Germany has banned non-alcoholic beverages from being called whiskey, rum, and gin.

In Germany, the issue of beverages is taken seriously and a court in Hamburg has attempted to resolve a long-standing dispute over non-alcoholic alternatives to whiskey, rum, and gin, reported DPA, cited by BTA. The case involves a startup selling beverages with just 0.3% alcohol content, meaning they can be offered on the German market as non-alcoholic alternatives to spirits. The drinks are advertised as "This is not rum", "This is not whiskey", and "This is not gin". The marketing company caused the ire of an industry organization of beverage producers, which turned to the court with a request to protect competition, claiming that it violates a European Union regulation on spirit drinks. A Hamburg court ruled in favor of the industry organization in July, and now its decision has been upheld by the regional court in the northern city after an appeal by both sides. The court ruled that only beverages that actually contain whiskey, gin, and rum can be presented with these words, ...