Led by its namesake Bourbon Hall of Famer, Peggy Noe Stevens & Associates has sued TKC Distilling Co. TKC probably does not sound familiar to anyone, and its assumed name, Saga Spirits Group, might not sound any more recognizable. The familiar name is the…
In a groundbreaking decision and major blow to interstate discrimination under the three-tier system, the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals in Cincinnati held that Ohio’s discriminatory law prohibiting wine from being shipped to Ohio consumers from outside the state was unconstitutional. (Read Block v….
It did not take long for the new owner of Barrell Craft Spirit’s state-of-the-art blending and bottling facility in Louisville to find itself embroiled in a lawsuit. And as a bonus, the lawsuit revealed the surprisingly low cost of Canadian Whisky. Wyoming-based American Craft…
Taxation has always been associated with whiskey in the United States. The nation’s first excise tax, levied in 1791, was on whiskey, and was enacted to fund the national debt incurred during the Revolutionary War. Whiskey would be taxed again to fund subsequent wars,…
We all know bourbon brands that claim to be the first at something. One brand claims to honor the first person to have charred an oak barrel; another brand claims to be the first single barrel bourbon; yet another claims to have been the…
As reported by MLive, a small winery and distillery near Grand Rapids, Michigan received a cease and desist letter from an unidentified “larger distiller” over its planned Legacy Whiskey brand. Legacy Winery & Spirits, in Hudsonville, Michigan, is rebranding from “Legacy” to “Barrel Thief”…
Charitable organizations have held raffles forever, but usually for a low ticket price and for modest items, especially when compared to silent and live auction items. In the bourbon world, though, raffle item value has been increasing, and now 2023 is taking shape as…
Ever since Old Crow and Old Taylor aggressively protected their trademarks in the 1800’s, setting the stage for current-day trademark law, whiskey has kept trademark attorneys busy. Brown-Forman’s Jack Daniel’s brand and VIP Products’ “Bad Spaniels” dog toy now have the opportunity to establish…
News broke on January 3 that Sazerac was terminating its distribution relationship with Republic National Distributing Company and moving to numerous smaller distributors in about 30 states. This was such a massive change in the industry that a few days later, we covered it…
I found a new book to add your personal collection or holiday gift list—Lawyerly Libations, Concoctions for the Counselor, Apéritifs for the Attorney, Elixirs for the Esquire, and Additional Alcoholic Anecdotes: A Cocktail Compilation for the Burgeoning Barrister’s Bar, by Michael J. McCormick. While…
