‘Lines blurring’ between gin and flavoured vodka

Maison Ferrand founder Alexandre Gabriel has called for tighter rules surrounding gin after describing some flavoured varieties as “not gin anymore”.

Alexandre Gabriel says the ‘lines are blurring’ between gin and flavoured vodka

Gin is characterised in EU law by its ‘predominant’ flavour of juniper, which Gabriel warns is being masked by producers adding a host of different flavours.

Speaking to The Spirits Business, he said: “If you say you want to make a gin but it tastes nothing like gin then that’s great, but don’t call it gin.

“You need to create a new category if it falls into a new category or just call it what it is – a flavoured vodka.”

Gabriel added that some producers are reluctant to call their products ‘flavoured vodka’ as this could hit sales.

The Citadelle Gin creator described some heavily flavoured gins as “deceiving” to the consumer and said “it can be blurring the lines to call something that isn’t gin, gin”.

“Because gin doesn’t have the same protection in laws you can abuse it much easier,” Gabriel said. “I’m worried products like this could actually turn away some people in the long run.”

Gabriel also came out in support of Hayman’s Gin and it’s Call Time on Fake Gin campaign, which launched earlier this year to call out “fake gins” on the market.

Gabriel said: “I have seen the campaign and I totally agree with what they’ve said, I have a lot of respect for them actually.”

The distiller said that any rules brought in to govern the category shouldn’t limit creativity and that “you can still have structure and be totally out there in terms of making something unique”.