European spirits: An industry that’s timeless, but doesn’t stand still

EU spirits are as important to our food and drink culture as our historic cheeses, charcuterie and confectionery, says drinks expert Kristiane Westray, consultant to the EU’s More Than Only Food & Drink Campaign.

The beverages landscape across not just the continent, but the world, is richer for the dynamic, spicy aperitivos of Italy, the aromatic Cognacs of France, the herbaceous vodkas of Scandinavia.

They are to be championed, embraced… and experimented with.

“You can trace so many of them back a long way,” she says, “which is very exciting. All of these spirits, like fruit brandies from central Europe, have such cultural and community meaning to them.”

With heritage being so prominent at the forefront of consumer preferences right now, it’s these drinks, proudly stamped with family names, denoting centuries of making on the label, that are resonating most strongly. “Consumers want authenticity, not marketing fluff,” she adds. “That’s never been so important. It’s what sets them apart and makes them even more compelling.”

What’s trending in European spirits?

Kristiane says she’s noticed a definite leaning in the EU towards drinks with a savoury or botanical steering. “What’s interesting now, is people are becoming more health conscious. They’re moving away from sugar, and that’s where these spirits come into their own. This summer I saw the rise of tomato-based serves, pickles in cocktails, and even bars using cheese as a garnish. Savoury spirits with herbal flavours, or even seaweeds, are being used a lot more.”

Aquavits, Kristiane adds, are a small part of the sector at the moment, but as gin plateaus, she feels its lower sugar credentials and botanical pull, like gin, will see it rise in favour with consumers and bartenders.

Along the same vein as sugar, Kristiane thinks we should be listening to the low and no movement. While there are a number of drinkers who’ve given up alcohol, some just want to cut back, and aperitif type drinks like Amaro and Vermouth fit the bill, she thinks. “They really align with this trend because you can lengthen them out and lower their ABV with mixers, but still tap into that treat mindset.”

Other areas Kristiane is incredibly excited about include French Cognac PGI and Armagnac PGI production. “They’re very interesting at the moment. They’ve had a really tough time internationally, with some places destocking them, but there are brands making an effort to modernise them. I would say keep an eye out for them, especially coming up to Christmas. They bring decadence to the party, and early indicators predict there will be an upswing in those.”

Here in the UK John Callow, founder of Northern Wine School, says the gin boom is starting to ease off.  but in its place more distillers are putting weight behind things like rum and whisky. 

“A few existing operators that did gins have started experimenting with spiced rum. It’s quite straightforward to do – buying in the rums and blending them to your own recipe, using existing distilling equipment to redistill with the flavours in,” he says. The only issue is that the availability of niche products like these is small, John continues, adding that he does think the British rum category will grow. 

“There’s a bit more thought around drinking in general. People want to pick products they can sip and enjoy in small measures, and rum and whisky have that extra dimension of flavour that lend them well to this approach.”

British Distillers Alliance founder, Alan Powell, has noticed in this sphere a new wave of British producers of rum making from-scratch using molasses or cane sugar to great success, such as V Rum and Two Drifters Distillery.

He thinks we’ll see more of this from-scratch distilling in British rum. “Isle of Rum is a company that’s started up rum production in Scotland, for example. At the moment it’s small scale and small batch, but they’re selling the story and getting away from the idea of slave plantations, and that historical negativity that’s been attached to rum. Also, they are getting out into the marketplace and pushing it and setting up pop-ups. Some of these products are going pretty hard to disrupt the marketplace.”

John also thinks liqueurs are making a comeback. “They have the benefit that many of them are relatively low ABV and producers are making a point of using more natural ingredients to produce high-quality liqueurs. There’s a distillery in Manchester making a Curacao-style liqueur. They go around collecting used citrus from bars, like oranges, and use those. It’s really unique and quite environmentally friendly.

“Aperitivo is making a comeback as well. Brands making digestives are trying to reinvent themselves a bit, so they’re not just associated with shots but as a base for indulgent cocktails.”

European whisky is making its mark

Kristiane is buoyed by the EU whisky landscape, which she says all enthusiasts should be keeping their eyes on, with a number of expressions laid down five to 10 years ago now coming onto the market.

“French whisky is very much having a moment, especially single malt,” she explains. “There’s something like 100 distilleries in France. By volume, France is the second biggest export market for Scotch whisky and distillers there have been thinking, ‘we can do this’. We’re now seeing some really amazing spirits being released.”

Scandinavia has become a hot spot for whisky distilling too, tapping into the desire for something different in this space. “People are like, ‘oh, why does whisky have to be Scottish?’ There’s a whole world outside that and it’s truly thrilling. We’re only just seeing some of these coming to age, but there’s more to come.”

That includes, she says, a sauna smoked whisky, and whisky matured in green tea seasoned casks.

Behind the growth across the EU, Kristiane thinks, is the desire from consumers to discover better. Better quality. Truer heritage. Local ingredients. The use of different casks for finishing. Unbeholden by the strict regulations of Scotch whisky manufacturing, the wider industry can be experimental and have fun. “There’s so much space to innovate here, and people are carving out incredible points of difference. This taps into the whole ‘drink less, drink better’ trend.”

More widely across Europe, you can’t discuss spirits without mentioning whisky. Scotland clearly leads the way, with 2024’s export value estimated at £5.4 billion. It has formed a key bargaining chip in world trade agreements this year too.

Whisky expert and consultant, Isabel Graham-Yooll, founder of Wisgy, says the appeal of and importance to Britain of whisky is huge. “It’s utterly fundamental. Putting statistics to one side, there is the cultural pull of Scotch whisky. It’s known and revered globally, and every whisky producer has Scottish whisky in their sights. It’s what they’re trying to emulate, compete with or are inspired by.”

You can see this across the world, in places like the Japan. “Their whisky is entirely based on Scotch. They researched it so they could launch their own whisky culture. It’s fascinating.”

The ripple effect and impact Scotch whisky has had more broadly is phenomenal, Isabel continues. “Twenty-five years ago, I could tell you the name of every whisky distiller in the world. Now I’m watching them pop up one by one, all over. It’s very exciting to go, ‘oh look, there’s one in Sweden’, or ‘I just heard about one in Iceland’.”

When she started her career in spirits nearly three decades ago, Isabel says there was just a small pool of producers and exporters. “A handful of people in dark rooms talking about exporting globally. And it was unfashionable.” This is no longer the case. “Whisky brands have now gone mainstream. You’ve got Hollywood stars promoting them. Even if the flavours aren’t so appealing, the brands are.”

This growth and interest is hugely relevant to Scotland, she adds, which no longer has the monopoly on whisky, despite being perceived as the best in the world. “Everyone’s trying to topple it. It’s changed the way people look at it. There’s so much more money going into production, marketing and distribution. Bigger brands consider their whiskies as an asset, rather than something they’re doing because it’s been in their family for generations.”

Independent retailers, then, need to do their research, seeking out brands that align with their expectations – whether that’s environmentally, value, or story driven.

Another change of note, Isabel says, is the rise of British rye whisky, which is being sought out more than ever before for cocktail-making. “Bars are recognising they don’t always have to use a single malt, and a lot of distilleries have realised they need to do a rye whisky for that reason. Like Fielden in Oxford – that’s really interesting. The trends in drinking patterns show people want to use those authentic products. If I want to make a Manhattan, I can now make it with an excellent English rye whisky and it will taste a lot better than a Manhattan made 25 years ago with a blended whisky.”

Welsh, Northern Irish and English whisky – while nowhere near the volumes from Scotland -  are starting to deliver too and be sought out, she adds. A favourite of hers is Penderyn from South Wales. “When that started up 25 to 30 years ago it was such a novelty. People, including myself, would joke about whisky being made in Wales back then, but when you taste it, it’s perfectly wonderful. What tends to happen with new makers is they spend the first three years desperately trying to recoup their money and testing out the market so their reputation can be sealed in that period, but legally, to be whisky, it has to be three years old. Then it takes longer to develop the complexity to allow it to compete.”

Often, there’s a race to produce something to be sold after three years and a day, but production techniques and modernisation mean things have moved on, and there are younger whisky expressions well worth trying. “Distillers really are now able to make whisky that’s good while young now – much better than a few decades ago.”

There’s, naturally, a lot of cynicism surrounding brands that are trying new things. “But they need to be supported,” she adds.

Change for the better

Britain’s spirit industry has been wholly improved this year, says Alan, following years of work behind the scenes by him, lobbying for procedural and regulatory changes that have now been actioned.

Makers “don’t have to worry about bureaucracy anymore”, he says, adding that the changes are significant, and will certainly open up the market further, allowing existing and new spirit makers to get on with the job of developing and making their products without the red tape.

For example, “Up until 1st February this year, you had to pay duty in advance of moving goods. Now spirit makers get up to six weeks of credit to pay that duty.”

The duty structure has changed, allowing spirits producers to enjoy a number of reduced rates for the first time.

And duty stamps, which Alan calls “absolute madness” have gone, making it much easier, for example, for distillers to take bottles back for refill, and taking away senseless penalties.

“I’m so pleased they’ve done this. The whole system now is a lot clearer for those who want to make and mature spirits,” Alan says.

Building your range

Whisky should certainly feature in any speciality retailer’s stable when it comes to stocking spirits, whether from the EU or UK, all our experts agree. Alan says Scotch whisky is a given, but also consider English and EU varieties. “There are now several brands and producers in the marketplace, and they’ve done very well and won prizes. Have a basic range, including the big brands, but as a specialist retailer, you probably also want to have a bit more of an esoteric, eclectic collection. So stock the producers people expect, like your Gordon’s and your Johnnie Walker – people will look for them and buy them anyway -  but then offer an array of something a bit different.”

If you don’t have room for a big collection of spirits, you really should tailor your whisky, says Isabel. Aim for just a handful. “Think of the concept of stocking a few that are different. One that’s heavily peated, one that’s lighter, one that’s triple distilled. It doesn’t pay to be personal. Don’t just stock what you like, you need to cater for all tastes. Then, once you’ve finished a particular style, try another brand that’s similar. See what works for your customers without investing too heavily in lots of expensive stock.”

Choosing local is key for independents too, says John. “People like to shop local and support local businesses close to them. Look around. You might be surprised at what’s available in your local area, even if it’s just on a small scale.”

Make sure you taste before you stock. And continue to taste alongside customers, telling them the story of the spirits you’ve selected, why you’ve chosen them, and how they can be used at home.

 

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