Battle brewing over whisky

by Nicole Weston, Posted Apr 20th 2006 @ 11:01AM

Scotch whisky is enjoying unprecedented popularity around the world, especially in Asian countries. The annual foreign market is more than £2 billion. Understandably, the distillers would like to hold on to as much of this market as they can, but there are some who are none too happy about the current market.

In India, sales of whisky have enjoyed a fifty percent increase in the last year and a Scotish Whisky Association (SWA) representative said that "India is the industry's number one trade priority." That is where the trouble starts. The SWA is protesting the 212-525% taxes and tariffs on their imports, which the Indian government and distillers say is necessary to protect local products. Indian distillers, in turn, are protesting the fact that the EU does not permit them to sell their own brew as "whisky" in Europe because it is molasses-based, not cereal-based. The Indian distillers, like magnate Vijay Mallya, say that having to call their beverage an "Indian spirit" hurts sales and the EU's labling requirements amount to protectionism, especially since they are not asking to call their products "scotch," and are willing to use the label "Indian whisky."

Efforts towards a settlement have failed thus far, but the EU is apparently conducting negotiations to see if a resolution can be reached.

Source

Filed Under: Drink Recipes
Tags: asia, brew, britain, british isles, distiller, distillers, eu, government, india, liquor, scotch, scotland, spirits, tariff, taxes, whiskey, whisky

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Reader comments (Page 1 of 1)

4-20-2006 @11:52AM Razib Ahmed said... There is more room for growth in India for Scotch whisky. The Indian economy growing very fast and more and more foreign companies are coming there. With 800 Americans working in ICT companies in India (http://www.southasiabiz.com/2006/04/800_americans_working_in_ict_c.html) and more to follow, the market of whisky can only get better.
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4-20-2006 @1:53PM Bruce Dearborn Walker said... Sugar cane based liquor is traditionally called rum, arrack, or agardiente. I would try an Indian rum. I would try an Indian grain based whisky. I wouldn't be thrilled to have an Indian rum if it were sold as whisky.

i would also be interested in any traditional Indian liquors, whatever they were called. Anyone know of any?
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