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intended for human consumption, having particular organoleptic qualities and, except in the case of the products listed under point I of Annex III, a minimum alcoholic strength of 15 % vol, and produced -
either directly by the distillation, with or without added flavourings, of natural fermented products, and/or by the maceration of vegetable substances and/or the addition of flavourings, sugars or other sweetening products listed in paragraph 3 (a) and/or other agricultural products to ethyl alcohol of agricultural origin and/or to distillate of agricultural origin and/or to spirit as defined in this Regulation or by the mixture of a spirit drink with: -
one or more other spirit drinks, ethyl alcohol of agricultural origin, distillate of agricultural origin or spirit, one or more alcoholic drinks, one or more drinks.
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(a) sweetening: using one or more of the following products in the preparation of spirit drinks: semi-white sugar, white sugar, refined white sugar, dextrose, fructose, glucose syrup, liquid sugar, invert liquid sugar, invert sugar syrup, rectified concentrated grape must, concentrated grape must, fresh grape must, burned sugar, honey, carob syrup, or using other natural carbohydrate substances having a similar effect to the above products. "Burned sugar" means the product obtained exclusively from the controlled heating of sucrose without bases, mineral acids or other chemical additives; (b) mixing: combining two or more different drinks to make a new drink; (c) addition of alcohol: adding ethyl alcohol of agricultural origin to a spirit drink; (d) blending: combining two or more spirit drinks belonging to the same category and distinguished only by minor differences in composition due to one or more of the following factors: -
the methods of preparation themselves, the stills employed, the period of maturation or ageing, the geographical area of production.
The spirit drink so produced belongs to the same category as the original spirit drinks before blending; -
(e) maturation or ageing: allowing certain reactions to develop naturally in appropriate containers, thereby giving the spirit drink in question organoleptic qualities previously absent; (f) flavouring: using in the preparation of spirit drinks one or more of the flavourings defined in Article 1 (2) (a) of Directive 88/388/EEC; (g) colouring: using one or more colorants in the preparation of spirit drinks; (h) ethyl alcohol of agricultural origin: ethyl alcohol which possesses the properties listed in Annex I to this Regulation and has been obtained by the distillation, after alcoholic fermentation, of agricultural products listed in Annex II to the Treaty, excluding spirit drinks as defined in paragraph 2. Where reference is made to the raw material used, the alcohol must be obtained solely from that raw material; (i) distillate of agricultural origin: an alcoholic liquid which is obtained by the distillation, after alcoholic fermentation, of agricultural products listed in Annex II to the Treaty but which does not have the properties of ethyl alcohol as defined in (h) or of a spirit drink but still retains the aroma and taste of the raw materials used. Where reference is made to the raw material used, the distillate must be obtained solely from that raw material; (j) alcoholic strength by volume: the ratio of the volume of pure alcohol present in the product in question at 20 °C to the total volume of that product at the same temperature; (k) volatile substances content: the quantity of volatile substances other than ethyl and methyl alcohol contained in a spirit drink obtained exclusively by distillation, as a result solely of the distillation or redistillation of the raw materials used; (l) place of manufacture: the place or region in which there took place that stage in the process of manufacturing the finished product which conferred on the spirit drink its character and essential definitive qualities; (m) category of spirit drinks: all spirit drinks covered by the same definition.
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(a) Rum: -
(1) A spirit drink produced exclusively by alcoholic fermentation and distillation, either from molasses or syrup produced in the manufacture of cane sugar or from sugar-cane juice itself and distilled at less than 96 % vol so that the distillate has the discernible specific organoleptic characteristics of rum. (2) The spirit produced exclusively by alcoholic fermentation and distillation of sugar-cane juice which has the aromatic characteristics specific to rum and a content of volatile substances equal to or exceeding 225 grams per hectolitre of alcohol of 100 % vol. This spirit may be marketed with the word "agricultural" qualifying the designation "rum" accompanied by any of the geographical designations of the French Overseas Departments as listed in Annex II.
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(b) Whisky orwhiskey :A spirit drink produced by the distillation of a mash of cereals -
saccharified by the diastase of the malt contained therein, with or without other natural enzymes, fermented by the action of yeast, distilled at less than 94,8 % vol, so that the distillate has an aroma and taste derived from the raw materials used,
and matured for at least three years in wooden casks not exceeding 700 litres capacity. -
(c) Grain spirit: -
(1) A spirit drink produced by the distillation of a fermented mash of cereals and having organoleptic characteristics derived from the raw materials used. "Grain spirit" may be replaced by Korn orKornbrand , for the drink produced in Germany and in regions of the Community where German is one of the official languages provided that this drink is traditionally produced in these regions and if the grain spirit is obtained there without any additive:-
either exclusively by the distillation of a fermented mash of whole grains of wheat, barley, oats, rye or buckwheat with all their component parts, or by the redistillation of a distillate obtained in accordance with the first subparagraph.
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(2) For a grain spirit to be designated "grain brandy ", it must have been obtained by distillation at less than 95 % vol from a fermented mash of cereals, presenting organoleptic features deriving from the raw materials used.
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(d) Wine spirit: A spirit drink -
produced exclusively by the distillation at less than 86 % vol of wine or wine fortified for distillation or by the redistillation of a wine distillate at less than 86 % vol, containing a quantity of volatile substances equal to or exceeding 125 grams per hectolitre of 100 % vol alcohol, and having a maximum methyl alcohol content of 200 grams per hectolitre of 100 % vol alcohol.
Where this drink has been matured, it may continue to be marketed as "wine spirit" if it has matured for as long as, or longer than, the period stipulated for the product referred to in (e). -
(e) Brandy orWeinbrand :A spirit drink -
produced from wine spirit, whether or not blended with a wine distillate distilled at less than 94,8 % vol provided that the said distillate does not exceed a maximum of 50 % by volume of the finished product, matured for at least one year in oak receptables or for at least six months in oak casks with a capacity of less than 1000 litres,containing a quantity of volatile substances equal to or exceeding 125 grams per hectolitre of 100 % vol alcohol, and derived exclusively from the distillation or redistillation of the raw materials used, having a maximum methyl alcohol content of 200 grams per hectolitre of 100 % vol alcohol.
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(f) Grape marc spirit or grape marc: -
(1) -
(a) A spirit drink -
produced from grape marc fermented and distilled either directly by water vapour, or after water has been added; a percentage of lees that is to be determined in accordance with the procedure laid down in Article 15 may be added to the marc, the distillation being carried out in the presence of the marc itself at less than 86 % vol. Redistillation at the same alcoholic strength is authorized, containing a quantity of volatile substances equal to or exceeding 140 grams per hectolitre of 100 % vol alcohol and having a maximum methyl alcohol content of 1000 grams per hectolitre of 100 % vol alcohol.
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(b) However, during the transitional period provided for Portugal in the 1985 Act of Accession, subparagraph (a) shall not preclude the marketing in Portugal of grape marc spirit produced in Portugal and having a maximum methyl alcohol content of 1500 grams per hectolitre of 100 % vol alcohol.
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(2) The name "grape marc" or "grape marc spirit" may be replaced by the designation grappa solely for the spirit drink produced in Italy.(3) The name "grape marc" or "grape marc spirit" may be replaced by the designation Zivania solely for the spirit drink produced in Cyprus.(4) The name "grape marc" or "grape marc spirit" may be replaced by the designation Pálinka solely for the spirit drink produced in Hungary.
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(g) Fruit marc spirit: A spirit drink produced by the fermentation and distillation of fruit marc. The distillation conditions, product characteristics and other provisions shall be established in accordance with the procedure laid down in Article 15. (h) Raisin spirit or raisin brandy: A spirit drink produced by the distillation of the product obtained by the alcoholic fermentation of extract of dried grapes of the "Corinth Black" or "Malaga muscat" varieties, distilled at less than 94,5 % vol, so that the distillate has an aroma and taste derived from the raw material used. (i) Fruit spirits: -
(1) -
(a) Spirit drinks -
produced exclusively by the alcoholic fermentation and distillation of fleshy fruit or must of such fruit, with or without stones, distilled at less than 86 % vol so that the distillate has an aroma and taste derived from the fruits distilled, having a quantity of volatile substances equal to or exceeding 200 grams per hectolitre of 100 % vol alcohol, and having a maximum methyl alcohol content of 1000 grams per hectolitre of 100 % vol alcohol, andin the case of stone-fruit spirits, having a hydrocyanic acid content not exceeding 10 grams per hectolitre of 100 % vol alcohol.
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(b) Derogations from the provisions of the third, fourth and fifth indents of subparagraph (a) may be adopted in accordance with the procedure laid down in Article 15, in particular where the manufacture and sale of traditional products provide a substantial proportion of the income of certain fruit producers in the Community. (c) Drinks thus defined shall be called "spirit" preceded by the name of the fruit, such as: cherry spirit or kirsch , plum spirit or slivovitz, mirabelle, peach, apple, pear, apricot, fig, citrus or grape spirit or other fruit spirits. They may also be calledwasser, with the name of the fruit.The name Williams may be used only to describe pear spirit produced solely from pears of the "Williams" variety.Whenever two or more fruits are distilled together, the product shall be called "fruit spirit". The name may be supplemented by that of each fruit, in decreasing order of quantity used. (d) The cases and conditions in which the name of the fruit may replace the name "spirit" preceded by the name of the fruit in question shall be determined in accordance with the procedure laid down in Article 15.
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(2) The name "spirit" preceded by the name of the fruit may also be used for spirit drinks produced by macerating, within the minimum proportion of 100 kilograms of fruit per 20 litres of 100 % vol alcohol, certain berries and other fruit such as raspberries, blackberries, bilberries and others, whether partially fermented or unfermented, in ethyl alcohol of agricultural origin or in spirit or distillate as defined in this Regulation, followed by distillation. The conditions for using the name "spirit" preceded by the name of the fruit with a view to avoiding confusion with the fruit spirits in point 1 and the fruit in question shall be determined by the procedure laid down in Article 15. (3) The spirit drinks obtained by macerating unfermented whole fruit such as that referred to in point 2 in ethyl alcohol of agricultural origin, followed by distillation, may be called " geist ", with the name of the fruit.(4) The name "fruit spirit" may be replaced by the designation Pálinka solely for the spirit drink produced in Hungary and for apricot distillates produced solely in the following counties of Austria: Niederösterreich, Burgenland, Steiermark and Wien.(5) The name "fruit spirit" may be replaced by the designation "Pălincă" solely for the spirit drink produced in Romania.
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(j) Cider spirit, cider brandy or perry spirit:Spirit drinks -
produced exclusively by the distillation of cider or perry, and satisfying the requirements of the second, third and fourth indents of subparagraph (i) (1) (a) relating to fruit spirits.
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(k) Gentian spirit: A spirit drink produced from a distillate of gentian, itself obtained by the fermentation of gentian roots with or without the addition of ethyl alcohol of agricultural origin. (l) Fruit spirit drinks: -
(1) Spirit drinks obtained by macerating fruit in ethyl alcohol of agricultural origin and/or in distillate of agricultural origin and/or in spirit as defined in this Regulation and within a minimum proportion to be determined by means of the procedure laid down in Article 15. The flavouring of these spirit drinks may be supplemented by flavouring substances and/or flavouring preparations other than those which come from the fruit used. These flavouring substances and flavouring preparations are defined respectively in Article 1 (2) (b) (i) and (c) of Directive 88/388/EEC. However, the characteristic taste of the drink and its colour must come exclusively from the fruit used. (2) The drinks so defined shall be called "spirit drinks" or "spirit" preceded by the name of the fruit. The cases and conditions in which the name of the fruit may replace those names shall be determined by means of the procedure laid down in Article 15. However, the name Pacharán may be used solely for the "fruit spirit drink" manufactured in Spain and obtained by macerating sloes(prunus espinosa) within the minimum proportion of 250 grams of fruit per litre of pure alcohol.
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(m) Juniper-flavoured spirit drinks: -
(1) -
(a) Spirit drinks produced by flavouring ethyl alcohol of agricultural origin and/or grain spirit and/or grain distillate with juniper (juniperus communis) berries.Other natural and/or nature-identical flavouring substances as defined in Article 1 (2) (b) (i) and (ii) of Directive 88/388/EEC and/or flavouring preparations defined in Article 1 (2) (c) of that Directive, and/or aromatic plants or parts of aromatic plants may be used in addition, but the organoleptic characteristics of juniper must be discernible, even if they are sometimes attenuated. (b) The drinks may be called Wacholder, ginebra, orgenebra . Use of these names is to be determined in accordance with the procedure laid down in Article 15.(c) The alcohols used for the spirit drinks called genièvre, jenever, genever andpeket , must be organoleptically suitable for the manufacture of the aforementioned products and have a maximum methyl content of 5 grams per hectolitre of 100 % vol alcohol and a maximum aldehyde content expressed as acetaldehyde of 0,2 grams per hectolitre of 100 % vol alcohol. In the case of such products, the taste of juniper berries need not be discernible.
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(2) -
(a) The drink may be called " gin " if it is produced by flavouring organoleptically suitable ethyl alcohol of agricultural origin with natural and/or nature-identical flavouring substances as defined in Article 1 (2) (b) (i) and (ii) of Directive 88/388/EEC and/or flavouring preparations as defined in Article 1 (2) (c) of that Directive so that the taste is predominantly that of juniper. (b) The drink may be called "distilled gin " if it is produced solely by redistilling organoleptically suitable ethyl alcohol of agricultural origin of an appropriate quality with an initial alcoholic strength of at least 96 % vol in stills traditionally used for gin, in the presence of juniper berries and of other natural botanicals provided that the juniper taste is predominant. The term "distilledgin " may also apply to a mixture of the product of such distillation and ethyl alcohol of agricultural origin with the same composition, purity and alcoholic strength. Natural and/or nature-identical flavouring substances and/or flavouring preparations as specified at (a) may also be used to flavour distilledgin. London gin is a type of distilledgin .Gin obtained simply by adding essences or flavourings to ethyl alcohol of agricultural origin shall not qualify for the description "distilledgin ".
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(n) Caraway-flavoured spirit drinks: -
(1) Spirit drinks produced by flavouring ethyl alcohol of agricultural origin with caraway (Carum carvi L.) .Other natural and/or nature-identical flavouring substances as defined in Article 1 (2) (b) (i) and (ii) of Directive 88/388/EEC and/or flavouring preparations as defined in Article 1 (2) (c) of that Directive may additionally be used but there must be a predominant taste of caraway. (2) -
(a) The spirit drinks defined in point 1 may also be called akvavit oraquavit if they are flavoured with a distillate of plants or spices.Other flavouring substances specified in the second subparagraph of point 1 may be used in addition, but the flavour of these drinks is largely attributable to distillates of caraway and/or dill (Anethum graveolens L.) seeds, the use of essential oils being prohibited. (b) The bitter substances must not obviously dominante the taste; the dry extract content may not exceed 1,5 grams per 100 millilitres.
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(o) Aniseed-flavoured spirit drinks: -
(1) Spirit drinks produced by flavouring ethyl alcohol of agricultural origin with natural extracts of star anise (Illicium verum) , anise(Pimpinella anisum), fennel(Foeniculum vulgare), or any other plant which contains the same principal aromatic constituent, using one of the following processes:-
maceration and/or distillation, redistillation of the alcohol in the presence of the seeds or other parts of the plants specified above, addition of natural distilled extracts of aniseed-flavoured plants, a combination of these three methods.
Other natural plant extracts or aromatic seed may also be used, but the aniseed taste must remain predominant. -
(2) For an aniseed-flavoured spirit drink to be called " pastis " it must also contain natural extracts of liquorice root(Glycyrrhiza glabra), which implies the presence of the colorants known as "chalcones" as well as glycyrrhizic acid, the minimum and maximum levels of which must be 0,05 and 0,5 grams per litre respectively.Pastis contains less than 100 grams of sugar per litre and has a minimum and maximum anethole level of 1,5 and 2 grams per litre respectively.(3) For an aniseed-flavoured spirit drink to be called " ouzo " it must:have been produced either exclusively in Greece or exclusively in Cyprus, have been produced by blending alcohols flavoured by means of distillation or maceration using aniseed and possibily fennel seed, mastic from a lentiscus indigenous to the island of Chios (Pistacia lentiscus Chia or latifolia) and other aromatic seeds, plants and fruits; the alcohol flavoured by distillation must represent at least 20 % of the alcoholic strength of theouzo .
That distillate must: -
have been produced by distillation in traditional discontinuous copper stills with a capacity of 1000 litres or less, have an alcoholic strength of not less than 55 % vol and not more than 80 % vol.
Ouzo must be colourless and have a sugar content of 50 grams or less per litre.(4) For an aniseed-flavoured spirit drink to be called anis , its characteristic flavour must be derived exclusively from anise(pimpinella anisum) and/or star anise(illicium verum) and/or fennel(foeniculum vulgare) . The name "distilledanis " may be used if the drink contains alcohol distilled in the presence of such seeds, provided such alcohol constitutes at least 20 % of the drink's alcoholic strength.
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(p) Bitter-tasting spirit drinks or bitter :Spirit drinks with a predominantly bitter taste produced by flavouring ethyl alcohol of agricultural origin with natural and/or nature-identical flavouring substances as defined in Article 1 (2) (b) (i) and (ii) of Directive 88/388/EEC and/or flavouring preparations as defined in Article 1 (2) (c) of that Directive. The drinks may also be marketed as "amer" or bitter with or without another term.This provision shall not affect the possible use of the terms "amer" for bitter for products not covered by this Article.(q) Vodka: A spirit drink produced by either rectifying ethyl alcohol of agricultural origin or filtering it through activated charcoal, possibly followed by straightforward distillation or an equivalent treatment, so that the organoleptic characteristics of the raw materials used are selectively reduced. The product may be given special organoleptic characteristics, such as a mellow taste, by the addition of flavouring. (r) Liqueur: -
(1) A spirit drink: -
having a minimum sugar content of 100 grams per litre expressed as invert sugar, without prejudice to a different decision taken in accordance with the procedure laid down in Article 15, produced by flavouring ethyl alcohol of agricultural origin or a distillate of agricultural origin or one or more spirit drinks as defined in this Regulation or a mixture of the above, sweetened and possibly with the addition of products of agricultural origin such as cream, milk or other milk products, fruit, wine or flavoured wine.
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(2) The name "crème de" followed by the name of a fruit or the raw material used, excluding milk products, shall be reserved for liqueurs with a minimum sugar content of 250 grams per litre expressed as invert sugar. The name "crème de cassis" shall, however, be reserved for blackcurrant liqueurs containing at least 400 grams of sugar, expressed as invert sugar, per litre. (3) The name "Jägertee", "Jagertee" and "Jagatee" shall be reserved for the liqueur originating in Austria and prepared from ethyl alcohol of agricultural origin, essences of certain spirit drinks or tea, with the addition of several natural flavouring substances such as those defined in Article 1 (2) (b) (i) of Directive 88/388/EEC. The alcoholic strength shall be at least 22,5 % vol. The sugar content, expressed as invert sugar, shall be at least 100 grammes per litre.
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(s) Egg liqueur/ advocaat/avocat/Advokat: A spirit drink whether or not flavoured, obtained from ethyl alcohol of agricultural origin, the ingredients of which are quality egg yolk, egg white and sugar or honey. The minimum sugar or honey content must be 150 grams per litre. The minimum egg yolk content must be 140 grams per litre of the final product. (t) Liqueur with egg: A spirit drink whether or not flavoured, obtained from ethyl alcohol of agricultural origin, the ingredients of which are quality egg yolk, egg white and sugar or honey. The minimum sugar or honey content must be 150 grams per litre. The minimum egg yolk content must be 70 grams per litre of the final product. (u) Väkevä glögi Spritglögg :A spirit drink produced by flavouring ethyl alcohol of agricultural origin with natural or nature identical aroma of cloves and/or cinnamon using one of the following processes: maceration and/or distillation, redistillation of the alcohol in the presence of parts of the plants specified above, addition of natural or nature identical flavour of cloves or cinnamon or a combination of these methods. Other natural or nature identical plant extracts of flavours in conformity with Directive 88/388/EEC may also be used, but the flavour of the specified spices must be predominant. The content of wine or wine products may not exceed 50 percent.