yamazaki distillery

Japanese whisky gets new production regulations

17 February, 2021

The Japan Spirits and Liqueurs Makers Association has announced a new set of rules and regulations for the production of Japanese whisky.

The new regulations will come into play from 1 April 2021 but producers have been given until 31 March 2024 to adhere to the new laws.

The new regulations are similar to those of scotch whisky and state that the whole production process must take place at a distillery in Japan and must be aged for at least three years, be bottled at at least 40% abv and can only use “plain caramel colouring”.

*picture courtesy of Drinkmagazine.Asia

The new regulations have been long awaited for the Japanese whisky category and those brands that cannot match the criteria cannot by law label the product “Japanese whisky” or use any marketing references to Japanese history or culture.

This includes the use of the Japanese flag, famous places, landmarks and cities or anything that suggests the product satisfies the above production requirements.





Digital Edition

Drinks International digital edition is available ahead of the printed magazine. Don’t miss out, make sure you subscribe today to access the digital edition and all archived editions of Drinks International as part of your subscription.

Comment

La'Mel Clarke

Service isn’t servitude: the skill of hosting

La’Mel Clarke, front of house at London’s Seed Library, looks at the forgotten art of hosting and why it deserves the same respect as bartending.

Instagram

Facebook