As a result of a petition filed by the Brewers Association in 2006 and continuing calls for recognition of commonly used ingredients and processes in brewing, the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) announced it is exempting malt beverages made with certain ingredients from formula requirements.
Some examples of ingredients now recognized as traditionally used in the production of beer are a variety of fruits (including cherries, pumpkin and cranberries), a number of spices (including cinnamon, ginger and vanilla beans) and certain food ingredients (including lactose, coffee and honey). TTB also has determined that certain processes, such as aging beer in barrels that were previously used in the production or storage of wine or distilled spirits, do not require the filing of a formula.