15. Vodka

Vodka is a spirit drink produced from ethyl alcohol of agricultural origin obtained following fermentation with yeast of either: potatoes or cereals or both, other agricultural raw materials, distilled so that the organoleptic characteristics of the raw materials used and by-products formed in fermentation are selectively reduced. This may be followed by additional distillation or treatment with appropriate processing aids or both, including treatment with activated charcoal, to give it special organoleptic characteristics. Maximum levels of residue for the ethyl alcohol of agricultural origin used to produce vodka shall meet those levels set out in point (d) of Article 5, except that the methanol content shall not exceed 10 grams per hectolitre of 100 % vol. alcohol. The minimum alcoholic strength by volume of vodka shall be 37,5 %. The only flavourings which may be added are natural flavouring substances or flavouring preparations that are present in distillate obtained from the fermented raw materials. In addition, the product may be given special organoleptic characteristics, other than a predominant flavour. Vodka shall not be coloured. 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, expressed as invert sugar. The description, presentation or labelling of vodka not produced exclusively from potatoes or cereals or both shall prominently bear the indication ‘produced from …’, supplemented by the name of the raw materials used to produce the ethyl alcohol of agricultural origin. This indication shall appear in the same visual field as the legal name. The legal name may be ‘vodka’ in any Member State.

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Source: EUR-Lex (Cellar) · retrieved 2026-11-08 · Text as adopted (Official Journal); later amendments are not incorporated in this text.