What are Spirit Flavored Wines?

Spirit Flavored Wines, also known as wine-based spirits or wine-based liquor alternatives, are wines that mimic the taste and aroma of spirits.

Huh? What the heck does that even mean?????  Let’s dive into the definitions and legalities behind this niche product type.

According to the United States Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) a distilled spirit is defined as “ethyl alcohol, hydrated oxide of ethyl, spirits of wine, whiskey, rum, brandy, gin, and other distilled spirits, including all dilutions and mixtures thereof, for non-industrial use.”  Distilled spirits can be produced from any fruit or grain, but they must go through the process of distillation to be classified as a spirit.

Wine, on the other hand, is defined as an alcoholic beverage produced from the fermentation of fruit juices (ie. Oranges, grapes, etc.). Each US state has their own unique definition of wine each state also has their own limit on the alcohol percentage that wine can be. In general, wine must be greater than 0.5% alcohol and no more than 24% alcohol. This is why, at SGBG, we create products at 17, 20, and 24% to meet the highest classifications of wine for the states we sell in.

Great Nick, soooo what the heck are these things?

So, in its simplest form, Spirit Flavored Wines or Wine Based Liquors are products that are legally classified as a wine by state and federal authorities, but they are made to taste and smell like liquor products. Why would we do this? Well, the main reason these products were created is to give customers with wine only licenses the ability to sell cocktails or liquor-like products. I’m sure when you filled out the paperwork to get your state wine license, you weren’t worried about the definition of wine, but knowing how these items are defined and classified also helps to understand the many different possibilities you have with your license. You don’t just need to sell beer and Cabernet; you can also sell great tasting and profitable cocktails!

Got is so these things are wine, but how are they made??

Well, this blog is meant to be informative, but I can’t divulge all of our trade secrets, so I’ll give you the basic version. To make our Spirit Flavored Wines we ferment grapes, or Agave for the Agave Wine, to about 21% alcohol by volume (ABV.) Then we add a proprietary blend of flavorings and ingredients to get to the desired liquor-type flavor. In our Gin, for example, we add juniper and other ingredients that mimic the flavor of a full-liquor gin. Same great taste, half the alcohol, and meeting all the legal requirements to sell at your wine-only store!

I hope this helps clear up the confusion of these products! If you’re still confused, drop us a line on our website and I would be happy to walk you through it!

Cheers!

Nick