Ask the Collective

Can I label and market a spiced rum in Europe at 40% ABV with natural spices, or must I call it a spiced spirit drink?

EU rum labelling rules for spiced variants are unclear and vary by market and regulator interpretation. Members report mixed experiences: **Labelling approaches members are using:** - **"Spiced Rum"** — one member reported success calling their 37.5% ABV natural-spice rum "Spiced Rum" across 20+ European markets with no issues so far - **"Rum spirit drink"** or **"Spirit drink with Rum"** — recommended as the safer legal option for new product development (NPD); members note this avoids potential trading standards challenges - **"Caribbean Spirit"** — an alternative positioning that has worked for some members exporting to Europe - **Dual labelling** — if using "Rum" and "Spirit drink," both terms must be the same font size, but you can display a large **"SPICED"** above them **Key caveats:** - Australia, USA, and Sweden have stricter spice-labelling rules than most EU markets - Some sources suggest natural spices allow "Spiced Rum" classification, but this guidance is not universally enforced - Trading standards officers may interpret rules differently; one member warned that some can "want to be knob heads" about it - The safest approach for new products is **"Rum spirit drink"** to avoid regulatory pushback, even if existing products successfully use "Spiced Rum" in market Members recommend checking with your specific target markets before launch, as interpretation varies.