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Beverages in South Carolina

From cold brew and shrubs to carbonated drinks and herbal teas — beverages occupy a complex corner of South Carolina's cottage food rules. Some are clearly allowed, some require careful attention to safety science, and some are off the table entirely. Here's the full picture.

At a Glance

Beverage Status Under South Carolina's Cottage Food Rules

Beverages are harder to categorize than solid foods because liquid products move freely between shelf-stable and potentially hazardous depending on pH, water activity, processing method, and — for fermented drinks — alcohol content. South Carolina's Home-Based Food Production Law permits beverages that qualify as nonpotentially hazardous: drinks with pH ≤ 4.6, very low water activity, or that have been processed to eliminate pathogen risk.

The key question for any beverage is: does it support the growth of dangerous bacteria, mold, or yeast at room temperature? If yes, it's a TCS (Temperature Control for Safety) product and falls outside the cottage food law entirely, requiring a retail food establishment permit from SCDA. If no, it may qualify — with the right production method and labeling.

🌿
Herbal & Leaf Teas
Open
☕
Roasted Coffee
Open
🧃
Shrubs & Syrups
Open
🫧
Carbonated Drinks
Restricted
☕
Cold Brew Coffee
Restricted
🍋
Lemonade & Ades
Restricted
🫙
Kombucha
Prohibited
🍊
Fresh-Pressed Juice
Prohibited
🍺
Alcohol (any type)
Prohibited
Detailed Rules by Category

Per-Category Beverage Rules

Each beverage type has its own safety profile, production considerations, and compliance requirements. Read your specific category carefully before investing in production or packaging.

🌿
Dried Herbal & Leaf Teas
Loose-leaf blends, herbal tisanes, chai blends, dried flower teas
✓ Open
What's Allowed
  • Loose-leaf tea blends (green, black, white, oolong)
  • Dried herbal tisanes (chamomile, lavender, hibiscus)
  • Spiced chai blends (dry spice and tea mixes)
  • Dried flower teas (rose, calendula, elderflower)
  • Cacao husk teas and roasted grain teas
Key Requirements
  • Must be fully dried — no fresh or partially dried botanicals
  • Sold as dry product only, not as brewed or steeped liquid
  • Moisture content (Aw) must be ≤ 0.85 to qualify as shelf-stable
  • Labeling must include all ingredients and allergens
💡 Dry tea blends are among the easiest cottage food products to scale. They're shelf-stable, lightweight to ship within South Carolina, and pair naturally with baked goods if you sell both. Custom herbal blends are a fast-growing artisan food category.
☕
Roasted Coffee Beans & Ground Coffee
Home-roasted whole beans, specialty ground coffee, flavored coffee blends
✓ Open
What's Allowed
  • Home-roasted whole coffee beans
  • Freshly ground coffee (ground at home)
  • Flavored coffee (shelf-stable flavorings applied to dry roasted beans)
  • Coffee and spice blends (e.g., cardamom coffee)
  • Decaf varieties from commercially processed green beans
Key Requirements
  • Sold as dry whole-bean or ground product only — not as brewed liquid
  • Flavorings must be shelf-stable and food-grade
  • Packaging must prevent moisture ingress
  • One-way degassing valve bags recommended for freshness and proper sealing
💡 South Carolina has a thriving specialty coffee culture, particularly in Charleston and Columbia. Home-roasted coffee sold at farmers markets or directly online within the state qualifies easily under the HBFPL as a dry shelf-stable product.
🧃
Shrubs, Drinking Vinegars & Beverage Syrups
Concentrated cocktail/mocktail mixers, vinegar-based shrubs, flavored simple syrups
✓ Open
What's Allowed
  • Apple cider vinegar-based shrubs (fruit + vinegar + sugar)
  • High-sugar simple syrups (shelf-stable: ≥ 65–67% sugar)
  • Flavored honey syrups (high sugar, low Aw)
  • Spiced simple syrups (cinnamon, ginger, vanilla)
  • Drinking vinegars sold as concentrate/mixer
Conditions to Meet
  • Vinegar-based shrubs must achieve pH ≤ 4.6 — test or use tested recipes
  • Sugar syrups must be concentrated enough to achieve Aw ≤ 0.85
  • Low-sugar or diluted syrups may become TCS — verify Aw before selling
  • Label as "beverage mixer" or "concentrate" — not as ready-to-drink
⚠️ Shrubs and syrups walk the line between shelf-stable and TCS depending on their sugar concentration and final pH. If you're uncertain about a recipe, contact Clemson Extension's Food2Market program at [email protected] for a product assessment before selling.
🫧
Carbonated Drinks & Sparkling Beverages
Homemade sodas, sparkling waters, carbonated shrubs, naturally fermented sodas
⚑ Restricted
What May Be Allowed
  • Force-carbonated beverages (CO₂ injected) that are shelf-stable at pH ≤ 4.6
  • Sparkling fruit drinks made from acidified, shelf-stable syrups + carbonated water (pre-mixed)
  • Carbonated shrubs sold as a bottled beverage if pH ≤ 4.6 and not fermented
What's Prohibited / Risky
  • Naturally fermented sodas (ginger beer, wild fermented sodas) — alcohol content risk
  • Any carbonated drink with pH > 4.6 — TCS zone
  • Dairy-based carbonated beverages (e.g., carbonated milk drinks)
  • Any beverage requiring refrigeration to stay safe
⚠️ Naturally fermented sodas (where yeast produces carbonation) present the same alcohol and pH variability issues as kombucha — and are very likely prohibited under the HBFPL even if not labeled as kombucha. Force-carbonated drinks from a verified shelf-stable base are the safer pathway. Confirm with SCDA or Clemson Extension before bottling.
🥤
Cold Brew Coffee & Steeped Tea Concentrates
Ready-to-drink cold brew, brewed tea concentrates, bottled iced teas
⚑ Restricted
The Challenge
  • Brewed liquid coffee has a pH of ~5.0 — above the 4.6 threshold
  • Cold brew at room temperature supports microbial growth — it is TCS
  • Bottled iced tea (brewed) is also typically TCS without acidification
  • Ready-to-drink cold brew almost certainly requires a retail food permit
Possible Workaround
  • Sell dry cold brew grounds or bags only — not the finished liquid (this is clearly Open)
  • Acidified cold brew (pH ≤ 4.6) may qualify — requires product assessment and testing
  • If pursuing bottled cold brew, a retail food establishment permit from SCDA is the most reliable path
🚫 Bottled ready-to-drink cold brew is almost certainly prohibited under SC cottage food rules without a retail food permit. The safest and most scalable approach for cold brew sellers is to sell the dry grounds, beans, or cold brew bags — and let customers brew their own. This is clearly within the HBFPL and requires no special testing.
🍋
Lemonade, Limeade & Specialty Fruit Drinks
Bottled lemonades, fresh-squeezed drinks, fruit punches, agua frescas
⚑ Restricted
What May Work
  • Shelf-stable lemon syrup (high-sugar concentrate sold separately) — Open
  • Dried lemonade mix (citric acid + sugar powder) — Open
  • Bottled lemonade with verified pH ≤ 4.6 and documented shelf stability — possible with product assessment
What's Prohibited
  • Fresh-squeezed, unpasteurized lemonade or any fresh juice — TCS
  • Bottled fruit punches or agua frescas with pH > 4.6 — TCS
  • Any ready-to-drink beverage requiring refrigeration after opening
⚠️ Lemonade sold at a stand or farmers market in a ready-to-drink cup or bottle is almost certainly TCS without proper acidification and shelf-stability documentation. Selling a dry lemonade mix or a lemon simple syrup concentrate is the compliant alternative for most home food sellers in South Carolina.
🫙
Kombucha
Fermented tea, jun tea, water kefir, milk kefir
✕ Prohibited
Why It's Prohibited
  • Kombucha produces alcohol as a natural byproduct of fermentation — levels vary batch to batch
  • pH varies and may not consistently stay at or below 4.6 without testing every batch
  • Live cultures continue fermenting after bottling — pressure buildup, alcohol increase, pH shift
  • Commercial kombucha exceeding 0.5% ABV requires an alcohol beverage license
  • Forrager and SCDA guidance both list kombucha as prohibited under the HBFPL
Path Forward
  • Retail food establishment permit from SCDA (803-896-0640) for direct-to-consumer sales
  • If ABV may exceed 0.5%: contact SC Department of Revenue (Alcohol Beverage Licensing) for requirements
  • Water kefir and milk kefir face similar issues — presumed prohibited without a retail food permit
  • Contact SCDA directly to discuss your specific product if you believe your process qualifies
🚫 Do not sell kombucha under the HBFPL. Even if your home kombucha consistently tests at pH ≤ 4.6, the variable alcohol content and live culture activity make it a product that falls outside what the cottage food law covers. A retail food permit is the only pathway for selling fermented probiotic beverages in South Carolina.
🍊
Fresh-Pressed & Cold-Pressed Juices
Unpasteurized fruit juice, vegetable juice, green juice blends
✕ Prohibited
Why It's Prohibited
  • Unpasteurized juice is explicitly listed as a prohibited food under SC's cottage food guidance
  • Fresh juice is a TCS product — it supports E. coli, Salmonella, and other pathogen growth
  • Most vegetable juices have pH > 4.6 — outside the safe zone
  • The FDA requires "Warning: This product has not been pasteurized" on unpasteurized juice at retail — signaling this is a regulated product category
Alternatives & Path Forward
  • Sell high-acid citrus simple syrups (shelf-stable concentrate) — Open
  • Sell dried fruit or dehydrated fruit powders — Open
  • Pasteurized juice production: retail food establishment permit required; pasteurization equipment needed
  • High Pressure Processing (HPP) juice: commercial facility required
🍷

Alcohol Is a Separate Universe

Home production of beer, wine, cider, mead, spirits, or any alcoholic beverage for sale is not — and has never been — covered by South Carolina's cottage food law. Selling alcohol in South Carolina requires a license from the SC Department of Revenue's Alcohol Beverage Licensing division, regardless of batch size, alcohol content, or sales channel. This is a completely different regulatory pathway from cottage food.

Beer
Brewery License
SC Dept. of Revenue · ABC
Wine & Cider
Winery / Wholesaler License
SC Dept. of Revenue · ABC
Spirits
Distillery License
SC Dept. of Revenue · ABC
Mead / Sake
Manufacturer License
SC Dept. of Revenue · ABC
Production Essentials

Bottling & Packaging for Allowed Beverages

For home food sellers in South Carolina whose beverage products do qualify under the HBFPL — dried teas, coffee beans, syrups, shrubs — proper packaging protects product quality and demonstrates professionalism to buyers.

🫙
Glass Jars & Bottles
Ideal for syrups, shrubs, and drinking vinegars. Provides excellent shelf stability and an artisan aesthetic. Ensure lids seal properly. No BPA concerns. Heavy for shipping.
🛍️
Stand-Up Pouches
Excellent for loose-leaf teas and dry coffee blends. Lightweight, resealable, and available with one-way degassing valves (critical for fresh-roasted coffee). Lower per-unit cost than glass.
📦
Kraft Boxes & Tins
Popular for premium tea blends and chai. Sturdy, giftable, and easily customized with labels or printed boxes. Use inner bag liner to maintain freshness and Aw barrier.
🏷️
Labeling Requirements
All beverage products sold under the HBFPL must carry the full SC required label: product name, ingredient list, allergens, your name/address or SCDA ID, and the state disclaimer in ALL CAPS. See the Label Requirements section for exact wording.
❄️
No Refrigeration Required
Any packaged beverage product that requires refrigeration after opening to remain safe is a TCS product and cannot be sold under the cottage food law — regardless of how it was produced. All HBFPL beverages must be shelf-stable through their entire shelf life.
📏
Net Weight Disclosure
Federal law (FPLA) requires net weight in both customary (fl oz) and metric (mL) units for liquid products. For dry products (teas, coffee), list net weight in both oz and grams. Include this on every label.

🏷️ Ready to build your label? The SellFood Label Creator pre-fills the required South Carolina disclaimer statement, allergen template, and net weight fields — saving you time and ensuring compliance from day one. Create a free account to access it.

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Beverage Compliance Checker

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Related Sections

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🧁 What You Can Sell → 🍯 Shelf-Stable Food Rules → 🏷️ Label Requirements → ⭐ Special Categories →
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