Brewed & Confused: How a Logo Stalled a Coffee Beer

Ever heard the saying “Don’t judge a book by its cover”? Well, in the world of beverage compliance, sometimes the cover is what causes all the problems.

One of my brewery clients recently brewed a collaboration beer with a local coffee roaster. A straightforward recipe—just roasted coffee beans added to a beer. No spirits, no fancy flavor extracts. Just beer and beans.

The coffee company’s logo included the phrase “spirit-aged,” and that small detail triggered a formula request. But here's the kicker: coffee doesn’t require a formula. We explained multiple times that the beans did not contain any spirits.

After being placed on hold for "research," and spinning our wheels with both a phone call and an email to the TTB, we finally got clarity. We needed a letter from the coffee producer outlining their ingredients and process. Once we submitted our letter, we received COLA approval 40 days after submission of the application.

But by then, the beer had already been brewed and canned. With no labels in sight, the finished product had to sit for a month taking up valuable cooler space and delaying its release.

This is a textbook example of why it's so important to submit your COLA before production. When approvals are delayed, especially over things that don’t seem obvious, like a logo, it can lead to unnecessary storage costs, logistical headaches, and lost time getting your product to market.

The takeaway? Even if your ingredients are simple, even if you’ve done this before, get ahead of it. Compliance delays can be triggered by things you’d never expect.

Have questions or need someone to walk you through this process to help catch these things before they slow you down? That’s what I’m here for.