All voices matter
Federal Alcohol Resources & TTB Tools
Find official federal alcohol resources for TTB permits, whiskey label searches, spirits labeling, formula approval, federal taxes, forms, and industry data.
FEDERAL ALCOHOL RESOURCE DESK
The federal side of the bottle, made easier to navigate.
A curated guide to official federal alcohol resources—from TTB label searches and permits to taxes, regulations, and industry data.
For distillers, retailers, researchers, and whiskey fans.
Official links. Clear context. A directory that can grow.
THE FEDERAL RESOURCE LIBRARY
Go straight to the topic you need.
Each card links directly to current federal guidance. Add new resources under the closest topic as this directory expands.
01 / BUILD
Permits and business setup
Find federal permit guidance for regulated alcohol businesses, including distilled spirits plants.
Distilled spirits permits TTB Permits Online02 / LABEL
Labeling and formulas
Review federal distilled spirits labeling rules and learn when a formula approval may be needed.
Distilled spirits labeling Formula approval resources03 / TAX
Taxes, forms, and reports
Locate TTB filing guidance and forms for federal excise taxes and distilled spirits operations.
Taxes and filing Distilled spirits forms04 / LAW
Laws and public guidance
Go to TTB’s official laws, regulations, and guidance for distilled spirits.
Distilled spirits laws and guidance05 / RESEARCH
Permittees and industry data
Explore available federal permittee records and TTB’s published distilled spirits statistics.
TTB List of Permittees Distilled spirits statistics06 / LABEL SEARCH
Public COLA Registry
Search approved alcohol label records and view label images in TTB’s public database.
Open the COLA Registry TTB search guideA USEFUL WINDOW INTO WHISKEY LABELS
Read a COLA as a clue—not a release announcement.
A Certificate of Label Approval (COLA) is a federal label approval record. Whiskey fans can use the Public COLA Registry to inspect approved label images and details—sometimes spotting a new brand, product name, proof, or label revision.
An approval does not establish that the whiskey has been bottled, announced, shipped, or will be sold in Arkansas. TTB also notes that product formulas are not available through the public registry.
What the registry can show
- Approved, expired, surrendered, or revoked records
- Label images for approvals from 1999 onward
- Images generally appear about 48 hours after approval
Brand-name searches can miss records when names are entered differently.
Federal rules are one layer of the picture.
This independently maintained directory points to federal sources; it is not legal, tax, or compliance advice. State and local requirements may also apply. Use the agency’s current guidance for decisions, and check back as we add resources.