Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1882-11-27

METHODS OF MANUFACTURING BRANDY And
GN-ADULTERArED WINES THAT ESCAPE DR.
TEcrloN-wINES THAT CONTAIN NO GRAPE
JUICE.
From the New York Times
The business Of initiating liquorsi is a very ex
tensye industry in the United States There
are at least fifteen or twenty firms In this city
whose only business is the so-caled Improve
ment" Of alcoholic liquors by the addition and
substitution Of various foreign materials They
claim that these materials are In no way OF a
deeterious character-rather healthful In fact
and that the difference between the liquors they
produce and bona fide originals is quite mat
ter OF Imagination Each firm has its peculiar
methods ana formula, which are not 10 be d.
Fulged. These methods, however are well
known TO chemists, who consider this forgery
OF intoNcants as dangerous practice and the
results obtained often harmful. The intoxicat-
Ing element in all liquors Is alcohol the percen-
tage or which contained in liquor determines
Its intoxicating power. This Is, however, more
or less modified by the presence of other ingre-
dents. Whisky contains from 40 TO so per
cent. OF alcohol, the balance being water, with
trace OF fannie acid. from the barrels and OF
fused-oil, developed by fermentation. Whisky,
though used as the basis OF many of the facti-
tious liquors, is not itself expensive enough to
make 1t worth while 10 initiate II. IL is how
ever, In common with all alcoholic liquors, i'm
proved by keeping. and TO give IL the smooth,
oily taste of age various expedients are resorted
TO. A fresh barrel OF raw whisky is taken In
hand. by the expert. who converts IL in a few
hours into old rye or Bourbon by judicious
admixture of oak shavngs. burned sugar and
giycerine. Sometimes he takes away the crude
taste by passing an electric current through it,
Much OF the highest priced whisky sold In the
best places is made in this artistic fashion.
Bourbon is generally supposed to contain more
fusel oil than rye but this is not necessarily the
case.
HOW BRANDY is MADE.
Brandy is made by the distillation OF fer
mented grapes-sometimes from the juice alone.
and sometimes from the skins, seeds and Juice
together. When made from the juice alone It is
nearly colorless, has a very agreeable odor and
slightly acid, aromatic taste. II contains from
IS to so per cent of alcohol There is probably
no liquor so much initiated and adulterated as
brandy. The commonest method Of initiating it
is 10y adding to plain grain whisky certain proper
lions OF various others, which are sold inmixture
as 'brandv essence" burned sugar. spices
fannie acid, and acetic acid. Nine-tenths OF the
brandy that is drank never saw q grape-skin.
Gin is made by dlstiIling alcohol with Juniper
berries, Its distinctive taste and odor being due
to the presence of a small amount of oil OF iunl-
per. The amount OF alcohol varies from soto 40
per cent, the residue being water with less than
per cent Of the juniper oil. The gin COM
monty sold as the real article is however made
10y simply adding small quantity of this oil
or more frequently oil of turpentne, TO common
whisky together with sufficient water TO reduce
the strength OF the spirit TO about so per cent
OF alcohol. None but the most expensive brands
OF gin are made i'm any other way. Different
brands contain slight additions which give them
their peculiar hayors
TEE BEST RUN Is MADE
by the distillation OF fermented molasses Often
pineapples and other fruits are sliced and
thrown into the still to give flavor. The moIas-
ses used consists of the washings and refuse
from the sugar houses. 1t contains 30 to IS per
cent Of alcohol and is not much adulterated ex-
cept with certain fiavoring ethers designed to
initiate real jamaica" or other brands The
main constituent OF absinthe is oil of worm
wood. Ii Is made by the distillation of alcohol
with water, absinthium (wormwood), and var
ious spices, such as fennel anise and coriander
The resulting liquid lis diluted more or less the
various brands differing greatly in the amounts
OF water and other substances present i'm each
lt Is most frequently made by the simple admix-
ture OF oil OF wormwoOd ithaloohol and water
various essential oils being added to give pun
gency. Distilled absinthe well prepared from
fresh materials should be of q bright green
color. Its effects are well known to be OF the
most dangerous character, and result In nervous
exhaustion and partial or complete paralysis Of
tails at Paris devoted to diseases produced by
this fatal drug.
ADULrERArIoN OF WINES.
Wines are the most complex OF liquors. and
afford great opportunity for adulteration. The
detection Of such adulteration is frequently
very difficult. True grape wine, properly made,
contains from to IL per cent OF alcohol and
either no sugar or quantities varying from q
trace to 10 per cent. Fragrant others, glycerine,
fannie acid and acetic acid, and other ingredi-
ents enter into its composition. Wines may be
roughly divided into two classes red and white;
also into sweet and dry. Red wines are made
by the fermentation of the grapejuice together
with the skins and seeds, from which they de-
rive their color. White wines may be made
from the juice Of red or white grapes fermented
without the seeds and skins. As good claret is
made In America as the European, but the dry
white wines we have not the experience to
produce of equal quality with the imported.
Many sweet wines are made without fermen-
tation by simply adding to fresh grape
juice due proportions Of alcohol and sugar
These are very injurious. Champagne is made
properly by fermenting the grape juice partially
In casks, tlren drawing it of into bottles and
allowing fermentation to proceed very slowly,
the time required varying from one to three
years. BY this means a wine is produced which
contains from TO 9 per cent or sugar and
heavily charged with carbonic acid gas. Much
time and skill are required, and though some
good champagne is made in this country we see
but little that is palatable of the native product
OF all the liquors champagne is probably the
easiest to initiate. Ali sorts of things are used
as ingredients, and man is said to have taken
prize once for an imitation Of which he con-
fessed the basis was coal oil. barrel of cham
payne may be made by mixing 20 gallons Of ca
tawba wine, 20 Of water 9 OF angelica california
SWEET wine, gallons Of alcohol and four gal
Ions OF syrup. Honey is frequently used as
well. Such q mixture as this can, however,
be readily detected by the most uneducated
taste.
There are limitations Of
GRAPE WINES
which contain no grape juice whatever, but the
more usual method Of imitation is to take
poor, cheap grape wines and add thereto
alcohol, water, Spices glycerine, and vege-
table or anline coloring matter Most OF the
wine sold in this country is discolored more or
less, but most Of it has as q basis some real
grape wine. An artificial champagne is made
BY charging sweet white wine with gas Strange
as it may seem, the artificial white wine made
In this way is quite. as good as the real, pro-
vided that the wine taken as basis is sufh-