Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-04-13

new idea-a fresh departure that Is being
taken by the government, which proposes
to investigate fraudulent distilled bever-
ages With this end IN view. Uncle Sans
experts are now manufacturing limitations
Of rum, whisky, gin and brandy, similar
to those commonly sold. Samples are sent
to members of the Association Of Official
Chemists all over the country
for analysis. The purpose Is to ascertain
whether the false ingredients can be de-
tected, and, If SO, how. If sure means for
such frauds can be found
chemists will be able to testify against
them in the courts, and eventually they
may be driven out Of the market.
The manufacture of essences for faYoring
counterfeit liquors Is a very extensive In
dustry in this country. These essences are
to Say. acids derived by the oxidation of
various alcohols. There are many kinds Of
alcohols. For example. the wood spirits"
obtained by the distiilation of wood. are
ton of potatoes is got "amyl alcohol" 9TH
erwise known as fusel oil. The fermenta-
ton of sugar yields ethyl alcohol" which
Is the common alcohol OF commerce. ely
cerine is a species of alcohol Incidentally.
It is worth mentioning that only some Of
the alcohols possess intoxicating properties.
Work of the Chemist.
Raw whisky fresh from the stu contains
many kinds Of alcohols. together with va
Iious essential oils. These alcOh0ls during
the process of ripening become oxidized and
form others and acids. which are fiavoring
matters. One of the most important of
these is valerlanic acid.-a compound which
the chemist finds no dihicaity In reproduc-
ing in the laboratory by artificial means.
In the same way he Is able to reproduce all
Of the other others and acids " mich occur
naturally in whisky. er runai or gin.
These artificial pdoouct tare put up in
bottles and sold under the name of es-
sences. In nearly oevery9 big city in the
United States great, plants have been es-
tablished for the purpose Of manufacturing
such fiavoring compounds. In fact, the
business is conductef.on such a scale that
one might acknowledgements whether any
real liquors of honest makes were on the
market. The bottled ESSENCES are sold to
people who call themselves "rec tifiers," and
the latter use them in theistmple processes
required for turning, out roffhand unlim-
tied quantities of spirituoas beverages OF
all sorts. The following FACTS as to the
methods employed are likely to be inter-
estins to anybody who takes an occasional
whether it is brandy. whisky. gin or rum
that is to be made. the basis is always the
same-namely. cologne spirits. Cologne
wines are coarse spirits produced from
grain by strong fermentation and distill-
Ing. They contain much fusel Oil and other
Objectionable crudities. After being refined
other processes, they, are called cologne
spirits. Cologne spirits are, neutral in fla
vor, being practically tasteless. and thus
they readily absorb whatever ttavors may
be introduced. The extent of the industry
OF manufacturing counterfeit liquors may
be judged from the fact that nearly one.
half of the production of spirits In this
country Is in the shape of high wines and
cologne spirits. H
Use of Essences.
Cologne spirits are nearly pure alcohol
To make whisky the manufacturer first re
duces them to the requisite strength by
adding 40 or 80 per cent of water. He put:
| in a few ounces of the proper essence fol
each barrelful, supplemented with a little
burnt sugar for coloring, and 10! the result
is barrel Of pure rye or pure Bourbon
| whisky. any number Of years old, according
| to the choice Of label. For brandy, rum o.
| gin the process Is the same; it Is only thu
| kind Of essence that varies. The colorinl
matter employed is always burnt sugar
which is bottled in liquid form and sold b!
the manufac turer of essences. By THY
| simple means the innocent consumer is fur
nished with brandy that never saw a grape
rum derived from corn instead of molasse
and gin in the production OF which tn
juniper berry has borne no part.
| On Professor Wfley's desk yesterda!
| were number or bottles containing IN
essences described. They were variousl!
labeled Bourbon Whisky" Rye Wits
KY" "Cognac Brandy" Peach Brandy.
Apple Brandy" Holland Gin" "Jamaic,
Rum Blackberry Brandy etc. Eacl
label bore directions for the manufacture
of the article indicated. For bourbon whis
ky the user was to add to one barrel o
cologne spirits an ounce of the essence
with one pint of strip and two ounces o
the coloring. Or the same barrel OF CO
logne spirits might be transformed int
| Holland gin by adding four ounces of tn
| proper essence and one quart of siruI
| This liquor being white no coloring Is re
quired. Surprising Jamaica rum to be pre-
| ferred. 1t is necessary to add eight ounce
of the appropriate essence, one pint o
strip and five ounces of the -coloring. lIik
processes were applicable to all of tn
| other kinds of liquors, save In the case Q
blackberry brandy. the recipe for whic
was more elaborate. To make blackberr
! brandy, take fourteen gallons of dilute
cologne spirits. four ounces of essence, 81
gallons of cherry juice, four gallons G
gallons of hot water, one pint of colorin
How They Are Made.
The manufacturers of these artificis
favoring compounds, also, put up grea
quantities of what they call punch es
| OF
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