What has to be on it
Reading a spirit's label
On a spirit's label, what matters first is the legal designation, such as fruit brandy, kirschwasser, raspberry eau-de-vie, or brandy, not the picture. Added to this are the alcohol content in % ABV, fill volume, and producer; for protected names, the origin, and where applicable an age statement, which always refers to the youngest component.
The designation: the most important word on the label
Images of fruit, farmhouses, or mountains are just design. What's actually in the bottle is revealed by the legal designation, which the EU Spirit Drinks Regulation (EU) 2019/787 sets out for each category. If it says cherry brandy or kirschwasser, it's the same thing: a spirit distilled from fermented cherries, with no added foreign alcohol, flavoring, or coloring.
If the label says Himbeergeist, unfermented raspberries were steeped in neutral alcohol and then distilled. A third variant carries the additional note "obtained by maceration and distillation." In this case, fruit may be partially fermented or unfermented and allowed to steep in alcohol before distillation. This disclosure is mandatory and must appear on the front label in the same typeface, size, and color as the product name.
Even small words come with strict rules. "Williams" may only be used for a pear brandy distilled exclusively from Williams pears. An Obstler must consist of at least 85 percent apples and pears. If the bottle simply says spirit or liqueur, however, it is not a brandy—even if a fruit name appears in the title.
Alcohol content, fill volume, producer: the mandatory label information
The alcohol content is stated in percent by volume, abbreviated % vol. It also reveals something about the category. Fruit brandy, fruit spirit and pomace brandy must contain at least 37.5 percent, brandy (Weinbrand) 36 percent, and Cognac, Armagnac and Calvados sold commercially at least 40 percent. Many fruit brandies sit between 40 and 43 percent.
Also required are the nominal filling quantity, such as 0.5 or 0.7 liters, as well as the name and address of the responsible company, plus a batch number for traceability. If a spirit contains one of the legally defined allergens, it must be declared. An ingredients list and a nutrition table, however, are not mandatory for beverages above 1.2 percent alcohol. Some producers include them voluntarily.
Origin on the label: recognizing protected names
Certain names are protected within the EU as geographical indications. These include Schwarzwälder Kirschwasser, Fränkisches Zwetschgenwasser, Wachauer Marillenbrand, Südtiroler Williams, Calvados Pays d'Auge, Grappa and Cognac. Any spirit bearing such a name must meet the rules of its origin—for Cognac, for example, distillation in a Charentais pot still and at least two years in oak.
Switzerland maintains its own register with four protected spirits: Eau-de-vie de poire du Valais, Abricotine, Damassine, and Zuger Kirsch or Rigi Kirsch. Not every regional-sounding name, however, is protected. Applications for a Bodensee Obstler and a Bodensee Birnenbrand, for instance, were withdrawn. So a landscape on the label does not automatically mean a protected origin.
Age statements and marketing words: what counts and what doesn't
An age or maturation statement may only appear on the label if it refers to the youngest spirit in the bottle and the aging took place under controlled conditions. For Cognac, this is governed by the letters VS, VSOP and XO; for Grappa, by the terms "invecchiata" for at least twelve months and "riserva" for at least 18 months in wood. An exception is Brandy de Jerez, whose categories are based on the average age within the solera system.
For fruit brandy, there are no EU age classifications. Words like "old," "Reserve," or a vintage year are statements made by the producer, though the same basic rule applies: it refers to the youngest component. An "old plum brandy" without further detail therefore says little. More informative is a note on how long, and in what type of wood or vessel, the spirit was aged.
Terms like Edelbrand, Feinbrand or Hausbrand, on the other hand, are not categories defined by EU regulation. In Austria, Edelbrand is described in the Austrian Food Code (Lebensmittelbuch); in Germany, "Edelobstbrand" is simply a marketing term. Such terms may be used honestly, but they guarantee nothing. What you can rely on is the legal designation, the alcohol content, and, where applicable, the protected designation of origin.