9. Fruit spirit

Fruit spirit is a spirit drink which meets the following requirements: it is produced exclusively by the alcoholic fermentation and distillation, with or without stones, of fresh and fleshy fruit, including bananas, or the must of such fruit, berries or vegetables; each and every distillation shall be carried out at less than 86 % vol. so that the distillate has an aroma and taste derived from the raw materials distilled; it has a volatile substances content equal to or exceeding 200 grams per hectolitre of 100 % vol. alcohol; in the case of stone-fruit spirits, it has a hydrocyanic acid content not exceeding 7 grams per hectolitre of 100 % vol. alcohol. The maximum methanol content of fruit spirit shall be 1000 grams per hectolitre of 100 % vol. alcohol, except: in the case of fruit spirits produced from the following fruits or berries, and in respect of which the maximum methanol content shall be 1200 grams per hectolitre of 100 % vol. alcohol: apple (Malus domestica Borkh.), apricots (Prunus armeniaca L.), plum (Prunus domestica L.), quetsch (Prunus domestica L.), mirabelle (Prunus domestica L. subsp. syriaca (Borkh.) Janch. ex Mansf.), peach (Prunus persica (L.) Batsch), pear (Pyrus communis L.), except for Williams pears (Pyrus communis L. cv ‘Williams’), blackberry (Rubus sect. Rubus), raspberry (Rubus idaeus L.). in the case of fruit spirits produced from the following fruits or berries, and in respect of which the maximum methanol content shall be 1350 grams per hectolitre of 100 % vol. alcohol: quince (Cydonia oblonga Mill.), juniper berry (Juniperus communis L. or Juniperus oxicedrus L.), Williams pear (Pyrus communis L. cv ‘Williams’), blackcurrant (Ribes nigrum L.), redcurrant (Ribes rubrum L.), rosehip (Rosa canina L.), elderberry (Sambucus nigra L.), rowanberry (Sorbus aucuparia L.), sorb apple (Sorbus domestica L.), wild service tree (Sorbus torminalis (L.) Crantz). The minimum alcoholic strength by volume of fruit spirit shall be 37,5 %. Fruit spirit shall not be coloured. Notwithstanding point (d) of this category and by way of derogation from food category 14.2.6 of Part E of Annex II to Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008, caramel may be used to adjust the colour of fruit spirits that have been aged at least one year in contact with wood. No addition of alcohol, diluted or not, shall take place. Fruit spirit shall not be flavoured. Fruit spirit may be sweetened in order to round off the final taste. However, the final product may not contain more than 18 grams of sweetening products per litre, expressed as invert sugar. The legal name of fruit spirit shall be ‘spirit’ supplemented by the name of the fruit, berry or vegetable. In the Bulgarian, Czech, Greek, Croatian, Polish, Romanian, Slovak and Slovenian languages, the legal name may be expressed by the name of the fruit, berry or vegetable, supplemented by a suffix. Alternatively: the legal name referred to in the first subparagraph may be ‘wasser’, used together with the name of the fruit; or the following legal names may be used in the following cases: ‘kirsch’ for cherry spirit (Prunus avium (L.) L.); ‘plum’, ‘quetsch’ or ‘slivovitz’ for plum spirit (Prunus domestica L.); ‘mirabelle’ for mirabelle spirit (Prunus domestica L. subsp. syriaca (Borkh.) Janch. ex Mansf.); ‘fruit of arbutus’ for fruit of arbutus spirit (Arbutus unedo L.); ‘Golden Delicious’ for apple spirit (Malus domestica var. ‘Golden Delicious’); ‘Obstler’ for a fruit spirit produced from fruits, with or without berries, provided that at least 85 % of the mash is derived from different varieties of apples, pears or both. The name ‘Williams’ or ‘williams’ may be used only to place on the market pear spirit produced solely from pears of the ‘Williams’ variety. If there is a risk that the final consumer does not easily understand one of the legal names not containing the word ‘spirit’ referred to in this point, the description, presentation and labelling shall include the word ‘spirit’, which may be supplemented by an explanation. Whenever two or more fruits, berries or vegetables are distilled together, the product shall be placed on the market under the legal name: ‘fruit spirit’ for spirit drinks exclusively produced by distillation of fruits or berries or both; or ‘vegetable spirit’ for spirit drinks exclusively produced by distillation of vegetables; or ‘fruit and vegetable spirit’ for spirit drinks produced by distillation of a combination of fruits, berries and vegetables. The legal name may be supplemented by that of each fruit, berry or vegetable, in decreasing order of the quantity used.

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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.