol products--the products that ABL members serve and sell in their bars, restaurants and package stores--are labeled.
At issue are plans outlined in a TTB White Paper that call for content labeling on beverage alcohol containers that could, in the opinion of ABL, mislead customers into dangerous situations and potentially increase costs and the risk of litigation against retailers.
In order to avoid these potential pitfalls, ABL joined a number of industry groups in calling for a closer examination of what mandatory nutrient and alcohol content labeling might mean to not only our members, but also to our customers.
ABL wants a formal rule making process to determine what is best for everyone when it comes to alcohol labeling, not a rushed method driven by anti-alcohol groups or those who seek to use labeling requirements to promote their products and gain market share.
ABL' interest and action on this matter is an example of the retail community striving to work with the regulatory community to determine what improvements need to be made so that all Americans who choose to enjoy beverage alcohol can do so responsibly and without fear of being confused by misleading alcohol content and nutrient labels.
This recognition of the potential gravity of such changes is enough that full examination of the implications of the plans outlined in the TTB White Paper is not just suggested, but essential.
Any change in the law as to how beverage alcohol products can be labeled or marketed is of importance to ABL as our members and their hundreds of thousands of employees are the last to handle beverage alcohol products before they reach consumers. These consumers are often the valued customers of ABL members or long-time patrons and guests who frequent these establishments because they can count on ABL members to be honest with them.
It is ABL' hope that with a formal process, the TTB and the labels and marketing of beverage alcohol will be honest with everyone.
Source: ABL Leader, November, 2005, published monthly by Continental Communications, 125 W. Granite St., Suite 102, Butte, MT 59701.