When Vodka Became White Spirit
Remember that fight over vodka in Europe? Well, a bill will be introduced this month that would force more than a third of distilled vodka to be renamed “white spirit” or “pure alcohol”. Basically, it would ban the sale of vodka not made from potato or grain.
Considering there are many, many vodkas currently on the market made from other things such as grapes or molasses, this could really turn the entire industry on its head. Some of the most expensive vodkas aren’t from Eastern Europe or Nordic countries, but they could lose their cachet if forced to use a term other than “vodka”. After all, would you ask for a screwdriver with “white spirit” and orange juice or a Cape Codder with “pure alcohol” and cranberry juice?
Since the issue will likely spill over into other parts of the world if the bill passes in the EU, I’ll be following this closely.
