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Big news! After years of parliamentary debate, the new spirits regulations of the EU—known as the rules regarding the “Scope, Definition, and Categories” of Spirits Drinks—has been published in the Official Journal of the European Union (May 17, 2019). These new rules will apply beginning on May 25, 2021.
The most interesting updates (imho) are those that implement some limits on the inclusion of sugar or other sweeteners. For instance:
- Vodka “may be sweetened in order to round off the final taste. However, the final product may not contain more than 8 grams of sweetening products per litre.”
- Rum “Rum may be sweetened in order to round off the final taste. However, the final product may not contain more than 20 grams of sweetening products per litre.”
- Whisky (whiskey) was never allowed to contain sweeteners under the EU laws, however, the new regulation states it quite clearly: “Whisky or whiskey shall not be sweetened, even for rounding off the taste, or flavoured, or contain any additives other than plain caramel used for adjusting the colour.”
The new laws also provide the following definition of “single malt” whisky: “The legal name of ‘whisky’ or ‘whiskey’ may be supplemented by the term ‘single malt’ only if it has been distilled exclusively from malted barley at a single distillery.”
In addition, under the new regulations, there will be 44 categories of EU spirits. (Under the previous regulations, there were 46.) The changes to the categories include the following:
- Category 13: The name “Bierbrand or eau de vie de bière” has been updated to read “Beer Spirit”
- Category 28: The spirit known as “Anis” may also be known as “janeževec”
- Category 32: A category for “Sloe-aromatised spirit drink” or “Pacharán” has been added
- The separate category for Crème de cassis has been eliminated, but the product has been added to the discussion of Category 14 “Crème de (supplemented by the name of a fruit or other raw material used)”
- The separate product categories for Guignolet and Punch au rhum have been eliminated, but definitions for these products have been added to the category of liqueurs (category 33)
The following specific rules are also noted:
- Rum-Verschnitt is a product of Germany made by mixing rum with neutral spirits.
- Slivovice, produced in Czechia, is a blend of plum spirit (plum brandy) and neutral spirits.
- Guignolet Kirsch, produced in France, is a mixture of guignolet and kirsch.
These laws do not change the current geographical indications of any spirits; all PGI- and PDO-designated spirits remain as such.
It will be fascinating to see how these new rules affect the spirit drinks we know and love!
If you are so inclined, you may read all 127 pages of the new regulations here: New Spirits Drinks Regulations EU May 2019
Post authored by Jane A. Nickles, your blog administrator