The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1881-07-06
RAD BEER.
How the Popular ummer Beverage
IL Adu'iers ted.

How the Popular ummer Beverage
IL >du'tersted.
New York sun.
Every one who is familiar with the methods
of manufacturing genuine lager beer knows
that the beverage ordinarily sold is very
d f rea's article. The den an fr this light
bee. sprans up suddenly, fii.eeen or twenty
wears ago, and il has been steadily and rap
pidly increasing during that time, until now
the people of the United States rival the
Germsns in their fondness for what they
know rs lager beer. II is this enormous dc :
mspd which has stimulated the brewers to
resort to many devices for chespening the
supply and for fastening It's production, and
the consea uencs is that they are now able to
msnufac u BE-, that goes for lager. and
is, perhaps, generally preferred TO the real
article, but which is less wholesome and far
less attractive to good judge OF malt
LIQUORS. The old lager beer, rs its name i'm
plies, was allu wed to lie ard get several
months of age before it was sold, IL was
thoroughly fermented when it came into
the hand of the consumers and, therefore
was comparatively safe beverage. The beer
was breWeG in the winner from hops and
malt and in the spring and summer 1t was
counted fit for USE. Now, however, with the
help of ice, it IL turned out at all seasons,
and the fresh, imperfectly fermented pro-
duct is treated in various ways to give IL the
appearance of the age it requires. The
brewers say that the public taste demands
that they shall thus d Ictor Their BEER. 1t
wants light and f.sky article, according to
them, aud would reject the sober beverage
which WAS popular before the Lew ways of
brewing came In. Perhaps that uisy be SO,
for it net infrequently happens that skiliully
sdul.erated foods aud drinks are the more
pslatab to ordinary Consumers for the very
rea' on that they have been treated with
drugs which give them greater piQuancy and
Disguise their natural flavor. But when the
effect is produced at the expense of the
wholesomentss Of the articles, the damage
done is of course all the more serious because
of this visiatlon Of the public taste. More.
over, as our reporter explains, all these new
devices b""ett the POCKET of the brewer.
They lave been introduced, not to improve
tna Deer. D.l T., lessen the cost of its produc
tion. Il nest beer is made from barley malt
ps. and '"e malt ia the most expen~
are article til .'enters Ito its tou po.llior.
n.,.. ,ior,s have, therefore, been made "
tind g. bstitue for the malt. Il ce has been
tried, and is still used but glucose, or corn
sugar II seems, has been found best adapted
to the purpose. II Is very cheap, costing
about 3 cents pound, and when the malt Is
adulterated with it to the extent of third, q
swest, lignt,colored, brilliant beer which The
brewers had to be very popular, is produced.
1t is, however. a poor stuff Compared with
that If the malt alone. or you get nothing
fr5m the fermentation of glucose but alcOho',
while barley malt is very rich IN nutriuve
properties. The m nufscture of GLUCOSE
from corn is now an enormous Industry in
this country, and the number of establish
ments engaged 10 its production is constantly
increasing. For whom is all this glucose
made? 1t is undoubtedly used 10 sdulterate
sugar, and confecsioners employ it in place
Of sugar to u greater or less degre d,
but the larger beer brewers take the
chief part of tho supply. Knowing this
We can form some IDEA of the extent to
which the adulteration of the beer 10 carried
on in the United States. Our report in an
other column contains list of the various
drugs used BY the brewers to give their adul-
terated beer fictitious head, to impart to it
owcos soosot w likutou Itb cOlOr, 10 Keep IL
from )uring, and to make its favor 9, # and
palatable. They are all dangerous sub.
stances, though the proportion # them TO-
troduced Is not SO great as to do any imme-
date harm to the driDker. They may, how
ever, have a very decidedly Injurious effect
on men who are already consumers of the
beverage, which they feel safe in taking in
even moderate Quantities because they be-.
liave it TO be 30 lightly charged with alcohol.
kidney diseases have undoubtedly much
increased in this country Of late years, and
the we'll nigh universal consumption of lager
.bacr may have been one of the chief causes
of their greater prevalence, but it is impos.
sibls to tell how much me the evil should be
traced to the sdulterstion of the lquur
merely. No mater whether it, IS honest or
dishonest. the drinkers of lager beer often
times swill down such vast quantities of the
beer At single sitting That they put more
work upon their kidneys than they can bear.
We are inclined to think that this disposition
to over indulgence is the explanation of the
increase in the diseases of those organs. 1t
ia plain, however, that the legal means of
preventing the adulters,ion of lager bear
which can now DO used In this state should
not be- neglected. The brewers should be
compelled TO give the public beer made of
hops and barley malt only.