§211 — Title 27 Intoxicating Liquors | U.S. Code

Summary

Defines important words used in this part of the law so people know what the rules mean. "United States" includes the states, the District of Columbia, and the Territories Alaska, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico. "Interstate or foreign commerce" means trade that crosses state lines, involves places outside a state, or happens inside a Territory or D.C. "Person" covers people and many business types, including officers or employees of state agencies. "Trade buyer" means a wholesaler or retailer. "Affiliate" means one party that controls, or is under the same control as, another. It also explains types of alcoholic drinks. "Distilled spirits" covers things like ethyl alcohol, whiskey, rum, brandy, gin, and their non‑industrial mixtures. "Wine" covers wine-like beverages (including sparkling and similar products) that are at least 7% and at most 24% alcohol by volume and for non‑industrial use. "Malt beverage" describes beer-like drinks made from fermented malted grains, hops, and similar ingredients. "Bottle" means any container used to sell those drinks at retail, no matter what it is made of. Congress keeps the right to change or repeal these rules. If one part is held invalid by a court, the rest stays in force.

Title 27, §211

Intoxicating Liquors — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)As used in this subchapter—

(1)The term “United States” means the several States and Territories and the District of Columbia; the term “State” includes a Territory and the District of Columbia; and the term “Territory” means Alaska, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico.

(2)The term “interstate or foreign commerce” means commerce between any State and any place outside thereof, or commerce within any Territory or the District of Columbia, or between points within the same State but through any place outside thereof.

(3)The term “person” means individual, partnership, joint stock company, business trust, association, corporation, or other form of business enterprise, including a receiver, trustee, or liquidating agent and including an officer or employee of any agency of a State or political subdivision thereof; and the term “trade buyer” means any person who is a wholesaler or retailer.

(4)The term “affiliate” means any one of two or more persons if one of such persons has actual or legal control, directly or indirectly, whether by stock ownership or otherwise, of the other or others of such persons; and any one of two or more persons subject to common control, actual or legal, directly or indirectly, whether by stock ownership or otherwise.

(5)The term “distilled spirits” means ethyl alcohol, hydrated oxide of ethyl, spirits of wine, whiskey, rum, brandy, gin, and other distilled spirits, including all dilutions and mixtures thereof, for non-industrial use.

(6)The term “wine” means (1) wine as defined in section 610 and section 617 of the Revenue Act of 1918 as now in force or hereafter amended, and (2) other alcoholic beverages not so defined, but made in the manner of wine, including sparkling and carbonated wine, wine made from condensed grape must, wine made from other agricultural products than the juice of sound, ripe grapes, imitation wine, compounds sold as wine, vermouth, cider, perry and sake; in each instance only if containing not less than 7 per centum and not more than 24 per centum of alcohol by volume, and if for non-industrial use.

(7)The term “malt beverage” means a beverage made by the alcoholic fermentation of an infusion or decoction, or combination of both, in potable brewing water, of malted barley with hops, or their parts, or their products, and with or without other malted cereals, and with or without the addition of unmalted or prepared cereals, other carbohydrates or products prepared therefrom, and with or without the addition of carbon dioxide, and with or without other wholesome products suitable for human food consumption.

(8)The term “bottle” means any container, irrespective of the material from which made, for use for the sale of distilled spirits, wine, or malt beverages at retail.

(b)The right to amend or repeal the provisions of this subchapter is expressly reserved.

(c)If any provision of this subchapter, or the application of such provision to any person or circumstance, is held invalid, the remainder of the chapter and the application of such provision to persons or circumstances other than those as to which it is held invalid, shall not be affected thereby.

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

The Revenue Act of 1918, referred to in subsec. (a)(6), is act Feb. 24, 1919, ch. 18, 40 Stat. 1057. section 610 and 617 of the Revenue Act of 1918, relating to the definition of “wine”, were originally classified to section 441 and 444 of former Title 26, and were thereafter included as section 3036, 3044 and 3045 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1939. Provisions of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 relating to the definition and classification of wine appear in section 5373(a), 5381 to 5388, and 5392 of Title 26, Internal Revenue Code. Codification As originally enacted subsection (a)(1) of this section defined the term “Administrator” whose appointment was authorized under section 202 of this title. This definition is no longer effective since Reorg. Plan No. III of 1940, set out in the Appendix to Title 5, Government Organization and Employees, abolished the Federal Alcohol Administration and provided that its functions, funds, personnel, and property should be transferred to the Secretary of the Treasury to be administered through the Bureau of Internal Revenue [now Internal Revenue Service]. See, also,

Transfer of Functions

note set out under section 201 of this title.

Amendments

1988—Pub. L. 100–690, § 8001(b)(2), substituted “this subchapter” for “this chapter” wherever appearing.

Executive Documents

Admission of Alaska and Hawaii to StatehoodAlaska was admitted into the Union on Jan. 3, 1959, on issuance of Proc. No. 3269, Jan. 3, 1959, 24 F.R. 81, 73 Stat. c16, and Hawaii was admitted into the Union on Aug. 21, 1959, on issuance of Proc. No. 3309, Aug. 21, 1959, 24 F.R. 6868, 73 Stat. c74. For Alaska Statehood Law, see Pub. L. 85–508, July 7, 1958, 72 Stat. 339, set out as a note preceding section 21 of Title 48, Territories and Insular Possessions. For Hawaii Statehood Law, see Pub. L. 86–3, Mar. 18, 1959, 73 Stat. 4, set out as a note preceding section 491 of Title 48.

§211 Miscellaneous provisions