AZ Bitters Lab

Dear friends and supporters,

We are heartbroken to share that we have stopped operations and are no longer producing our amazing bitters. Recently, we were notified by the AZ Department of Liquor Licensing and Control (DLLC), in conjunction with the Attorney General's (AG) office, that the DLLC has reversed a 2013 decision and have now declared that cocktail bitters are considered a "spirituous liquor" in Arizona. Due to this ruling, AZ Bitters Lab (AZBL) has no reasonable path to continue production operations, at this time.

Background

In 2013, the DLLC ruled that cocktails bitters are exempt from liquor licensing due to being designated as a flavor extract provided the individual product is classified as such by the Department of Treasury Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB). AZBL has received TTB certification on all of our products as "non-beverage alcohol/flavor extracts". It is common practice throughout the industry, in nearly all US states, and throughout Australia and Europe, to treat cocktail bitters in the same manner as vanilla extract.

We were recently contacted by the DLLC and informed of their revised determination of our product, resulting in numerous conversations (via phone and email) with them and the AG's office. The main argument they made is that current legislation does not differentiate between potable (such as Fernet, Cynar, etc) and non-potable (aka cocktail) bitters and that "bitters" are included in the list of types of spirituous liquor in the AZ Revised Statutes (ARS).

Sadly, we received their final ruling: we would be required to apply for and receive appropriate licensing for the production and sale of a spirituous liquor or cease operations entirely.

Difficult Decision

There are numerous obstacles and significant costs for us to transition from a flavor extract/food producer to a spirits producer. It was never our intent to become a spirits producer when we started AZBL. We have invested 8 years in building a successful and efficient food production business, and, to become a spirits producer, we would have to start from scratch, on all levels--from finding a production facility that would have to be approved as a distillery, to new labels showing that AZBL is a spirituous liquor, as well as all new models of shipping, selling, gifting, and marketing, not to mention that all of the work we have done to enter the EU market would also come to a close.

The DLLC has not, to date, answered any questions we have asked regarding specifics on how the State will now regulate bitters within AZ. We need those answers to determine if there is a viable path to continue. We never envisioned being in the spirits business and therefore, stopped production with no viable path to continue at this time. As far as we understand, cocktail bitters can still be made in-house for on-premise use only.

The End of a Successful Chapter

To say that the last 8 years have been amazing is an understatement. We have been blessed to have met so many wonderfully creative bartenders and bar owners, passionate industry folks and producers, and enthusiastic fellow imbibers throughout AZ, the US, and the world. Starting with Pig & Pickle, every time we saw our bitters on one of your menus, we felt so humbled. We are thankful to all of the home bar enthusiasts that brought a piece of us home with them and shared their creations with our bitters.

We are so grateful to those whose commercial kitchens we were fortunate to share, W Rieth & Vanessa Luna, and, most recently, Tracy & Chuck Dempsey. To all of the small business shop owners that put our products on your valuable shelves, we thank you.

And to Young’s Market/RNDC, you all rock! From the early days with Robert, Jason, and Casey, all the way to today, the Craft Spirits Team and Sales Teams were top-notch.

AZBL started as a hobby, a way for us to learn, have fun, and most importantly, spend time together. We never thought about starting a business, or could have ever dreamt what it would turn into. We are proud to have been able to represent the Arizona cocktail industry by having our bitters used in bars and restaurants in Arizona, across the US, and in Australia, France, and New Zealand. Our bitters have been included in four cocktail books and featured in many articles and publications. For a little company without a lot of resources, our bitters had great presence and far reach.

AZBL isn't over. The end of production for the foreseeable future is just the closing of this chapter. The upside is, with vaccinations and improving numbers, we will now have time to actually visit all of our favorite spots and see all of you, our community, that we have been missing so much over the last year. We will also have more time to get back into R&D at our home, which is where it all started, in our own AZ Bitters Lab. We don't know what the next step will be, but we do know that we still have that creative spark that got us started all those years ago, and we will see where that light leads us next.

This almost disappeared before we could grab a picture. 45min decant and it's glorious.
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Check out the holiday gift kits from our friends at
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Reposted from Our newest Holiday Cocktail Kit! The Chai Rye Old Fashioned Kit. Comes with:
* 375 ml K**b Creek Rye
* 16 oz Chai Rye Old Fashioned Mix
* mini bottle of Figgy Pudding Bitters
* Garnish pack of cinnamon apple chips
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We have a lot to be thankful for, including being able to share in our blessings by donating 10% of our September and October gross sales to United Food Bank. For the past 35 years, UFB has been providing hunger relief to people in need throughout eastern AZ.
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Thanksgiving is a time to give thanks and we are thankful for health and well-being and for loving family and friends. We are thankful for all of our supporters, people who love our bitters, our distributor, bartenders, bars, restaurants, and retailers. We are thankful for our business and the opportunities it brings.
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We might be a small business and our donations are not huge, but no amount of help is too small. Did you know that $2 donated to United Food Bank provides 10 meals? For the cost of a cocktail, you could feed over 50 people. Now that's a reason to give thanks!
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Please consider donating to United Food Bank or to an organization of your choice that works to ensure that no one is without food.

Lill was scrolling through the news feed of the day and was surprised to see our bitters in Forbes The Best Cocktail Bars 2020 article!

Shout out and huge thanks to the one and only Sother Teague at Amor y Amargo for using and highlighting our bitters over the years. And congrats for having the Best Spirit Selection in the World!

https://www.forbes.com/stories/the-best-cocktail-bars-2020/

Vote. Vote. Vote.
Our ballots were dropped off in a voting box and have been verified as counted. Please vote, everyone!

Old Fashioned seminar courtesy of . Great insight from some of the best in the industry.
Making ours with old skool EC 12yr (back label)
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We are thankful to be able to continue to share in our blessings by donating 10% of gross August sales to United Food Bank. Books are closed and donation is made. Now that's the way you end the month!
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Thanks to all for your continued love and support of our fine bitters. Not only do you get to enjoy a fantastic cocktail with one of our amazing bitters, whether you're at home or getting take out or dining in at your favorite bar or restaurant, you also help us support our community with providing food for those in need.
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Every bottle that you purchase from our webstore leads to a donation that will help provide 10 nutritious meals to feed hungry children, seniors, and families in Arizona. Wow! You get to enjoy wonderful cocktails while also helping those that are so much in need.
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That's what we call a win-win situation. We can't thank you enough.
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Please consider donating directly to United Food Bank or to an organization of your choice that works to ensure no one is without food.
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Much love,
Bill & Lill
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Like lots of you, we aren't going out much these days! But last night we ventured to DTPHX to pick up take-out munchies and to-go cocktails from one of the best, Little Rituals. The Amari Stoudemire paired perfectly with the buttermilk sriracha chicken sliders! We also bought a few extra cans of stirred cocktails for the freezer! Plus a bunch more munchies and desserts. Easy ordering and Doc brought out our bags for curbside delivery. Go, people, go!
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Homemade pizza and the favorite pizza wine of . Good call!
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