Spirits Product Catalog Template for Distributors

Build a distributor catalog from controlled spirits records

This guide is for alcohol importer operations teams preparing a distilled spirits catalog for distributor sales, purchasing, item-data, and marketing users. It covers catalog scope, product identity, liquid specifications, bottle and case identifiers, market-specific commercial data, compliance references, sales assets, permissions, publication, and change control.

A useful catalog helps a distributor identify the exact spirit, order the intended package, and find current approved materials. It should not become the only place where the importer stores regulatory evidence, commercial approvals, or source files.

Treat the catalog as a recipient view built from controlled records. Keep internal evidence, restricted pricing, draft materials, and superseded files connected to those records but outside routine distributor access. This is an operations template, not legal advice. The responsible owners should determine which federal, state, local, and trading-partner requirements apply.

Define the catalog before choosing its fields

Do not begin with a brochure layout or an export of every item-master column. First define who will use the catalog, which market it covers, and what action it should support.

Use this control block:

Control	Required entry
Catalog ID	Stable internal reference
Purpose	Item setup, ordering reference, sales enablement, asset access, portfolio presentation, or another named use
Distributor	Exact recipient organization
Division and market	State, territory, channel, branch, or other defined scope
Included portfolio	Brands, categories, expressions, packages, and active items covered
Exclusions	Drafts, internal-only fields, blocked items, discontinued products, or other defined exclusions
Operations owner	Person responsible for completeness and publication
Field approvers	Compliance, product, logistics, commercial, and brand owners as applicable
Controlled source	Product records, evidence, and approved asset locations
Publication format	Portal, spreadsheet, PDF, shared collection, or approved combination
Revision	Controlled release identifier
Status	Draft, in review, approved, published, superseded, or archived
Effective context	Market event or approved period for which the release is intended
Reopen triggers	Changes that require review and republication

One importer may need several catalogs. A public portfolio guide, a distributor item-setup workbook, and a restricted commercial catalog serve different jobs. They can reuse the same approved product facts while exposing different fields.

Separate product, package, and market-item records

A catalog row often combines facts that change for different reasons. Preserve the distinctions in the source even if the distributor sees one assembled record.

Record	What it represents	Typical fields
Product	The continuing liquid identity	Brand, expression, class or type, origin, producer, ABV, proof, age statement
Consumer package	The bottle or other retail configuration	Net contents, closure, presentation, bottle image, consumer identifier
Shipping package	The case or other orderable grouping	Units per case, case identifier, dimensions, weight, pallet data
Market item	One sellable configuration in a defined route to market	Importer SKU, distributor code, state code, price reference, warehouse, availability, setup status

This separation prevents a case-pack change from overwriting the bottle record. It also prevents a distributor code or state listing status from appearing as a universal product fact.

Create a separate market item when the bottle size, presentation, case pack, identifier, distributor, market, warehouse treatment, commercial basis, or availability differs. Link each market item back to the exact product and package records.

Use one reusable spirits catalog template

Complete the controlled record before formatting a spreadsheet, PDF, or portal page. Use Not provided, Pending review, or Not applicable when those are the real states. An unexplained blank cannot tell a reviewer whether data is missing or irrelevant.

Catalog identity and governance

Field	Entry
Product record ID	[Stable liquid or product reference]
Consumer-package ID	[Stable bottle or retail-package reference]
Shipping-package ID	[Stable case reference]
Market-item ID	[Stable sellable-configuration reference]
Catalog display name	[Approved brand and expression name]
Lifecycle status	[Preparing, active, limited, paused, sell-through, discontinued, or another controlled state]
Market and distributor	[Exact scope]
Record owner	[Named role or person]
Approved revision	[Revision identifier]
Last reviewed	[Internal review record]
Source packet	[Controlled internal location]

Stable internal IDs should not depend on a description that may be corrected later. Preserve old records and connect successors rather than recycling an inactive ID for a new item.

Product identity and liquid specifications

Field	Entry	Deciding source
Brand	[Approved display name]	Current label and product record
Expression or fanciful name	[Approved wording]	Current label and product record
Class or type	[Approved designation]	Compliance-reviewed record
Product description	[Concise verified text]	Approved product copy
Country of origin	[Approved country statement]	Label and compliance record
Producer, distiller, or bottler	[Approved responsible-party wording]	Product and compliance record
ABV	[Approved value]	Current package record
Proof	[Approved value when used]	Current package record
Age statement	[Exact wording or not applicable]	Label and substantiation record
Production summary	[Approved external description]	Producer technical evidence
Tasting and service copy	[Approved trade copy]	Product review
Claims and certifications	[Approved wording or not shown]	Current scoped evidence

TTB’s guidance on mandatory distilled spirits label information supports core fields such as brand name, class or type, and alcohol content. It also describes other information whose placement or applicability depends on the product and circumstances. Use the compliance owner’s approved wording for the exact package. Do not turn every field discussed in guidance into a claim that every spirit needs the same disclosure.

Keep sales copy separate from regulated identity. A tasting note may help a salesperson, but it does not determine the product’s class or type. The catalog should show both only after the appropriate owners approve each one.

Bottle, case, and ordering identifiers

Field	Entry	Control rule
Importer SKU	[Controlled internal value]	Store as text
Producer or supplier code	[Value or not assigned]	Preserve the issuer’s value
Consumer GTIN or UPC	[Value or not assigned]	Identify the consumer packaging level
Case GTIN	[Value or not assigned]	Keep separate from the bottle identifier
Distributor item code	[Assigned value, pending, or not applicable]	Distributor-owned field
State or control-system code	[Value and jurisdiction]	Market-specific field
Bottle volume	[Numeric value and unit]	Match the exact consumer package
Package format	[Bottle, gift box, multipack, or precise alternative]	Do not hide it in free text
Units per case	[Count]	Match ordering and pricing basis
Unit of sale	[Bottle, case, or other approved basis]	Confirm with recipient
Order route	[Approved contact, portal, or process]	Confirm before publication

A UPC and a GTIN are related terms, not interchangeable field labels. GS1 US describes identifiers for products and higher packaging levels in its barcode and GTIN guidance. Its packaging-level guidance also supports distinguishing a consumer unit from cases and other groupings. Trading partners may use different terminology, so record both the identifier type and the packaging level rather than guessing from a form label.

Format identifier columns as text. That preserves leading zeroes and prevents spreadsheet software from converting long values to scientific notation. Do not fill a missing case field with the bottle code simply because a recipient marks the cell as required.

Packaging and logistics

Field	Entry	Deciding source
Consumer package dimensions	[Height, width or diameter, depth, and units]	Final specification or measured package
Filled package gross weight	[Value and unit]	Final specification or measurement
Case dimensions	[Length, width, height, and units]	Final case specification or measurement
Case gross weight	[Value and unit]	Final case specification or measurement
Cases per layer	[Count when used]	Warehouse or pallet specification
Layers per pallet	[Count when used]	Warehouse or pallet specification
Cases per pallet	[Count when used]	Warehouse or pallet specification
Ship-from location	[Approved warehouse or route]	Logistics record
Handling requirements	[Approved instructions or none]	Producer or warehouse record
Lead-time guidance	[Approved context]	Current operations source

Measure the configuration that will ship. Bottle volume does not determine filled-bottle weight, case weight, or dimensions. Glass, closures, presentation boxes, dividers, and cartons affect the physical item.

Label units explicitly. If a form requests case dimensions, preserve its required axis order instead of assuming that everyone interprets the first number the same way.

Market and commercial data

Field	Entry	Control rule
Market	[State, territory, or other scope]	Required for market-specific data
Distributor and division	[Exact recipient]	Use the current assignment
Listing or setup status	[Controlled state]	Keep separate from catalog publication status
Availability	[Preparing, available, allocated, seasonal, paused, sold out, or other controlled state]	Name the source and context
Price-list reference	[Approved record]	Point to the controlled commercial source
Currency	[Approved currency]	Never leave implicit
Price basis	[Bottle, case, or another defined unit]	Pair with pack and unit of sale
Effective context	[Approved period or event]	Do not publish stale pricing as current
Warehouse or ship point	[Approved location]	Market-item field
Commercial owner	[Named person or function]	Required for approval

The official Oregon distilled spirits listing information provides one concrete example of a market asking for price quotation, TTB approval, a bottle image, case data, sell sheets, and product-review information. Those fields are evidence of Oregon’s process, not a universal distributor template.

Iowa’s published spirits price book shows another recipient-facing combination: category, description, item number, proof, bottle size, pack, bottle price, case price, and UPC. Because it is a time-sensitive state price book, use it as an example of a published market view rather than a permanent private-distributor specification.

Keep commercial data scoped to the market and recipient. If price appears in the catalog, show the item, currency, bottle or case basis, pack, and effective context together. Do not expose internal cost, margin, or planning scenarios in a distributor-facing release.

Compliance references

Field	Entry	Control rule
Formula applicability	[Required, not required, in review, exception, or another controlled decision]	Compliance owner decides
Formula reference	[ID or not applicable]	Include only when applicable
Laboratory review reference	[Reference or not applicable]	Include only when applicable
COLA ID	[Exact TTB ID]	Match the marketed package
COLA status	[Recorded status]	Confirm against controlled evidence
Public registry link	[Verified URL when appropriate]	Treat as a verification link
State registration or listing reference	[Value and jurisdiction]	Market-specific field
Compliance owner	[Named person or function]	Required
Recipient evidence	[Exact approved field or file]	Exclude restricted material

TTB’s importer, exporter, and wholesaler compliance guidance supports tracking COLA requirements, possible formula or laboratory review, and state-specific obligations. The page was last updated January 9, 2018, so do not use it as authority for current processing times or software-interface details.

Not every spirit requires the same formula or laboratory path. Record applicability as a decision with an owner and source. Do not populate a formula field with a guessed value or imply that every item needs formula approval.

The TTB Public COLA Registry supports catalog references for a TTB ID, status, and public registry link. TTB notes limitations in searching some older records. Treat the registry as one verification input, not proof that a bottle photograph, sell sheet, state status, or distributor listing matches the current approved package.

Sales assets and contacts

Field	Entry	Publication check
Front bottle image	[Approved file]	Correct expression, proof, volume, and package
Back bottle or label image	[Approved file when needed]	Correct market presentation
Case image	[Approved file when requested]	Correct shipping configuration
Technical sheet	[Approved current file]	Facts match the catalog record
Sell sheet	[Approved current file]	Claims, package, and contacts match
Short description	[Approved recipient-facing copy]	Correct product and market
Long description	[Approved recipient-facing copy]	Correct product and market
Brand and logo assets	[Approved collection]	Usage scope recorded
Training material	[Approved file or collection]	Intended audience recorded
Sales contact	[Approved recipient-facing route]	Current
Operations contact	[Approved escalation route]	Current

SevenFifty described standardized producer and product names, descriptions, categorizations, label images, bottle shots, and downstream exports in its May 5, 2020 article on product data. That is a vendor account of its product and should be attributed as such, not presented as an independent industry standard.

The vendor’s marketing-materials page also illustrates that collateral can include different file types and access permissions. Again, it is product marketing. Use it as an example of the access problem, not as a regulatory requirement.

Name files so they remain identifiable after download. Include the brand, expression, package, market or language when relevant, and revision. Avoid filenames based on final, new, or latest.

Assign one owner and one deciding source to each field

Several teams may contribute to the catalog, but each field needs a deciding source and an accountable owner. Otherwise a label file, supplier spreadsheet, sell sheet, and distributor form can each provide a different answer.

Field group	Accountable owner	Typical source	Publication gate
Product identity	Product or portfolio owner	Controlled product record	Names and hierarchy approved
Label-facing facts	Compliance owner	Current package and approval evidence	Wording approved for scope
Liquid and production facts	Product owner or producer liaison	Current technical evidence	Expression-specific facts confirmed
Package identifiers	Item-data owner	Assignment record and final package	Packaging level verified
Logistics	Logistics owner	Final specification or measurement	Shipped configuration confirmed
Market setup	Operations or market owner	Recipient response and market record	Status and codes confirmed
Pricing	Commercial owner	Approved price record	Audience version approved
Claims and accolades	Brand and compliance owners	Current evidence	Scope and wording approved
Assets	Brand owner	Approved asset library	Rights and product match checked
Catalog release	Operations owner	Approved records and files	Complete release accepted

If two sources conflict, stop publication for the affected field. Record the conflict, required evidence, owner, and next action. Correct the controlled source first, then regenerate each affected catalog output.

Design the catalog for retrieval

A distributor user should be able to filter or scan by brand, expression, category, market, bottle size, case pack, importer SKU, distributor code, and availability. Put those fields before long brand copy.

Use a repeatable display order:

Product name, package, and current status.
Brand, expression, class or type, origin, ABV, proof, and age statement when applicable.
Bottle volume, presentation, case pack, importer SKU, and recipient codes.
Short verified product and tasting copy.
Approved bottle images, technical sheet, and sell sheet.
Market availability, ordering route, and contact.

Keep paragraphs short. Use tables for exact item data and prose for product context. If a PDF becomes too dense, publish a compact index that links to controlled product sheets rather than shrinking text until it is difficult to read.

Do not make the distributor search a shared drive full of source files. Publish a deliberate collection with only the approved current materials.

Control access by recipient and purpose

Different catalog users need different levels of access.

Collection	Intended access	Exclude
Distributor catalog	Approved distributor users	Draft and internal-only records
Sales assets	Sales and marketing users	Restricted evidence and expired rights
Item setup	Operations and item-data contacts	Internal planning notes
Commercial files	Authorized commercial contacts	Cost, margin, and unrelated markets
Compliance packet	Named setup or compliance contacts	Credentials and unrelated products
Internal archive	Authorized importer users	Not available through recipient links

Test access as a recipient. Confirm that an approved user can open and download the intended files without receiving access to neighboring drafts or restricted records. A valid internal link is not necessarily a usable distributor link.

Record who may access each collection, who owns permission changes, and what event removes access. Permission changes should be reviewed when a distributor relationship, employee role, or asset right changes.

Run one catalog workflow from intake to publication

Use a visible sequence with approval gates:

Define the audience. Record the distributor, division, market, purpose, format, scope, and exclusions.
Open the release. Assign the catalog ID, revision, owner, approvers, and effective context.
Select exact market items. Include only the products, packages, cases, and statuses intended for the catalog.
Map every field. Connect each published value to a deciding source and accountable owner.
Resolve identity conflicts. Reconcile brand, expression, class or type, ABV, proof, age statement, origin, and volume.
Verify packaging levels. Keep consumer, case, internal, distributor, and state identifiers separate.
Confirm market evidence. Record applicable federal, state, and recipient decisions without exposing restricted material.
Confirm logistics and commercial context. Check the shipped package, warehouse, availability, currency, price basis, and effective context.
Assemble approved assets. Match bottle images, technical sheets, sell sheets, descriptions, claims, and training materials to the exact item.
Build the recipient view. Apply the display order and remove fields outside the audience’s purpose.
Review by function. Each owner approves the values and files under that function’s control.
Test links and access. Use a recipient account or an equivalent permission test.
Publish one revision. Preserve the exact spreadsheet, PDF, portal values, or shared collection that recipients received.
Capture acceptance. Record distributor feedback, assigned codes, exceptions, and requested corrections.
Verify downstream use. Compare a live item and its downloadable assets with the approved source record.

Keep Published, Accepted, and Downstream verified as separate statuses. Sending a catalog does not prove that a recipient accepted or implemented it correctly.

Handle a package or liquid change as a controlled replacement

Do not overwrite a live catalog item when the liquid, proof, bottle size, presentation, or shipping configuration changes materially. Create a successor record, preserve the prior item, and reopen affected decisions.

Use this transition table:

Control	Prior item	Successor item	Required decision
Product identity	[Prior values]	[Successor values]	Confirm changed and unchanged facts
ABV and proof	[Prior values]	[Verified successor values]	Review liquid and label evidence
Age, origin, and other claims	[Prior wording]	[Verified successor wording]	Confirm current substantiation
Bottle volume and presentation	[Prior package]	[Successor package]	Confirm exact consumer item
Consumer GTIN	[Prior code]	[Approved treatment]	Identifier owner decides
Case GTIN	[Prior code]	[Approved treatment]	Review packaging level
Case pack and logistics	[Prior configuration]	[Successor configuration]	Measure and approve shipping item
Distributor item code	[Prior code]	[Assigned, reused, or pending]	Distributor confirms
State or control code	[Prior code]	[Assigned, reused, or pending]	Market owner confirms
Price and availability	[Prior context]	[Successor context]	Commercial owner approves
Images and documents	[Prior files]	[Successor files]	Verify visible product details

Classify copied values as Confirmed unchanged, Changed, Pending evidence, or Not applicable. A copied value is not verified merely because it was correct for the prior package.

During sell-through, keep both items visible when both can be ordered. State the market, distributor, item code, package, case pack, asset set, and availability for each one.

Correct a published catalog at the source

Do not patch only the visible PDF, portal row, or distributor spreadsheet. A local patch leaves the controlled source ready to recreate the same error.

Use this correction process:

Record the incorrect value, correct value, affected items, recipients, and outputs.
Stop use of the affected revision where practical.
Confirm the correction with the accountable field owner.
Update the controlled source record.
Repeat affected compliance, commercial, logistics, or brand approvals.
Regenerate the complete recipient output.
Publish a replacement with a new revision.
Mark the earlier release superseded without deleting its history.
Notify affected recipients with the exact correction and requested action.
Verify the distributor’s live record and downloadable assets.

Keep the correction linked to both revisions. A reviewer should be able to see what changed, why it changed, who approved it, which recipients were notified, and where the replacement was confirmed.

Choose a system that preserves the controls

A spreadsheet and controlled shared drive can support this process if the team maintains ownership, source links, status, permissions, and revision history consistently. The important test is whether another operator can identify the approved source, exact recipient release, and current market item.

Depletement’s pre-launch workspace for alcohol importer operations teams is being designed to organize product and catalog information, bottle and brand assets, technical sheets, sell sheets, distributor asset access, and vintage updates. The connection is practical: a distributor catalog depends on keeping approved product records and their current files together before publication. Since Depletement is pre-launch, treat these as planned capabilities rather than functions available today.

Complete final spirits product catalog QA

Run this checklist against the controlled records, exact recipient release, access settings, and live distributor use.

Scope and governance

Catalog purpose, distributor, division, market, portfolio scope, and exclusions are explicit.
Product, consumer-package, shipping-package, and market-item records remain separate and linked.
Every included item has an owner, lifecycle status, source packet, revision, and approval state.
Product, compliance, commercial, logistics, brand, and operations owners approved their fields.
Unknown, pending, unchanged, not applicable, and discontinued states are not represented by unexplained blanks.
Published, accepted, and downstream-verified statuses are tracked separately.

Product identity and evidence

Brand, expression, class or type, origin, producer, ABV, proof, age statement, and volume describe the same item.
Production, tasting, certification, claim, and service statements have current evidence.
Label-facing facts match the exact package and approved market presentation.
Formula applicability has an owner, controlled decision, and evidence reference.
COLA ID, status, holder, qualifications, and label files match the marketed package.
Federal, jurisdiction-specific, distributor-required, and internal controls remain distinct.
Sales copy is not presented as regulatory evidence.

Identifiers, packaging, and logistics

Importer SKU, supplier code, consumer GTIN, case GTIN, distributor code, and state code remain separate.
Each GTIN identifies its packaging level and has been checked against its assignment source.
Identifier fields are stored as text and preserve leading zeroes.
Bottle volume, presentation, case pack, and unit of sale match the exact item.
Bottle and case dimensions identify their units and axis order.
Gross and net weights are labeled clearly.
Case dimensions, weight, pallet data, ship point, handling, and lead-time guidance are current where published.
Production package barcodes were compared with the controlled record when scan verification is part of the process.

Market and commercial data

Market, distributor, division, warehouse, listing status, and availability belong to the exact market item.
Published pricing identifies the item, currency, bottle or case basis, pack, market context, and approval.
Internal costs, margins, forecasts, and unapproved scenarios are excluded.
State and recipient fields are presented as market-specific requirements, not universal standards.
The catalog points to the current controlled commercial source.

Assets and access

Bottle images, label images, technical sheets, sell sheets, descriptions, and training files show the same item.
Every published asset has an owner, approved revision, intended audience, and current rights status.
Filenames remain meaningful after download.
Links open the intended current files and do not redirect users to superseded versions.
Distributor users can reach approved materials without gaining access to drafts or restricted records.
A recipient-level access test was completed for the published collection.

Change and publication controls

Every successor item preserves and links to its predecessor.
Copied fields were confirmed rather than assumed from the prior item.
Formula, COLA, identifier, code, pack, price, availability, and asset treatment were reviewed separately.
Both items remain clear when sell-through overlaps.
Prior-item strings were checked in copy, filenames, links, image descriptions, and document metadata.
The exact published workbook, PDF, portal values, links, and access revision are retained.
Recipient corrections update the source first and produce a controlled replacement.
A distributor user can identify the current item, package, code, pack, asset set, availability, and contact without internal guidance.
A second reviewer can trace each published value to its source, approval, recipient release, and downstream confirmation.

A useful spirits catalog is not the document with the most fields. It is the controlled recipient view that lets a distributor identify and order the intended item while the importer can trace every critical value, file, approval, and correction.