Private Label Primer, Part VI

by ,

Private Label Primer, Part VI

Lesson VI - Bottling and Shipping

(To read the previous lessons, please visit the "Got Rum?" Archives page)

In last month’s lesson, we explored the labeling requirements and other regulatory areas of concern. In this lesson we’ll explore the steps required for producing (bottling) the rum and having it delivered to the distributor or wholesaler.

It is time to bottle the rum, so we should talk about the regulations affecting this aspect of the private label production. For rums that will be commercialized in the USA, these are:

1. Standards of Fill (how much rum is allowed to be stored inside a container), Chapter 6 of the Beverage Alcohol Manual and

2. Containers (typically glass bottles, but not exclusively), Chapter 9 of the Beverage Alcohol Manual.

Even though each topic above is granted its own chapter in the B.A.M., they are inter-related at the core, here is how:

“Standard of Fill" refers to the actual volume of liquid inside a container. For containers other than cans, the current standards are:

• 1.75 Liters

• 1 Liter

• 750 mL

• 375 mL

• 200 mL

• 100 mL

• 50 mL

If you’ve looked at spirits bottles at stores or bars, you’ve probably noticed that there is always a certain amount of air or empty space inside the bottles, usually in the “neck” (the narrow part of the bottle) area. This amount of air or “headspace” is present to allow for the alcohol to expand and contract (due to temperature changes) while minimizing the risk that the pressure change will break the glass bottle (air is easier to compress/expand than alcohol). To prevent misleading practices, the amount of headspace allowed in bottles is closely regulated. For containers greater than 200 mL, the headspace cannot be more than 8% of the total capacity of the container. And thus we arrive at the maximum container sizes allowed in the USA:

• 200 ml -> 217 mL

• 375 ml -> 407 mL

• 750 ml -> 815 mL

• 1 Liter -> 1086 mL

• 1.75 Liters -> 1901 mL

Keep in mind that when a label states that a bottle has, for example, 750 mL of rum, that this refers to the Standard of Fill and not to the Container Size. These volumes apply to “standard” containers or bottles. Non-Standard containers are also addressed in the B.A.M., and we encourage those interested to download the manual for further reading.

Proof or alcohol strength: the bottler and private label owner must ensure that the Proof/ABV of the product matches what is reported on the label and with government requirements. It is important to know which method(s) the authorities will use to determine the “official” strength of the alcohol, as different methods have the potential to quantify alcohol differently. For more information about alcohol quantification, please read the January-May issues of “Got Rum?” and look at Dr. Spedding’s informative series on the topic.

Now that all these issues have been addressed, the rum has been approved and all the dry

goods have arrived at the bottling facility, it is time to bottle. A good bottling facility will have requested samples of bottles, closures, labels, etc., ahead of time, to make sure all these elements can be handled properly by their equipment, and to make sure there is a proper fit between bottles and closures. Failure to do this ahead of time may result in last minute problems being uncovered during the time allot ted for the production.

Once the production has been completed, the rum needs to be shipped from the bottling  facility to a licensed wholesaler or retailer. Bottling companies are usually in a hurry to ship out finished product, so they can make room for additional bottling runs. If the bottler is outside of the USA, the shipping of the finished rum bottles will include an importer and usually includes a broker as well.

In a manner similar to athletes exchanging a baton during a relay race, there can be several exchanges of the finished rum between the bottler and the receiving warehouse.  Understanding how many these are, and who is responsible for paying any associated fees is very important, as it can always be a source of headaches and unexpected fees for neophytes to the industry. Incoterms (three letter terms such as “EXW”) were developed as a way to add clarity and standardization into the shipping industry. Pay close attention to these terms and their meanings and you’ll be on your way to a better shipping experience!

One last thought regarding shipping of rum into the USA: from time to time, the Department of Homeland Security will put sea and air ports on alert. Rum is considered “hazardous cargo” due to the flammable nature of ethanol (the same applies to all other distilled spirits, not just rum). Hopefully the shipping container containing your rum will never be subject to a security inspection but, if it does, you will be responsible for the daily storage fees that will be accrued leading up to the inspections, so plan accordingly!

See you then!

Luis Ayala 

Rum Consultant