🥃 Spirit obtained by maceration and distillation
EU category 16: berries, fruits or nuts from the list are steeped in alcohol (up to 20 l per 100 kg) and distilled below 86% ABV; in the bottle from 37.5% ABV, without flavourings.
Spirit obtained by maceration and distillation is EU category 16 of spirit drinks made from berries, fruits or nuts with little sugar. The raw material is steeped in alcohol and then distilled. The legal name consists of the word “spirit” and the name of the fruit, for example raspberry; the front label must state “obtained by maceration and distillation”.
How it is made. Fruits from the EU list are partly fermented or not fermented at all, then steeped in alcohol of agricultural origin or in distillate of the same fruit, no more than 20 litres per 100 kg of raw material. Maceration transfers the aroma into the alcohol, and every distillation must take place below 86% ABV.
Raw materials. The 2008 regulation named 17 fruits and berries: raspberry, blackberry, strawberry, blueberry, sloe, rowan, elderberry, rosehip, currant, banana, passion fruit and others. The 2019 regulation widened the list to 36 items and added nuts: chestnut, hazelnut and walnut, as well as citrus fruits, sea buckthorn and cloudberry.
Neighbouring categories. Fruit spirit (category 9) is made only from fermented fruit without added alcohol. Geist (category 17) is steeped only from unfermented raw material, but with a wider choice: vegetables, herbs, rose petals. Maceration spirit may contain up to 18 g of sugar per litre, geist up to 10 g; flavourings and colourings are forbidden for both.
Why this matters to you. The words “obtained by maceration and distillation” show that alcohol was added to the drink and it is not just fruit juice. The aroma of berries does not lower the strength: the bottle holds at least 37.5% ABV. The WHO reminds us that there is no safe level of alcohol consumption.
Facts
| EU category | category 16 of Regulation (EU) 2019/787 |
|---|---|
| Legal basis | Regulation (EU) 2019/787, Annex I; formerly Regulation (EC) No 110/2008 |
| Raw material | 36 kinds of fruit, berries and nuts from the EU list; alcohol of agricultural origin up to 20 l per 100 kg |
| Distillation method | every distillation below 86% ABV |
| Alcohol (% vol.) | from 37.5% ABV; up to 18 g sugar per litre; no flavourings or colourings |
How it connects to Spirits
🥃 Spirit obtained by maceration and distillation → kind of → 🍎 Fruit brandies → kind of → 🥃 Spirits
Links
- Next step
- 🍷 Maceration
- What it affects
- 🍷 Alcohol and health, 🍷 Drunk driving
- Part of
- 🍎 Fruit brandies
- Similar and different
- 🍓 Geist, 🥃 Fruit spirit, 🥃 Framboise, 🥃 Framboise d'Alsace
Frequently asked questions
Is it true that maceration spirit is a liqueur?
No. It is a clear, distilled spirit from 37.5% ABV with up to 18 g of sugar per litre; liqueurs in the EU usually have at least 100 g of sugar per litre and are not necessarily distilled.
How does maceration spirit differ from geist?
Geist is steeped only from unfermented raw material, but the choice is wider: vegetables, herbs, petals. For maceration spirit the fruit may be partly fermented, but the raw material must come from the EU list.
Which fruits may be used for maceration spirit?
From the 36 items on the EU list: raspberry, blackberry, sloe, rowan, elderberry, rosehip, currant, sea buckthorn, cloudberry, chestnut, hazelnut, walnut, citrus fruits and others.
How much alcohol is added to the fruit?
No more than 20 litres of alcohol of agricultural origin, or distillate of the same fruit, per 100 kg of raw material.
How can you recognise such a drink on the label?
Next to a name such as “raspberry spirit”, the phrase “obtained by maceration and distillation” must appear in the same typeface and colour.
What to read next
- 🍷 Alcohol and health — Alcohol in any drink is harmful in large amounts, and the risks grow with the quantity.
- 🥃 Framboise d'Alsace — Clear Alsatian raspberry spirit: red-fleshed raspberries are steeped in alcohol and distilled in copper stills; at least 45% ABV, aged at least 2 months.
- 🥃 Framboise — A clear French raspberry eau-de-vie (eau-de-vie de framboise): raspberries are steeped in spirit and distilled, or fermented; Framboise d'Alsace is from 45 % ABV.
- 🍷 Drunk driving — Never drive after drinking wine: alcohol slows your reactions.
Similar
🍓 Geist · 🥃 Framboise · 🥃 Fruit marc spirit · 🥃 Horincă · 🥃 Mirabelle (mirabelle plum spirit) · 🥃 Applejack
⚠️ Spirit drinks contain alcohol and are for adults only. Alcohol harms health. Do not drink during pregnancy or before driving; check the label for ingredients and possible allergens.
Sources
- Regulation (EU) 2019/787 on spirit drinks, Annex I: cat. 16 spirit (supplemented by the name of the fruit, berries or nuts) obtained by maceration and distillation — maceration of listed fruit, berries or nuts, partially fermented or unfermented, max. 20 l agricultural ethanol or same-fruit spirit per 100 kg, each distillation below 86 % vol.; 36 raw materials from chokeberry to cowberry incl. chestnut, hazelnut, walnut, citrus; min. 37.5 % vol.; not flavoured or coloured (caramel only after 1 year in wood); max. 18 g/l sweetening; wording on the front label; cat. 17 Geist for comparison
- Regulation (EC) No 110/2008 on spirit drinks (repealed 2021), Annex II: cat. 16 — same definition with 17 fruits and berries (blackberry, strawberry, bilberry, raspberry, redcurrant, sloe, rowanberry, service-berry, hollyberry, checkerberry, elderberry, rosehip, blackcurrant, banana, passion fruit, ambarella, hog plum); min. 37.5 % vol.
- CVUA Freiburg (Baden-Württemberg food control): Hochprozentiges aus der Region — Topinambur, Brand aus der Jerusalem-Artischocke, min. 38 % vol.; Obstgeist from low-sugar fruit such as raspberries, macerated in alcohol and then distilled; Trester from fermented grape marc; no flavouring allowed
- WHO/Europe: No level of alcohol consumption is safe for our health (04.01.2023)