Banxiae is a London Dry Gin. What does this definition mean? What are the criteria for being able to say that a gin is a London Dry Gin and who determines them?
The relevant bodies of law are the European Parliament and Council. Regulation EC 110/2008 "on the definition, description, presentation, labelling and the protection of geographical indications of spirit drinks" explains which products fall under the definition of a spirit drink and indicates the production criteria that a London Dry Gin must meet.
The term spirit drink refers to an alcoholic beverage intended for human consumption, with special organoleptic characteristics and a minimum alcohol content of 15 degrees. There are then various methods of production: distillation, maceration, addition of flavorings or sugars, blending with other beverages, ethyl alcohol or distillates, depending on the specific spirit drink.
London Dry Gin (or London Gin, in the reference text) is a distilled gin, i.e., a juniper-flavored spirit drink made by redistilling ethyl alcohol of agricultural origin in the presence of juniper berries (an ingredient that must be predominant in taste) and other natural plant products, with specific rules during production.
London Dry Gin, to be recognized as such, must:
Gradually less and less stringent regulations are imposed on other categories of gin (except "PGI" gins). We can therefore consider London Dry Gin one of the most controlled and quality products among juniper-based spirits.
Source: Official Journal of the European Union
