Czechs lift ban on spirit sales

The Czech government has partially lifted the ban on the sale of spirits, after a series of poisonings led to a complete ban last month.

The Black Angel bar in Prague created a new low-alcohol cocktail menu to handle Prohibition

The government is now allowing the sale of spirits over 20% abv produced before 1 January 2012.

The move follows steps taken by the police to seize 5,000 litres of spirit and arrest more than 10 people in association with the poisonings, which has left 26 dead and more hospitalised with blindness.

The ban, which was initiated on 14 September, has been lifted just in time for the annual Prague Bar Show on 29 October, which is expected to host hundreds of bartenders, bar managers and international spirits brands.

However the Czech-imposed ban on spirits exported to the EU is still in place.

Last week Paul Skehan, director general of the European Spirits Organisation (CEPS), wrote a letter to Prime Minister Petr Necas and the Czech Cabinet, claiming that a ban on all spirits was discriminative against international brands.

“We consider the ban on all spirits to be a counter-productive measure as we fear it will drive consumers into precisely the illegal sales channels your government is working to remove,” he said. “Rather than banning legitimately produced, taxed, packaged, stamped, and distributed spirits brands from the market, we urge you to recognize that such brands actually provide an assurance of quality and safety to consumers.”

Since then, CEPS has expressed its pleasure with the lifting of the ban.

Ignacio Sanchez of CEPS said: “We are very happy with the removal of the ban. It’s a positive step but we don’t believe the way they will implement the next step is positive for alcohol. The government has introduced strip stamps as a method of controlling counterfeit alcohol, but we know that within two or three weeks of these being used, fake ones will appear.”

During ‘Prohibition’ bartenders across the country were forced to think up creative ways to entice consumers to their bars, without the use of high-alcoholic drinks.

Special prohibition drinks menus popped up at bars in the Czech Republic’s major cities in 1920s style, mimicking those printed during the US Prohibition of 1920-33.

Low-alcohol cocktails included Americano (Aperol, Martini Rosso, soda), and Sherry Sour (Sandeman dry sherry, egg white, lemon juice).