Title 27, Intoxicating LiquorsRelease 119-110

§214 Definitions

Title 27 › CHAPTER 8 — FEDERAL ALCOHOL ADMINISTRATION ACT › SUBCHAPTER II — ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE LABELING › § 214

Last updated Sep 23, 2026|Official source

Summary

Gives plain meanings for important words used in the subchapter. Alcoholic beverage means any liquid drink for people that has at least one-half of one percent alcohol by volume. Bottle means to fill a container with an alcoholic beverage and seal it. Bottler means a person who bottles an alcoholic beverage. Commerce means trade across or through the several States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, the Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Wake Island, the Midway Islands, Kingman Reef, or Johnston Island, or trade entirely within those places. Container means the innermost sealed container the bottler fills and sells, no matter what it is made of. Health includes preventing accidents. Person means a person or many kinds of businesses, organizations, or government entities. Sale and distribution include sampling or giving out without sale. Secretary means the Secretary of the Treasury. State includes political subdivisions and the listed territories. State law means statutes, regulations, and rules that have the force of law. United States, geographically, includes the States, the District of Columbia, and the listed territories.

Full Legal Text

Title 27, §214

Intoxicating Liquors, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

As used in this subchapter—

(1)The term “alcoholic beverage” includes any beverage in liquid form which contains not less than one-half of one percent of alcohol by volume and is intended for human consumption.

(2)The term “bottle” means to fill a container with an alcoholic beverage and to seal such container.

(3)The term “bottler” means a person who bottles an alcoholic beverage.

(4)The term “commerce” means—

(A)commerce between any State, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, the Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Wake Island, the Midway Islands, Kingman Reef, or Johnston Island and any place outside thereof;

(B)commerce between points in any State, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, the Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Wake Island, the Midway Islands, Kingman Reef, or Johnston Island, but through any place outside thereof; or

(C)commerce wholly within the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, the Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Wake Island, the Midway Islands, Kingman Reef, or Johnston Island.

(5)The term “container” means the innermost sealed container irrespective of the material from which made, in which an alcoholic beverage is placed by the bottler and in which such beverage is offered for sale to members of the general public.

(6)The term “health” includes, but is not limited to, the prevention of accidents.

(7)The term “person” means an individual, partnership, joint stock company, business trust, association, corporation, or any other business or legal entity, including a receiver, trustee, or liquidating agent, and also includes any State, any State agency, or any officer or employee thereof.

(8)The term “sale” and “distribution” include sampling or any other distribution not for sale.

(9)The term “Secretary” means the Secretary of the Treasury.

(10)The term “State” includes any political subdivision of any State, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, the Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Wake Island, the Midway Islands, Kingman Reef, or Johnston Island.

(11)The term “State law” includes State statutes, regulations, and principles and rules having the force of law.

(12)The term “United States”, when used in geographical sense, includes the several States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, the Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Wake Island, the Midway Islands, Kingman Reef, and Johnston Island.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

27 U.S.C. § 214

Title 27, Intoxicating Liquors

Last Updated

Sep 23, 2026

Release point: 119-110