EU court bans calling non-alcoholic drinks gin

Judges in Luxembourg said EU law clearly prohibited the term non-alcoholic gin', after a case was brought against the makers of Virgin Gin Alkoholfrei

The makers of spirits may be raising a toast to the European judges of Luxembourg, after the EU's court ruled that non-alcoholic drinks cannot be called gin.

Only spirit drinks based on ethyl alcohol flavoured by juniper berries with a minimum alcoholic strength of 37.5% by volume can be known as gin, the court said in a judgement issued on Thursday.