Voluntary Disclosure Initiative - AKA Beer Nutrition Labels

Sounds like a scheme from BMC leading to a negative ad campaign against craft brews to me.

Sounds that way to me, too. It’s starting to smack of desperation at this point.

It sure does, but how much effect will this actually have on BMC drinkers? Probably very little. If you’re worried about calories and such they already have your business. On craft beer drinkers? Also probably very little.

The issue is BMC is starting this as voluntary with the intention of using it to demonstrate why it should be required later. “Labeling is no biggie, we’ve been doing it for X number of years without being told to do so.”

I can get behind it if the standards allow for calculation versus lab testing which could cost a small brewery. Nobody complains about ABV, estimated calories can be calculated from that.

So, are they voluntarily putting it on 40s of crap beer as well? Anything else would be hypocritical, given how much they care for the health of their consumers.

It would also be funny to see that a Berliner Weiss has fewer calories than a Bud AND label that it contains a probiotic culture.  Take that, swill!

Yep, agreed.

I wonder if I can use the Beersmith numbers for the label requirements. It would suck to have to pay $500 to have each beer analyzed. It is a way to cut off the smallest breweries.

That’s what I’m curious about as well. I could see it being an issue with fruit additions, but straight beer should be close enough.

Bert Grant tried this years ago and got shot down by the BATF

I get sad when I think that Grant’s just faded away after Bert died. Grant’s Perfect Porter was an early favorite of mine.

Same here. That porter was very nice, as was the Scottish. Used to buy both by the case.

If you go to Right Proper in DC, they have a “Who is Bert Grant” bumper sticker on the bar.  May be common, but I had never seen it before.