SWA slams alcohol free whisky product as illegal

The Scotch Whisky Association has slammed a new product which claims to be the world’s first alcohol free whisky as illegal, saying that it will confuse consumers by unfairly trading on whisky’s reputation.

The SWA said there can be no such product and such a description is illegal in the European Union and many other countries. It plans to monitor the sale of ArKay Beverages newly-launched “alcohol free whisky”, with a view to taking appropriate action.

The SWA explained that whisky is understood, on a global level, to be a distilled beverage made from cereals and aged in wooden barrels, which makes ArKay’s promotional claim that the product is a type of whisky illegal.

The EU has strict laws governing what may be sold as whisky, which are designed to maintain its reputation as a quality product and to protect consumers.

European legislation prohibits – with very limited exceptions - the name “whisky” from being “used to describe or present in any way whatsoever” any drink other than whisky.

Glen Barclay, SWA director of legal affairs, said: “Such promotion is taking advantage of the high quality reputation of the product that is whisky - which is a distilled spirit produced from natural ingredients - when it is in fact just a soft drink with artificial flavourings. Not only will consumers be confused but such a product unfairly trades on the reputation of genuine whisky.”