If you’ve ever wondered what exactly gives your favourite gin its idiosyncratic flavour, or if it really is a gin, you will soon be able to find out, thanks to new guidance from the Food Safety Authority of Ireland.

The FSAI has published guidance on marketing terms used to advertise or promote gin and gin products so that they conform to EU regulations. 

The key distinction made in the guidance, and which manufacturers must signal clearly and unambiguously, is between gin as such and what’s called a ‘juniper-flavoured spirit drink’.

Both are, legally, ‘‘juniper-flavoured spirit drinks produced by flavouring ethyl alcohol of agricultural origin with juniper berries". But true gin must have a minimum alcohol content of 37.5% by volume, while anything between a minimum of 30% ABV and 37.5% must not be sold as ‘gin’, but as a ‘juniper-flavoured spirit drink’.

In addition, the ‘juniper-flavoured spirit drink’ can be made from any or all of ethyl alcohol of agricultural origin, grain spirit or grain distillate or a combination thereof, flavoured with juniper berries, flavouring substances, flavouring preparations, plants with flavouring properties, or any mix of these.

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Both ‘gin’ and ‘juniper-flavoured spirit drink’ can be produced by the same process, but in practice gin is largely made by the traditional pot still process, which involves placing the base spirit into a pot still along with juniper berries and other botanicals.

Compound gin is a simpler production method, as it does not involve redistilling the neutral spirits. Instead the spirit is flavoured by adding natural flavour essences to create the drink. Section C of the guidance specifies that “Gin obtained simply by adding essences or flavourings to ethyly alcohol of agricultural origin is not distilled gin”. 

FSAI chief executive Pamela Byrne commented:  “The gin guidance encompasses everything from the use of place names in sales terms to the listing of allergen information to the packaging material used, and it is hoped that it will help producers in complying with the regulations. 

“The minimum alcoholic strength by volume of a juniper-flavoured spirit drink is 30%, while the minimum alcoholic strength of a gin is 37.5%. Therefore, it is important to remember that these ‘juniper-flavoured spirit drinks’ cannot be labelled as ‘gin’. Similarly, the use of the word ‘distilled’ must be used carefully as prescribed in the guidance, as must geographical descriptors.”

Byrne pointed out that around 50 brands of gin are now produced in Ireland, with sales growth of up to 30% annually in some recent years.

She added: “While marketing specialists will use every means at their disposal to gain a competitive edge over their rivals, this must not be achieved at the expense of consumers’ trust. 

“Food law is in place to ensure that consumers are not misled by any claims on food or drinks. We hope that our guidance will assist the industry to comply with the complex legislation in this area, so that consumers can be confident that the gin produced in Ireland is accurately and truthfully described on the label or in associated marketing materials.”

The full details of the FSAI’s gun guidance can be found here.