Preservatives, colorings and flavorings are a much-discussed topic in food. Whether in supermarkets or restaurants: a declaration on the back of the packaging or on the menu is mandatory if products such as azorubine, titanium dioxide, disodium inosinate or artificial sweeteners are used.

That's a good thing, because consumers have a right to know exactly what they're eating when they buy an Asian stir-fry, lasagna or ice cream.
But what about the issue of declarations for spirits? Anyone who assumes that there are also extensive regulations on the subject of colorings and preservatives will be disappointed. In the case of alcoholic beverages such as liqueur, whiskey, gin and the like, the manufacturers are not bound. Even more: The topic is almost taboo and is not addressed publicly.

Why are many additives in spirits not declared?

Voluntary commitments are rare here, and anything that is not explicitly required by law is rarely only submitted out of good faith. The basis for the obligation to notify artificial additives is the so-called EDI ordinance on alcoholic beverages. In this, the legislator determines which quantities of which substances should be declared for spirits and which do not have to be declared. 

The following applies to spirits: You do not have to carry a list of ingredients with you. In plain language, this means that only the information that is acceptable to the manufacturer and in line with its marketing strategy appears on the packaging. 

In plain language, this means that many of the varieties that are currently being launched on the market probably do not have a fraction of the flavors added naturally. Many types of gin advertise a fruity or sour taste experience and fresh fruit or herbs to go with it on the packaging or in brochures. Whether there is really natural raspberry extract, fresh ginger or actual basil in the product cannot really be determined. The voluntary declaration makes it possible and difficult for you as a customer to remove products that contain artificial flavors, colorings or chemicals from your shopping list.

A high sugar content, which is quite common in alcoholic mixed drinks such as liqueurs and other spirits, can also be hidden with appropriate chemical additives. Since the declaration is not mandatory, consumers can practically not avoid it and have no insight into the often long list of synthetic additives. Beer is the only drink that is subject to the obligation to declare coloring and flavorings, but the number of black sheep is high, especially with high-proof drinks such as liqueurs or whiskeys. 

The trend in the beverage and food industry has been towards more natural products for several years. Extremely artificial products, whose taste and color give an idea of ​​the high proportion of chemicals, show slumps in sales figures. The taboo subject of declaring additives and colorings in spirits thus robs customers of an important point of reference when making their purchasing decisions. 

Why are colorings and other additives needed in spirits?

Flavor is the most important characteristic of all foods, whether in liquid or solid form. The more natural, fresher and balanced the taste, the higher the sales figures and the success with buyers. 
But since alcohol naturally has an extremely intense effect, stronger products are needed to achieve a juniper or fruit taste, for example. This is where chemicals and other additives come into play for many spirits in the industry. 

Since natural flavors are many times more expensive than their artificially produced placeholders, synthetic additives are preferred. In this way, the price for production can be reduced and the profit margin increased. The artificial aroma should be as similar as possible to that of nature, since this is preferred by consumers. The taste of fresh lime or ginger is far more popular than overly sweet or intense lab duplicates. Therefore, the motto of these manufacturers is: As cheap as possible, as close to the original as possible. 

They benefit from the fact that the declaration is entirely voluntary and there are therefore hardly any restrictions with regard to advertising promises or other information about the product. Whether the schnapps with the "intense and fresh taste of organically grown juniper" ever came into contact with real juniper berries or whether the tart taste of the spirit is more due to the arts of modern chemistry cannot be determined with certainty. 

What about additives and chemistry at Dr. Ginger Ginger Liqueur?

Even if some manufacturers in the spirits industry are black sheep in this respect, this is not the rule. Our dr Ginger Ginger Liqueur lives from the renunciation of chemicals, dyes and other artificial flavors. Instead, only natural and fresh ingredients are used, which is clearly noticeable in the quality and final taste of the end product. Therefore, we have no problem with a transparent declaration of all ingredients, as there are no synthetic elements among them. 

Without exception, our ingredients are carefully selected, checked with great regularity and finally brought together in an extremely gentle production process. As a consumer, you receive a liqueur that fully meets the high quality standards that we have set for ourselves. In addition, he will dr Ginger ginger liqueur produced by hand - a peculiarity in the world of fast manufacturing in which production takes place today. 

Natural and fresh ingredients from all over the world - but without any colorings or artificial flavors are used in our liqueur. Among them you will find, among others:

• fresh lemon juice from fruits that have been allowed to ripen under the Sicilian sun to the end
• brown raw sugar from fair trade, because not only a full taste but also a fair and conscious production are important 
• fresh ginger from real tubers that do not require any laboratory experiments 

It is important to us that you, the customer, get what you pay for. In the case of dr Ginger ginger liqueur are the natural ingredients that combine their real and unprocessed taste in the end product. That's why we don't make any promises on our website or on the packaging that aren't true. We want - at least for our own products - to end the taboo on the subject of additives in alcoholic beverages.

We are committed to production without additives. Natural and fresh ingredients are, so to speak, the heart of the dr Ginger ginger liqueur and you can taste it with every sip!