European rye whisky can no longer be called… rye whisky.

You read that headline right. European whisky makers can no longer use the term rye whisky.

This is not an April Fool’s gag. But as of 1 April 2025, a long-forgotten trade agreement between the EU and Canada has suddenly reared its bureaucratic head. 

Now, distillers in Denmark, Finland, Germany, Austria and beyond are scrambling to find legally acceptable ways to describe a whisky made with rye.

If that all sounds a bit backwards, that’s because it is.

So, what’s going on?

The culprit is a 2004 agreement known as CETA. Back then, hardly anyone in Europe was making rye whisky, so nobody batted an eyelid when the EU agreed to protect the term ‘Canadian rye whisky’. 

The trouble is, Canadian rye whisky doesn’t legally need to contain rye. It just needs to be made in Canada, aged for at least three years in small wooden casks, and not dip below 40% ABV. It can be blended, flavoured, or mixed with up to 9.09% foreign spirit. The term “Canadian rye whisky” is often just used as a synonym for “Canadian whisky“.

Meanwhile, distillers like Kyrö in Finland and Stauning in Denmark make 100% rye whisky from local grain using traditional methods. But they’re the ones being told the word ‘rye’ can’t feature on bottle labels. Because… Canada?

As Kyrö put it, the situation is ‘outryegous’. Quite.

Bureaucratic déjà vu

Nobody saw this coming. Not even Canada. In fairness, it doesn’t seem like anyone from the Canadian whisky industry ever gave a shite, or even knew that this legislation existed. The rule’s been quietly sleeping in the EU’s paperwork dungeon for over two decades, enforced by no one, noticed by few.

So why is it suddenly being taken seriously now? 

Theories abound. Some point to diligent officials in new producing nations who unearthed it. Others think it’s a reflection of the current trade landscape where nobody is leaving anything to chance. Perhaps it’s even the EU’s attempt to look tough on trade deals before another Trump tantrum explodes global diplomacy. Either way, it’s got producers fuming.

Kyrö now has to label its spirit as “whisky made from rye” – carefully avoiding having ‘whisky’ and ‘rye’ appear on the same line. Yes, that’s a real thing. It’s also fully leaning into the “whisky born in a sauna” angle. Respect. 

Stauning has taken a more creative route, releasing a new bottle with the word ‘Censored’ slapped over where ‘rye whisky’ used to be. It’s petty, clever, and a perfect summation of how absurd this all is.

Can you trademark a grain?

That’s the heart of it. Champagne, Cognac, and Roquefort are protected because they refer to a region and production style. Rye is a grain. One that’s been grown, eaten, and fermented across Europe for centuries.

In fact, rye was introduced to North America by European immigrants. Any rye used in Canadian whisky is likely grown in Europe. Saying only Canada can use the word in whisky is like saying only the Italians can use ‘tomato’ on a sauce jar. In fact, it’s even worse, given the cultural and historical significance of the rye grain in Eastern Europe, Scandinavia, and the Germanic countries. It would be like the US trademarking the word “hamburger” or “bolognese”.  

Stauning’s Alex Munch summed it up: “You can protect a place. You can’t protect an ingredient.”

What now?

Kyrö, Stauning, and others are lobbying to get the agreement changed during its next review. There’s growing political support in Denmark, and business group SMV Danmark says the law benefits no one and hurts everyone. Especially the small producers who’ve spent years building a reputation for their rye whisky, only to be told it’s not rye whisky anymore.

As for the UK? Bit murky. Post-Brexit, it’s all a bit immaterial. The British reaction has basically been to shrug, keep calm, and carry on (as far we can tell). But if the term ‘rye whisky’ becomes globally tied to just Canada and the US, there could still be headaches down the line. 

The hope is that common sense prevails. That the truth doesn’t die for the sake of bureaucracy. That good whisky makers aren’t punished when all they did was create a genuine product that reflects a craft-led approach. That, as an industry, we do the right thing (Or should we say, rye-t?). That.

The good news is that if we look at whisky as a whole and how it usually responds to issues such as this, then… oh my god we’re doomed. 

Time to come up with some new names. Wry whisky? Ryesky? The Artist Formerly Known As Rye?

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