On naming, honestly.
Niets bottles are non-alcoholic (≤0.0% ABV). We use the words "spirit," "distilled," "aged," and "macerated" to describe how each bottle is made. These describe craft. They are not legal designations under EU law.
Under EU regulation 2019/787, the legal definition of a "spirit drink" requires a minimum 15% ABV. Niets products are non-alcoholic (≤0.0% ABV) and therefore are not legally classified as spirit drinks.
We use the term spirit in its broader, traditional sense — the spirit of a place, a botanical, a process. Our products are made by distillation, dealcoholisation and re-aging, and maceration, in three Belgian, Dominican and Italian facilities respectively. Each label states the precise method by which that bottle was produced.
- Niets bottles may be sold to all adults regardless of alcohol-licence status of the venue.
- The wording on each label includes the production method (distilled / dealcoholised / macerated) and the verified ABV (≤0.0%).
- Our terminology aligns with how comparable craft producers (Seedlip, Lyre's, Three Spirit) describe their work in the EU and UK.
- For trade and HoReCa partners requiring formal documentation, certificates of analysis are available on request.
US, UK, and rest-of-world labelling adapts the wording to each regulator's requirements. The craft is identical; the legal language is local.