Number
030711
Version
ORIGINAL
Reference
Sponsor
ALD. MURPHY
Title
Resolution expressing the City of Milwaukee's support for the United States Treasury's Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau's proposed rulemaking for flavored malt beverages (2001R-136P).
Analysis
This resolution expresses the City of Milwaukee's support for the United States Treasury's Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau's proposed rulemaking for flavored malt beverages. This rule, as proposed, would permit the addition of flavorings and other materials containing alcohol to malt beverage products only if the alcohol from such materials constitutes less than 0.5% by volume of the finished product.
Body
Whereas, The City of Milwaukee has long enjoyed a reputation as the “Beer Capital of the World” and “Brew City”; and
Whereas, From the 19th Century onward, thousands of City residents have derived their livelihoods from the beer industry - a tradition that continues not only in major brewers but also with dozens of micro-breweries and brewpubs; and
Whereas, Ever since “malt beverage” was built into the Internal Revenue Code in 1935, beer has deservedly enjoyed a unique place, distinct from distilled spirits, in the realm of state and federal taxation and regulation; and
Whereas, Since the late 1990s, so-called “spirit-branded” beverages have become increasingly popular; and
Whereas, These are beverages that derive their alcohol content not from the fermentation process, but from the later addition of distilled spirits; and
Whereas, Because of their relatively low alcohol content by volume, these beverages have avoided the usual and customary regulation typically applied to distilled spirits; and
Whereas, The growing popularity of “spirit-branded” beverages has threatened to obscure the distinction between distilled spirits and malt beverages, a distinction that has served law-makers, regulators and the general public for generations; and
Whereas, The United States Treasury's Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau has now proposed a new standard for the composition of flavored malt beverages; and
Whereas, This simple, comprehensible standard permits the addition of flavorings and other materials containing alcohol to malt beverage products only if the alcohol from such materials constitutes less than 0.5% by volume of the finished product; and
Whereas, This standard is reasonable and would serve to protect the important distinction between malt beverages and distilled spirits; now, therefore, be it
Resolved, By the Common Council of the City of Milwaukee, that the Common Council expresses its strong support for the United States Treasury's Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau's proposed rulemaking for flavored malt beverages (2001R-136P); and, be it
Further Resolved, That a copy of this resolution be sent to the United State Treasury's Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau.
Requestor
Drafter
LRB03386-1
jro
09/03/03