🥃 Beer spirit

Beer spirit (German Bierbrand) is a strong drink made by direct distillation of fresh beer. In EU law it is a separate category 13 under Regulation (EU) 2019/787: the distillation takes place at normal pressure to below 86 % vol., so that the spirit keeps the taste and aroma of the beer, and the bottled strength is at least 38 % vol.

What is not allowed. No alcohol may be added to beer spirit, whether diluted or not, and it may not be flavoured. Only caramel is allowed for colour. Sweetening is permitted only to round off the taste, up to 20 g of sugar per litre. This is what sets it apart from whisky, which in the EU must be aged in wooden casks for at least three years.

History of the category. The same requirements applied under the earlier Regulation (EC) No 110/2008, where category 13 was called “Bierbrand or eau de vie de bière”: direct distillation of fresh beer, at least 38 % vol., no flavourings. The German name Bierbrand is still the most common on labels.

A Bavarian example. According to the GenussErbe Bayern portal, Bavarian Bierbrand is made from fresh beers of various styles, from wheat and pale beers to bock and festive beers. It is distilled in pot or column stills, the first and last fractions are carefully separated, and after ageing it is diluted to drinking strength. In the past, small and monastery breweries gave their unsold beer to distillers.

Why it matters to you. Beer spirit smells of malt and hops, but it is not beer: at least 38 % vol. is several times stronger than an ordinary pale beer. Check the legal name on the label, “Bierbrand” or “beer spirit”. The WHO reminds us that there is no safe level of alcohol consumption.