Irish whiskey awarded special status by the European Union

Irish whiskey awarded special status "Geographical Indication" marking it as a truly unique product. 

What do Irish whiskey, Champagne and Prosciutto have in common? Well, now, a special European Union status giving it a "Geographical Indication" (GI) marking. 

Irish whiskey has been granted the GI status by the European Commission, a status which means that Ireland’s whiskey will now be marked with a sign indicating the geographical origin and a product’s unique qualities and production methods. 

With the submission put forward by the Irish Whiskey Association (IWA), Malt Irish Whiskey, Pot Still Irish Whiskey, Grain Irish Whiskey and Blended Irish Whiskey are now among the defined distinctive types of Irish whiskey which have now been given special status. 

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The allocation is a “momentous achievement” stated Carleen Madigan from the Irish Whiskey Association.

Madigan said that the GI “ensures that the traditions and high standards of the Irish whiskey category will be protected in the EU and globally in markets with which the EU has a trade agreement.”

“As sales of Irish whiskey continue to boom globally, we have seen a trebling in the complaints to the Association regarding fake Irish whiskey around the world,” Madigan added.

“The Geographic Indication provides the strongest possible protection against these infringements and gives us the basis for enforcement action against misleading products.”

Which is your favorite Irish whiskey? Let us know in the comments section, below. 

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