Vodka war refers to heated discussions within the
European Union
The European Union (EU) is a supranational political and economic union of member states that are located primarily in Europe. The union has a total area of and an estimated total population of about 447million. The EU has often been des ...
about the definition of which
hard liquor
Liquor (or a spirit) is an alcoholic drink produced by distillation of grains, fruits, vegetables, or sugar, that have already gone through alcoholic fermentation. Other terms for liquor include: spirit drink, distilled beverage or hard li ...
s may or may not be
brand
A brand is a name, term, design, symbol or any other feature that distinguishes one seller's good or service from those of other sellers. Brands are used in business, marketing, and advertising for recognition and, importantly, to create an ...
ed as "
vodka
Vodka ( pl, wódka , russian: водка , sv, vodka ) is a clear distilled alcoholic beverage. Different varieties originated in Poland, Russia, and Sweden. Vodka is composed mainly of water and ethanol but sometimes with traces of impuritie ...
".
[Vodka war: "MEPs serve up a compromise cocktail"]
a Europarliament news article["A spirited war: The search for the real vodka"]
''International Herald Tribune
The ''International Herald Tribune'' (''IHT'') was a daily English-language newspaper published in Paris, France for international English-speaking readers. It had the aim of becoming "the world's first global newspaper" and could fairly be said ...
'', November 23, 2006 The war was triggered by the actions of
Diageo
Diageo plc () is a Multinational corporation, multinational alcoholic beverage company, with its headquarters in London, England. It operates from 132 sites around the world. It was the world's largest distiller before being overtaken by Kweich ...
, who began marketing their
Cîroc
Cîroc is a brand of alcoholic beverages produced in France since 2003 and distributed by the British-based multinational alcoholic beverage maker Diageo. The brand family includes vodka, flavored products containing vodka, and brandy. Since ...
beverage as a vodka uniquely produced exclusively from
grapes
A grape is a fruit, botanically a berry, of the deciduous woody vines of the flowering plant genus ''Vitis''. Grapes are a non- climacteric type of fruit, generally occurring in clusters.
The cultivation of grapes began perhaps 8,000 years ago ...
.
["End in Sight to EU 'Vodka War' as Label Deal Struck"]
, June 16, 2007 source: ''Reuters
Reuters ( ) is a news agency owned by Thomson Reuters Corporation. It employs around 2,500 journalists and 600 photojournalists in about 200 locations worldwide. Reuters is one of the largest news agencies in the world.
The agency was estab ...
''
The countries of the EU "
Vodka Belt
Alcohol preferences in Europe vary from country to country between beer, wine or spirits. These preferences are traditionally associated with certain regions. Hence, the Central European pattern of alcohol consumption is associated with beer ...
" argue that only spirits made exclusively from
cereal
A cereal is any Poaceae, grass cultivated for the edible components of its grain (botanically, a type of fruit called a caryopsis), composed of the endosperm, Cereal germ, germ, and bran. Cereal Grain, grain crops are grown in greater quantit ...
s,
potato
The potato is a starchy food, a tuber of the plant ''Solanum tuberosum'' and is a root vegetable native to the Americas. The plant is a perennial in the nightshade family Solanaceae.
Wild potato species can be found from the southern Unit ...
es and
sugar beet
A sugar beet is a plant whose root contains a high concentration of sucrose and which is grown commercially for sugar production. In plant breeding, it is known as the Altissima cultivar group of the common beet (''Beta vulgaris''). Together wi ...
molasses
Molasses () is a viscous substance resulting from refining sugarcane or sugar beets into sugar. Molasses varies in the amount of sugar, method of extraction and age of the plant. Sugarcane molasses is primarily used to sweeten and flavour foods ...
may be branded ''vodka''. Other distillers insist on a broader definition. The Schnellhardt compromise, proposed by
Horst Schnellhardt, suggests that vodkas made from items other than cereals, potatoes and molasses should say "Vodka produced from..." on the label.
[
On 20 February 2006 ]Poland
Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populous ...
put a demand to restrict the definition of Vodka within EU, and the move was supported by the vodka belt countries and Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
. This demand was triggered by a 2005 European Commission
The European Commission (EC) is the executive of the European Union (EU). It operates as a cabinet government, with 27 members of the Commission (informally known as "Commissioners") headed by a President. It includes an administrative body o ...
proposal to split vodka category into several subcategories basing on the flavor and raw materials.
If the "Vodka Belt" prevails, it will significantly influence the global US$12 billion annual vodka market.[ In particular, some drinks presently marketed as vodka will have to be re-branded.
The issue goes beyond the EU: The ]United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
is the world's fastest-growing vodka producer, and if its non-traditional vodkas are excluded from the EU, it may retaliate in the World Trade Organization
The World Trade Organization (WTO) is an intergovernmental organization that regulates and facilitates international trade. With effective cooperation
in the United Nations System, governments use the organization to establish, revise, and e ...
.[
]
Arguments for restricted definition
*Vodka must be clearly defined in the same way as has been done for other hard liquors, such as brandy
Brandy is a liquor produced by distilling wine. Brandy generally contains 35–60% alcohol by volume (70–120 US proof) and is typically consumed as an after-dinner digestif. Some brandies are aged in wooden casks. Others are coloured with ...
or whiskey
Whisky or whiskey is a type of distilled alcoholic beverage made from fermented grain mash. Various grains (which may be malted) are used for different varieties, including barley, corn, rye, and wheat. Whisky is typically aged in wooden cask ...
, in terms of raw ingredients and manufacturing process.
*A restricted definition protects the quality and the originality of the product, in accord with the long-established traditions of its production, a brand protection similar to the "Protected designation of origin
The protected designation of origin (PDO) is a type of geographical indication of the European Union and the United Kingdom aimed at preserving the designations of origin of food-related products. The designation was created in 1992 and its main ...
".
Arguments for broad definition
*Traditionalists maintain that each good vodka has its own distinct flavour.
*Threat of trade wars.
*The proposal is seen as an attempt to monopolise the vodka market by the Vodka Belt
*The restriction may hamper innovation, in the opinion of the UK representatives in the European Vodka Alliance.["Vodka war splits EU"]
/ref>
*The restriction may hamper US exports and lead to retaliation, since the United States is one of the largest vodka importers from the EU (US$500 million)[
]
Schnellhardt compromise
The compromise was adopted by the EU's Environment Committee on 30 January 2007. Since then it was negotiated with the agriculture ministers, and further compromises have been proposed, e.g., the initial requirement of prominent print size was suggested to be dropped.
On 19 June 2007 The European Parliament
The European Parliament (EP) is one of the legislative bodies of the European Union and one of its seven institutions. Together with the Council of the European Union (known as the Council and informally as the Council of Ministers), it adopts ...
voted for the compromise. In late August the position of the WTO
The World Trade Organization (WTO) is an intergovernmental organization that regulates and facilitates international trade. With effective cooperation
in the United Nations System, governments use the organization to establish, revise, and e ...
is expected to be known, and the EU agriculture ministers will debate and vote on the issue in September.
Poland
Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populous ...
sees the EU's decision as "wódka war lost". Polish MEP Ryszard Czarnecki
Richard Henry Czarnecki (, born 25 January 1963 pol. Ryszard Henryk Czarnecki) is a Polish politician and Member of the European Parliament (MEP) from Poland. He is a member of the Law and Justice, part of the European Conservatives and Reform ...
said "Would the French like champagne
Champagne (, ) is a sparkling wine originated and produced in the Champagne wine region of France under the rules of the appellation, that demand specific vineyard practices, sourcing of grapes exclusively from designated places within it, spe ...
to be distilled from plums, and would the British accept whisky
Whisky or whiskey is a type of distilled alcoholic beverage made from fermented grain mash. Various grains (which may be malted) are used for different varieties, including barley, corn, rye, and wheat. Whisky is typically aged in wooden c ...
from apricots? That sounds like heresy. So please don't be surprised that we are refusing to recognise vodka made from waste." Polish vodka producers are going to fight back by forming the Polish Vodka Association, with the purpose of launching a public relations
Public relations (PR) is the practice of managing and disseminating information from an individual or an organization (such as a business, government agency, or a nonprofit organization) to the public in order to influence their perception. P ...
campaign abroad against the expected flood of cheap, poor quality vodkas. While the strong Polish brands, such as Wyborowa
Wyborowa (the feminine of the Polish adjective ''wyborowy'' 'fine') or Wódka Wyborowa is a brand of Polish vodka. The adjective was used in a favorable press article and then added after the word ''wódka'' 'vodka', resulting in the final name ' ...
or Zubrowka, feel safe, the smaller producers are threatened by the competition against cheaper products."Poland Fights Back in Vodka War"
August 8, 2007, ''The Warsaw Voice''
See also
* Smirnov Trading House, about another "vodka war" of "Smirnov" vs. "Smirnoff
Smirnoff (; ) is a brand of vodka owned and produced by the British company Diageo. The Smirnoff brand began with a vodka distillery founded in Moscow by Pyotr Arsenievich Smirnov (1831–1898). It is distributed in 130 countries. Smirnoff produ ...
", ended in 1997
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Vodka War
Politics of the European Union
Economy of the European Union
Alcohol in Europe
Vodkas