Alcohols, spirits

Description of product

Spirits are liquids which contain at least fifteen percent of alcohol (except egg liqueur: at least fourten percent of alcohol). In Germany, spirits are distinguished as the following:

• spirits: made by fermentation and the subsequent distillation of one or more of the raw materials.
  For example: rum, whiskey, spirit, obstbrand (a type of German fruit liqueur), brandy
• liqueurs: made from extracts (plant extracts, juices, dairy products, essential oils) and sugar (at least 100g/l); cream, milk, dairy products, fruits or wine can be added.
• vodka: from "ethyl alcohol from agricultural origen" extracted by a repeating distillation. Flavourings can be added.

An index of ingredients is not compulsory with spirits. If colourants are used, a "with colourants" indication must be added on the label.

• See also: beer, wine

Possible application of gene technology

Applications of gene technology are possible in the following ingredients that commonly are found in alcohols/spirits. However, the extent to which a particular product is affected by these possibilities cannot be stated with certainty:

• mainly enzymes for the decomposition of vegetable starch: amylases
• other enzymes break down the remaining carbohydrates from the vegetable cell walls and thus make them accessible for alcoholic fermentation; e.g. cellulases, hemicelluloses, glucanases, xylanases
• for liqueurs: enzymes for the extraction of fruit or herbal extracts (e.g. pectinases)
• especially for liqueurs, whiskey: colourants spirit caramel, annatto
• occasionally for liqueurs: invert sugar