The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-04-19


the Genuine ArticIe-How IL l.
Done.
From the Washington star
A quart bottle OF rum stood yesterday
on the desk of Prof Wiley. chemist OF
the department OF agriculture. 1t was
not the real article. but a counterfeit
Nevertheless. nobody could have distin-
guished IL by taste or smell from the
genuine stun.
This bottleful Of liquor represented a
new idea-a fresh departure that is being
taken by the government, which pro-
poses to investigate fraudulent distilled
beverages. with this end in view. Uncle
SANS experts are now manufacturing
limitations of rum. whisky. gin and bran
dy. similar TO those commonly sold. sam
pies are sent TO members of the Asso-
citation Of Official Agricultural Chemists
an over the country for analysis. The
purpose Is TO ascertain whether the false
ingredients can he detected and. If so,
how. II sure means for distinguishing
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 flavor
---- Connecticut ANNNAH - n very tNAEl-
sive Industry in this country These es-
sences are nearly all others of organic
acids-that Is to say. acids derived by the
oxidation Of various alcohols. There are
many kinds OF alcohols. For example,
the wood spirits" obtained by the dis
ullation Of wood. are called "methyl al
cohol' BY the fermentation of potatoes
is got "amyl alcohol" otherwise known
as fusel oil. The fermentation or sugar
yields ethyl alcohol" which is the com
mon alcohol of commerce Glycerene is
species of alcohol. incidentally, IL is
worth mentioning that only some Of the
alcohols possess Intoxicating properties
Raw whisky fresh from the stil contains
many kinds Of alcohols, together with va
rtouS essential oils. These alcohols during
the process of ripening become oxidized
ana form others and acids which are
HaVoring matters. one OF the most import
ant OF these is Valerianic acid-a compound
which the chemist finds no difficulty In re-
producing in the laboratory by artificial
means. In the same way he is able to
produce all the other others and acids
which occur naturally In whisky or rum or
gin.
These artificial productions arc put up
IN bottles and sold under the name OF
essences. In nearly every big city in the
| United States great plants have been es-
tabhshed for the purpose Of manufactur-
ing such tavoring compounds. In fact. the
business is conducted on such a scale thai
one might reasonbly wonder whether any
real liquors of honest makes were on the
market. The bottled essences are sold
to people who call themselves "rectihers,"
and the latter use them In the simple pro-
cesses required for turning out off-hand
unlimited quantities OF spurious beverages
of all sorts. The following facts AS to the
methods employed are likely TO be inter
esting to anybody who takes an occasional
NIP over bar or Is fond OF "A glass OF
toddy e. home.
Whether it is brandy. whisky. gin os
rum that is to be made. the basis is always
the same-namely cologne spirits. Cologne
spirits are refined high wines" High
wines are coarse spirits produced from
grain by strong fermentation and distilI-
ing, They contain much fusel oil and
| other Objectionable crudities After being
refined by passing them through charcoal
and by other processes, they are called CO.
| logne spirits. Cologne spirits are neutral
! in flavor, being practically tasteless, and
| thus they readily absorb whatever flavors
| may be introduced. The extent OF the in
| dustry of manufacturing counterfeit IL
\ quors 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.
Cologne spirits are nearly pure alcohol
! To make whisky the manufactures first re-
/ duces them 70 the REQ uisite strength by
! adding 40 or 50 per cent. of water. He puts
| in few ounces of the proper essence for
each barrelful, supplemented with little
! burnt sugar for color1ng, and lOl the rev
suit is a barrel of pure rye or pure
| Bourbon" whisky, any number OF years
! old according to the choice OF label. For
| brandy, rum or gin the process Is the
same IT is only the kind OF essence that
varies. The colonng matter employed is
alwaws burnt sugar which is bottled in
| liquid form and sold by the manufacturer
! Of essences. By this simple means the in
! nocent consumer Is furnished with brandy
/ that never saw a grape. rum derived from
| corn instead Of molasses and gin in the pro-
duction of which the juniper berry has
borne no part.
on Prof Wiley's desk yesterday were
number of bottles containing the essences
described. They were variously labeled
"Cognac Brandy" Peach Brandy" ZAP
pie Brandy" "Holland Gin" Jamaica
| Rum" Blackberry Brandy etc. Each
| label bore directions for the manufacture
/ of thearticle indicated. For bourbon whis-
| ky the user was to add to one barrel of
| cologne spirits an ounce of the essence,
| with one pint of strip and two ounces of
! the eolOring. or the same barrel OF CO.
| logne spirits might be transformed into
| Holland gin by adding four ounces of the
| proper essence and one quart of strip.
/ This hulor being white no coloring is re-
CURED Surprising Jamaica rum to be pre-
| ferred. Il is necessary to add eight ounces
\ Of the appropriate essence, one psnf Of
| sirlap and five ounces of the coloring. Like
! processes were applicable to all Of the
| other kinds of liquors save in the case Of
| was more elaborate. To make blackberry
| brandy, take fourteen gallons Of diluted
| cologne spirits, four ounces of essence, six
| gallons of cherry Juice, four gallons Of
/ sirup four gallons of sweet cider. fifteen
| gallons of hot water, one pint OF color4ng
| and four ounces Of tartaric acid.
The manufacturers of these artificial fla