DRINKERS with refined palates sometimes struggle to distinguish cheap British vodka from paint-stripper. Soon, if Finland has its way, the similarity will be official, writes Nicola Smith.

The Nordic vodka superpower is planning to use its six-month presidency of the European Union to try to ban some British-made brands from using the “vodka” appellation, forcing them to be labelled as “spirit drink” or even “white spirit drink”.

The Finns, who take the helm of the EU next month, are convinced that only vodka made from potatoes or grain is worthy of the name and want to amend EU law. Up to one-third of British-produced vodka will have to be re-labelled if the amended EU law is passed in the autumn.

“We want to promote this traditional approach to the definition of vodka,” said Pekka Pesonen, the Finnish secretary for agriculture. “This is something we really feel strongly about.”

Under the proposal, British brands such as Ciroc, Moskova, Red Square and Kirov, as well as many supermarket and pub-chain vodkas, would have to be reclassified because they are not made from potatoes or grains.

Diageo, the global drinks producer, said its Ciroc brand, made from French grapes and aimed at affluent young professionals, would be hard hit. “I can’t envisage any British people going into a bar and proudly asking for a white spirit-martini,” said Alan Butler, its director of EU corporate relations.

Britain is not alone in the battle for the spirit of Europe. The continent is split along a faultline pitting “vodka liberalisers” — such as Britain, Hungary and the Czech Republic, which refine vodka from molasses, grapes and sugar beet — against “vodka purists”.

Finland can count on support from Germany, Poland and the “vodka belt” of Nordic and Baltic states.

“Vodka has a heritage,” said Alexander Stubb, a Finnish MEP. “You can’t treat it like a second-class spirit. It’s like telling a Scotsman that you can produce whisky from whatever you want to.”

Struan Stevenson, a British Conservative MEP, accuses the Nordics of “waging a European vodka war”.

Last week Stevenson staged a blind vodka challenge in the European parliament and found only one in 10 MEPs and Eurocrats could tell the difference between 12 grape and potato-based vodkas.

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