Grand River times. [volume] (Grand Haven, Mich.) 1851-18??, 1855-02-07
SEE WHAT YOU DRINK!

BRANDY.-This liquor is almost universally n
base imposition The imported article, as a gen.
eral fact, is aduterated. Unadulterated brandy
cannot be sold at less than about $3.50 the gal
Ion; the adulterated can be made at about 80
cents per gallon; and so disguised that no one
can tell the difference. The dealers can not, nor
do they, resist the temptation to adulterate,
where the gain is so enormous. Chemical CON-
pounds are now made and sold to fabricators
for making spurious brandy out Of whiskey
the whisky itself is sometimes drugged with ar
senc. raa ..t.r .t a..
A dealer in spurious brandy recently imported
enough of these compounds to manufacture 800
hogsheads of the forged article. He sold it for
pure, and at $3.50 per gallon; making a clear
profit, as he confessed, of 100000 on the spec
ulation; the fabricated article costing him only
about 80 cents gallon. The fabrcator having
used up his compound to his samples, took them
to chemist in Massachusetts for analysis, and
for the purpose of having them made in this
country, if possible. The chemist made an ex-
animation, and found one of the samples dead
ly poison he could not be tempted to have q
hand in producing the mixtures. Whether the
fabricator found a chemist less honest or had to
wait for a new importation, will not probably,
be known until the day of judgment, when all
such secrets will be made manifest. Who can
begin to estimate the results of the use of the
contents of these 500 casks of fabricated brandy
on those who before this time have probably
drank them?
Another man who had either imported OF
purchased the same kinds Of compounds is
now in California with them, and he boasted to
gentleman who mentioned it to the writer
that he should make 100000 out of the opera.
tlon.a .,u, b. f.y.sg
quantity Of French brandy was imported in.
to New York, and advertised for sale at auction
on a given day; it was landed on the wharf A
brandy fabrcator purchased the whole lot of the
importer, on the condition that the sale should
take place as advertised on his account During
the night it was all removed to his brandy brew.
cry, underwent the process ofaduteration, was
carted back, and sold next day, pure as import.
ed. ,i 2d a a.arsaa ~ H ., g1' ~
A large dealer in Albany declared that when
he purchased foreign liquors in New York. on
shipboard, he had no confidence in the article
purchased, unless he watched the cask from the
ship to the boat on the river. In former years
it was supposed that imported liquors were gen.
orally pure; but now this opinion was exploded
The process Of adulteration is carried on to a
vast extent in Europe, and it is doubtful wheth.
er one gallon in one hundred is landed on our
shores in apure state; and if in pure state
just so far as it is intoxicating it is worthless
and injurious, as beverage; and none should
be drank as such by any human being valuing
long life or a healthy body. In work publish
ed by the celebrated chemist, FREDERICK Accum
on adulteration, and dedicated to the Duke Of
Northumberland, the practices of brandy, gin
beer and wine fabricators were pretty fully ex
posed; but as elive in an age of progress the
tabricators of the present day have doubtless
,eclipsed those of the past. Accum gives the fol
lowing method of compounding, or making up
as il is technically called, brandy for retail , =
To l0puncheons of brandy ....l 1851 gallons
Add favored rasin spirit. go. lIS
hi Tincture of grains of Paradise. "a
Cherry laurel water.
Spirit of almond cake -. -. !" 49,.
I'.tD I'D ''i- -''tH eil llbiiH "
~ 3mI ID. CONG o ooi 1907 |" 7t
Add also 10 handsfull Of oak saw dust; no
giveit complexion with burnt sugar The sam,