The beverage labelled “non-alcoholic Virgin Gin” may not be sold as gin
[13/11/2025]
The Court of Justice of the European Union confirmed in its Judgment handed down on 13 November in Case C-563/24 that European law prohibits labeling a non-alcoholic beverage as gin, even if this designation is followed by the words “non-alcoholic.”
This position is in line with EU legislation aimed at regulating and protecting the names of wines and spirits.
Thus, a product designated as “gin” must have a minimum alcohol content of 37.5%, be flavored with juniper berries, and be made from a neutral alcohol base generally obtained from cereals or beets.
This position is reminiscent of the European Parliament’s vote on October 8 to ban the use of terms such as “steak,” “sausage,” or ‘hamburger’ for products that do not contain meat, thus threatening the misleading designation “veggie steak.”
