27 C.F.R. Subpart E—Standards of Fill for Bottled Distilled Spirits
Title 27 - Alcohol, Tobacco Products and Firearms
No person engaged in business as a distiller, rectifier, importer, wholesaler, or warehouseman and bottler, directly or indirectly, or through an affiliate, shall sell or ship or deliver for sale or shipment, or otherwise introduce in interstate or foreign commerce, or receive therein or remove from customs custody any distilled spirits in bottles unless such distilled spirits are bottled and packed in conformity with §§5.46 through 5.47a. (Sec. 5, 49 Stat. 981, as amended (27 U.S.C. 205); 26 U.S.C. 5301) [T.D. ATF–25, 41 FR 10221, Mar. 10, 1976; T.D. ATF–146, 48 FR 43321, Sept. 23, 1983] (a) General. A standard liquor bottle shall be one so made and formed, and so filled, as not to mislead the purchaser. An individual carton or other container of a bottle shall not be so designed as to mislead purchasers as to the size of the bottles. (b) Headspace. A liquor bottle of a capacity of 200 milliliters or more shall be held to be so filled as to mislead the purchaser if it has a headspace in excess of 8 percent of the total capacity of the bottle after closure. (c) Design. A liquor bottle shall be held (irrespective of the correctness of the stated net contents) to be so made and formed as to mislead the purchaser, if its actual capacity is substantially less than the capacity it appears to have upon visual examination under ordinary conditions of purchase or use. (d) Exceptions—(1) Distinctive liquor bottles. The headspace and design requirements in paragraphs (b) and (c) of this section do not apply to liquor bottles that are specifically exempted by the appropriate TTB officer, pursuant to an application filed by the bottler or importer. (2) Cross reference. For procedures regarding the issuance, denial and revocation of distinctive liquor bottle approvals, as well as appeal procedures, see part 13 of this chapter. (Sec. 5, 49 Stat. 981, as amended (27 U.S.C. 205); 26 U.S.C. 5301) [T.D. 7020, 34 FR 20337, Dec. 30, 1969, as amended by T.D. ATF–25, 41 FR 10221, Mar. 10, 1976; 41 FR 11022, Mar. 16, 1976; T.D. ATF–62, 44 FR 71622, Dec. 11, 1979; T.D. ATF–146, 48 FR 43321, Sept. 23, 1983; T.D. ATF–406, 64 FR 2129, Jan. 13, 1999] (a) Authorized standards of fill. The standards of fill for all distilled spirits, whether domestically bottled, or imported, subject to the tolerances allowed in this section, shall be as follows: (b) Tolerances. The following tolerances shall be allowed: (1) Discrepancies due to errors in measuring which occur in filling conducted in compliance with good commercial practice. (2) Discrepancies due to differences in the capacity of bottles, resulting solely from unavoidable difficulties in manufacturing such bottles to a uniform capacity: Provided, That no greater tolerance shall be allowed in case of bottles which, because of their design, cannot be made of approximately uniform capacity than is allowed in case of bottles which can be manufactured so as to be of approximately uniform capacity. (3) Discrepancies in measure due to differences in atmospheric conditions in various places and which unavoidably result from the ordinary and customary exposure of alcoholic beverages in bottles to evaporation. The reasonableness of discrepancies under this paragraph shall be determined on the facts in each case. (c) Unreasonable shortages. Unreasonable shortages in certain of the bottles in any shipment shall not be compensated by overages in other bottles in the same shipment. (d) Limitations. This section does not apply after December 31, 1979. (Sec. 5, 49 Stat. 981, as amended (27 U.S.C. 205); 26 U.S.C. 5301) [T.D. 7020, 34 FR 20337, Dec. 30, 1969, as amended by T.D. ATF–25, 41 FR 10221, Mar. 10, 1976; T.D. ATF–146, 48 FR 43321, Sept. 23, 1983] (a) Authorized standards of fill. The standards of fill for distilled spirits are the following: (1) For containers other than cans described in paragraph (a)(2), of this section—
1.75 liters 1.00 liter 750 milliliters 500 milliliters (Authorized for bottling until June 30, 1989) 375 milliliters 200 milliliters 100 milliliters 50 milliliters (2) For metal containers which have the general shape and design of a can, which have a closure which is an integral part of the container, and which cannot be readily reclosed after opening—
355 milliliters 200 milliliters 100 milliliters 50 milliliters (b) Tolerances. The following tolerances shall be allowed: (1) Discrepancies due to errors in measuring which occur in filling conducted in compliance with good commercial practice. (2) Discrepancies due to differences in the capacity of bottles, resulting solely from unavoidable difficulties in manufacturing such bottles to a uniform capacity: Provided, That no greater tolerance shall be allowed in case of bottles which, because of their design, cannot be made of approximately uniform capacity than is allowed in case of bottles which can be manufactured so as to be of approximately uniform capacity. (3) Discrepancies in measure due to differences in atmospheric conditions in various places and which unavoidably result from the ordinary and customary exposure of alcoholic beverages in bottles to evaporation. The reasonableness of discrepancies under this paragraph shall be determined on the facts in each case. (c) Unreasonable shortages. Unreasonable shortages in certain of the bottles in any shipment shall not be compensated by overages in other bottles in the same shipment. (d) Distilled spirits bottled before January 1, 1980. Distilled spirits bottled domestically before January 1, 1980, may be marketed after December 31, 1979, if such distilled spirits were bottled in accordance with §5.47. (See §5.53 for similar provisions relating to distilled spirits imported in original containers.) (Sec. 5, 49 Stat. 981, as amended (27 U.S.C. 203); 26 U.S.C. 5301) [T.D. ATF–25, 41 FR 10221, Mar. 10, 1976, as amended at 41 FR 11022, Mar. 16, 1976; 41 FR 11497, Mar. 19, 1976; T.D. ATF–35, 41 FR 46859, Oct. 26, 1976; T.D. ATF–62, 44 FR 71622, Dec. 11, 1979; T.D. ATF–146, 48 FR 43321, Sept. 23, 1983; T.D. ATF–228, 51 FR 16170, May 1, 1986; T.D. ATF–326, 57 FR 31128, July 14, 1992]
Title 27: Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms
PART 5—LABELING AND ADVERTISING OF DISTILLED SPIRITS
Subpart E—Standards of Fill for Bottled Distilled Spirits
§ 5.45 Application.
§ 5.46 Standard liquor bottles.
§ 5.47 Standards of fill (distilled spirits bottled before January 1, 1980).
1 gallon. \4/5\ pint.\1/2\ gallon. \1/2\ pint.1 quart. \1/8\ pint.\4/5\ quart. \1/10\ pint.1 pint. \1/16\ pint (brandy only).
§ 5.47a Metric standards of fill (distilled spirits bottled after December 31, 1979).
