FAQs

How is whiskey defined in Europe?

What can legally be called 'whisk(e)y' in Europe is set down in a 2019 law which you can read for yourself here . These rules are heavily inspired by the laws surrounding Scotch whisky, but with some key differences which make it less strictly defined. 

Let's break down these laws into simple points :

1. You must make whisk(e)y using a mash of 'malted cereal' grains , though you can include unmalted grain too. There is no specification beyond that about which grains you can use. The key thing is that you ferment those grains with yeast and that you use at least some malt to break down the starchy grains into sugars (this is what 'saccharified by the diastase of malt' refers to). You can add enzymes to help this process along if you want (which is also allowed in the USA, for example, but not in Scotland).
2. You must then distil that mash to <94.8% alcohol.  Any higher, and your spirit becomes completely neutral and flavorless. The law states that as the explicit reason for this rule! 
3. There is no rule specifying which kind of still is used or how many distillations you do. If you want to do a continuous distillation with a column still, a single distillation with a hybrid still, double/triple distillation with pot stills, etc. - you can do it!
4. You must age newly made whiskey for at least three years in wooden casks smaller than 700 litres . The size requirement is due to larger casks aging the whiskey more slowly (thanks to the reduced surface area to volume ratio). That three years means a minimum 1096 days , not three calendar years - if you put new spirit in a cask on 18/04/2022, you can't bottle it until at least 19/04/2025. 
5. You may add water and/or E150 'caramel' coloring to this final product - no added sugar or alcohol ! The word 'caramel' here refers to E150, which is made from sugar cooked to the point of carbonisation - it adds color but is completely flavourless.
6. The final product must be at least 40% alcohol by volume (ABV) . Any lower, and it stops being whiskey!
7. The term ' single malt ' can only be applied to whiskey made exclusively from malted barley at a single distillery . Other terms like 'single pot still' or 'blended malt' are only specified at a national level (if at all).

PS. This law also confirms that you can spell it 'whiskey' or 'whiskey' . Here, we spell it with an 'e' when referring to Irish whiskeys specifically, or if any other distillery wants us to do so with their product.

Where are you counting as 'Europe'?

Rather than trying to stick to a strict definition, EuroWhisky focuses on a broad range of whiskeys from across Europe. For shipping purposes, we focus more heavily on the EEA , but we are not aiming for an overly strict definition of where 'European' whiskey comes from. Currently, our focus is north of the Mediterranean and west of Russia and Turkey.

Scotland and Ireland are in Europe, why don't you include them?

We don't want to exclude Scotland and Ireland from EuroWhisky - those places are in Europe, after all, and they make great stuff! However, they currently get all the attention they need as two of the Big Five whisky-producing countries: Scotland, Ireland, USA, Canada, Japan. 

We exist to look beyond those and find a wider range of incredible spirits. That means you will see some Scotch and Irish whisky/whiskey here on EuroWhisky, but only occasionally. You won't be seeing the more widely available whiskeys from these countries other than as points of comparison, eg, comparing a peated whiskey from one country to existing examples in Scotland for reference.

If there are 900+ distilleries in Europe, why don't you have 900 whiskies for sale?

While Europe has hundreds of distilleries, that does not immediately translate into a comprehensive range of products for a few reasons. 

1. Many of these distilleries are so new that they are waiting for whisky to age sufficiently for release . For example, Norway has several distilleries, but only a few have whiskey ready to drink! Likewise, Ireland has dozens of distilleries, but only a handful are old enough to sell whiskey they themselves distilled and matured.
2. Some distilleries are very small , or produce whiskey only as a small percentage of their overall output . For example, many distilleries focus on gin, vodka, schnapps, or grappa, and make whiskey "on the side". We still want to draw attention to their work, but we realize only so many bottles of those whiskeys will be available. Sometimes, microdistilleries produce in small batches and when they're gone, they're gone ! That means if we get our hands on these whiskies, they will only be used for tastings or samples, not full bottles.
3. Despite the Single Market, shipping alcohol across national borders within Europe (let alone beyond Europe) can still be difficult. Distilleries and retailers have to negotiate customs payments, VAT differences, and shipping requirements. While EuroWhisky is working to smooth these issues, getting drams from one side of Europe to the other can still be challenging, so we ask for your patience .