EU denies vodka protected status

The European Union has not given protected status to vodka made from potatoes and will no longer force vodka brands made from other raw ingredients to rename their products “white spirits”.

The EU has ruled that vodka made from potatoes, and sugarcane and grapes can all be called “true vodka”.

The ruling ends a five-year dispute between countries including Poland, Sweden, Finland and Estonia and southern producers including the UK. The issue was sparked by Diageo, which began marketing its Ciroc vodka in 2003 as the world’s only vodka that was made exclusively from grapes.

It is estimated that about 20% of the British spirits market consists of vodka produced from molasses or sugar beet.