DISTILLATES: A UNIVERSE TO DISCIPLINE

The history of alcohol is as old as that of man, just think that prehistoric hunters and farmers already knew the amazing effect of fermented fruits. Over the millennia, alcohol has become the protagonist of the social, cultural and religious life of peoples, first through the use of fermented drinks, such as wine and beer, and then through the use of distilled drinks such as wine brandy and whiskey.

The skills acquired by various peoples in distillation have been adapted to different cultures also based on the availability of the raw materials to be processed and it was precisely the initial lack of stringent rules and regulations that left room for free experimentation and the establishment of a vast range of traditional spirits, a true cultural heritage.

With the ever-increasing process of globalization of markets, it has been essential to register and protect as many traditional spirits as possible. Thus, to bring order to what is a real universe, it was essential to develop production regulations which, in addition to protecting the geographical indication, where the requirements of historicity are identified, aim to protect the production procedures, a true guarantee of quality .

Although there is still much to be done in regulatory terms, reading labels is becoming an increasingly important tool for consumer choice. Therefore, if on the one hand we carefully try to take into account the various differences in production on the label with increasingly detailed names and wording, on the other hand there is the need to maintain a certain enjoyment of the label by the consumer.

If we take Gin into consideration for example, EU specification no. 110 of 2008 (which we invite you to consult for further information) contains 4 definitions that take into account different production techniques:

 

Juniper spirit drink

Juniper spirit drinks are spirit drinks obtained by flavoring ethyl alcohol of agricultural origin... with juniper berries; the minimum alcoholic strength by volume of juniper-flavoured spirit drinks is 30% vol. …

gin

Gin is the juniper spirit drink obtained by flavoring with juniper berries of ethyl alcohol of agricultural origin...The minimum alcoholic strength by volume of gin is 37.5% vol. …'

Gin distillate

Distilled gin is the juniper spirit drink obtained exclusively through the redistillation of ethyl alcohol of agricultural origin of adequate quality, ... with an initial alcoholic strength of at least 96% vol. …'

London gin

London gin is a type of distilled gin obtained exclusively from ethyl alcohol of agricultural origin, with a maximum methanol content of 5 g/hl of alcohol at 100% vol. …

Technicalities aside, the few steps mentioned immediately highlight some differences that a consumer must be able to know in order to choose in a more informed way, therefore a specification that manages to take into account the expressive diversity, guaranteed above all by the fabric of microdistilleries and artisanal microliquor factories, is certainly an invaluable valorisation tool.

 

 

Reg.2019/787 repeals 110/2008.