The U.S. beverage alcohol market is governed by a three-tier system with federal oversight from the TTB and individual regulatory frameworks in all 50 states. For a foreign producer or a new domestic brand, navigating this landscape is one of the single greatest barriers to market entry.
Most brands don’t fail because their liquid isn’t good enough. They fail because they underestimate the complexity of legally obtaining that liquid from a production facility to a consumer’s glass. Compliance is not a formality — it’s the foundation.
RTM has built this foundation deliberately over years of operating in the market. Our license network, our wholesale relationships, and our working knowledge of state-by-state regulatory nuance represent infrastructure that cannot be replicated quickly, and we make it available to our partners.
Years in the Industry
Active Wholesale Partners
Brands Represented
States Served
RTM maintains an active importer and wholesaler license network across all 50 states and the District of Columbia. This infrastructure, built over years of careful cultivation, means your brand can go national without waiting months for regulatory setup.
Having a license isn't enough — you need advocacy. Our wholesale relationships are built on trust, track record, and mutual benefit. We don't cold-call distributors; we leverage long-standing partnerships to get your brand in front of the right buyer.
The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) requires meticulous documentation. We manage label submissions, formula approvals, and import certificates to ensure your product clears every federal hurdle before it reaches state borders.
Each state has its own registration requirements, pricing rules, and approval processes. We navigate this patchwork efficiently, using our experience to anticipate delays and resolve issues before they affect your launch timeline.
Regulatory requirements evolve. We provide proactive monitoring of licensing renewals, reporting obligations, and regulatory changes that could affect your brand, so you stay compliant without dedicating internal resources.
For foreign producers evaluating the U.S. market, we offer strategic consulting on the most efficient path to entry — advising on entity structure, importer-of-record setup, and multi-state rollout sequencing.
Timelines vary by state — from a few weeks in cooperative states to several months in control states. Our experience and existing relationships help us anticipate bottlenecks and minimize delays.
A Certificate of Label Approval (COLA) is required by the TTB for any alcoholic beverage sold in the US with an ABV above 7%. Most states also require their own state-level COLA in addition to the federal approval. Spirit brands additionally require a formula approval from the TTB before a COLA can be issued. RTM manages the full COLA process for every brand we represent.
An importer holds a federal TTB Basic Importer's Permit and acquires legal title to the product upon entry into the country. A broker facilitates transactions without taking title. RTM is a licensed importer — we are on the label, we manage compliance, and we are the legal entity responsible for the product from the port of entry through to the wholesale channel. This distinction matters for liability, compliance, and the quality of advocacy your brand receives.
In select cases, yes. We offer compliance consulting and license-sharing arrangements for established brands that need network infrastructure without a full import relationship.
Years and significant cost. Building a compliant 50-state license infrastructure from scratch typically takes 12 to 24 months and substantial legal fees. Leveraging RTM's existing network accelerates market entry dramatically and eliminates the ongoing administrative burden of managing renewals and regulatory changes across 50 jurisdictions.
DTC compliance is not a current service area for RTM. We focus exclusively on the B2B wholesale channel. For DTC-specific regulatory needs, we are happy to refer you to specialized legal counsel.
We have built the infrastructure. We have cultivated the relationships. We know the rules in every state. Let us put that to work for your brand, so you can focus on what you do best: making great beverages.