SPIR4240 - Technical guidance: What classification are spirits-based alcoholic carbonates ('Alcopops')?

Alcoholic carbonates, RTD alcopops, are generally produced by adding fruit, herbal or other flavoured concentrates to a fermented wine, cider or beer base or to a neutral or flavoured spirit base. They normally have an abv not exceeding 5.5%.

Where spirits are added to beer and the resulting product is of a strength exceeding 1.2% abv, it is dutied as a spirit. Exceptions are where the spirit is used as a carrier for flavourings, where no spirit is left in the final product or where the abv of the productis not increased by more than 0.1%.

Where spirits are added to wine/other fermented products the duty status will depend on whether the spirit or wine/other fermented products makes up the majority of volume and strength of the final product. If these first two results are not conclusive then the product may still be treated as other fermented products as long as it does not take on the characteristics of a spirit.