Christine Dower
Subscribe to Christine Dower's PostsChristine is a litigation and regulatory compliance attorney who concentrates her practice within the Alcohol Beverage and Cannabis Industries. As a member of the Firm’s Chambers-ranked Alcohol Regulatory & Distribution Group, Christine counsels industry clients on trade practice issues, tied-house compliance, state franchise law, state and federal licensing, e-commerce, distribution agreements, third-party alcohol delivery for sale of beer, wine and spirits and other alcohol beverages. Christine also conducts alcohol and cannabis regulatory due diligence for corporate restructures, mergers and acquisitions.Read Christine Dower's full bio.
Navigating the Regulatory Landscape for Private Label Alcohol
By Alva C. Mather and Christine Dower on May 2, 2025
Posted In Advertising and Marketing, Intellectual Property, Licensing, Trade Practices, TTB COLAs and Formulas
Private labels are not a new concept – many consumers have purchased private label products for years, but their use is becoming more prevalent and ubiquitous in the market as demand for private labels continues to rise. Whether you are a retailer launching your own wine label or a brewery producing beer for a supermarket...
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Key Takeaways | 2024 Recap and What’s on Tap for Alcoholic Beverage Companies
By Alva C. Mather and Christine Dower on Jan 9, 2025
Posted In Advertising and Marketing, Distilled Spirits, Distribution, Enforcement, Hemp-Derived Beverages, Legislation, Litigation & Arbitration, Non-Alcoholic Beverages, THC Beverages, Trade Practices
The alcohol beverage industry experienced a transformative year, marked by notable shifts in consumer behavior, innovative product launches, and regulatory changes. During a recent webinar, McDermott’s Alcohol Group provided a retrospective on the pivotal moments of 2024 that impacted the industry, a preview of what’s to come in 2025, and insights into how your company...
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An End-of-Year Review of TTB Tax Audits and Enforcement
By Alva C. Mather, Christine Dower and Michelle Draper on Dec 20, 2024
Posted In Alcohol Excise Taxes, Enforcement, Licensing
We have updated and republished this March 2024 blog post for a year-end summary. The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau’s (TTB) Office of Field Operations is responsible for ensuring industry members comply with the Federal Alcohol Administration Act, the Internal Revenue Code, and all related regulations. It is divided into three groups: the...
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Navigating the Buzz: How State Agencies Are Addressing Confusion Around Hemp and Low-Dose THC Beverages
By Alva C. Mather and Christine Dower on Oct 25, 2024
Posted In Cannabis, Hemp-Derived Beverages, Non-Alcoholic Beverages, THC Beverages
Hemp and low-dose delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) beverages continue to flood the marketplace. Depending on the state, these products can be purchased in liquor stores, gas stations, grocery stores, bars, restaurants, and/or online. Despite their rise in popularity and presumed legality under the 2018 Farm Bill, some state agencies have recently made headlines with decisions to ban...
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Contract Manufacturing Versus an Alternating Proprietorship: What Is the Difference?
By Alva C. Mather, Christine Dower and Michelle Draper on Sep 26, 2024
Posted In Alcohol Excise Taxes, Audits, Commercial Agreements, Craft Beverage Modernization Act, Licensing
We frequently receive questions about the differences between contract brewing and alternating proprietorships, as well as questions concerning the key details the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) and other regulators will be looking for in either approving the proposed structure or, more importantly, during a company audit. Here we discuss the primary...
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TTB Ramps Up Tax Audits and Enforcement
By Alva C. Mather, Christine Dower and Michelle Draper on Mar 19, 2024
Posted In Alcohol Excise Taxes, Enforcement, Licensing
The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau’s (TTB) Office of Field Operations is responsible for ensuring industry members comply with the Federal Alcohol Administration Act, the Internal Revenue Code and all related regulations. It is divided into three groups: the Trade Investigations Division (TID), the Tax Audit Division (TAD) and the Intelligence Division. Many...
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Navigating Hemp THC Beverages
By Alva C. Mather and Christine Dower on Mar 4, 2024
Posted In Cannabis, Food Safety and FDA
Nonalcoholic beverages infused with delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) derived from hemp (aka intoxicating hemp beverages) are becoming increasingly popular for consumers looking for an alternative to alcohol. With major alcohol retailers like Total Wine entering the cannabis space, alcohol beverage producers may be looking for opportunities to leverage their existing experience in manufacturing, marketing and distributing...
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Alcohol Industry M&A: Common Pitfalls for Founders (and Avoiding Them) Part One: Formulas and Processes
By Alva C. Mather and Christine Dower on Oct 30, 2023
Posted In Transactions, TTB COLAs and Formulas
Given the continued strength of the US alcoholic beverage market, the alcohol industry presents numerous opportunities for acquisitions, investments and other strategic transactions from a wide variety of players. These range from small craft start-ups to larger strategic buyers, as well as investors of all shapes and sizes. In such a highly regulated industry, however,...
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Non-Alcoholic Beer Regulation 101
By Alva C. Mather and Christine Dower on Jun 25, 2020
Posted In Advertising and Marketing, Distribution, Food Safety and FDA, Legislation, TTB COLAs and Formulas
As part of the general move to better-for-you beverages, non-alcoholic (NA) options have been and will likely continue to be on the rise. However, how NA is treated, or not treated, as “beer” has significant impact on its potential route to market. The below summarizes the overall treatment of NA beer under US federal law,...
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