EU court rules non-alcoholic drinks cannot be called gin

"Only spirit drinks based on ethyl alcohol flavoured by juniper berries with a minimum alcoholic strength of 37.5% by volume can be known as gin, the court said in a judgment issued on Thursday. The case was brought by a German association against unfair competition, Verband Sozialer Wettbewerb, against PB Vi Goods, a company that sold a drink called Virgin Gin Alkoholfrei. The company argued in court that it was obvious from the name that it was selling a non-alcoholic drink."

"But the Luxembourg judges said EU law was clear that the term non-alcoholic gin was prohibited. The fact that the legal name gin' is accompanied by the term non-alcoholic' is irrelevant, the court said. The 2019 EU regulation states that such provisions protect consumers, prevent deceptive practices, ensure fair competition and safeguard the international reputation of the EU's spirit drinks."

The EU court ruled that the name gin is reserved for spirit drinks based on ethyl alcohol flavoured by juniper berries with at least 37.5% alcohol by volume. A German association brought a case against PB Vi Goods for selling a drink named Virgin Gin Alkoholfrei. PB Vi Goods argued the product name made clear it was non-alcoholic and a German court raised concerns about business freedom under EU rights. The Luxembourg court found the 2019 EU regulation unambiguous: labeling a non-alcoholic product as gin is prohibited to protect consumers, prevent deception and ensure fair competition.

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