The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-02-11
SOAP OIL MAKES
THE BEST BEAD
CHEMIST TELLS HOW WHISKY Is
ADULTERATED.
Says Fusel Oil Not Used Because It Is
Too Expensive Straight Whisky No
Better than the Rectifed Article, but
Costs More, He Declares Govern
ment Expert Answered.

"Rectifed whisky is as pure as
straight whisky; and tastes better,''
said the chemist Of one Of the largest
wholesale liquor establishments to
Journal reporter yesterday, who ac-
companied s. H. Nichols, collector of
internal revenue, on his monthly visit
to the rectifying manufactures. "The
man who says that the government al
lows the rectifier to adulterate his
goods shows that he doesn t know what
he is talking about. -
This statement was made in answer
to the recent statement Of DR.. w. II.
Wiley, government chemist, that IS per
cent of the whisky sold over the bar
is compound, blended or adulterated.
Dr.. Wiley said: CIT is a compound
made q Of neutral spirit, or alcohol arti-
tic1ally colored, often favored with ar
tlhclal essences and sometimes mixed
with more or less straight whisky to
give flavor. When sold as straight
whisky, it is an initiated or adulter-
ated article
The local chemist continued: "While
l have no denial to make that whisky
may be adulterated in the bottle. it is
absurd to say that because whisky is
blended it is more impure than straight
whisky. The government keeps an ac-
curate tab of every step in the whole
sale business. To classify them in the
same list is to insult the rectifer and
the government inspectors alike. AS
long as the government has it's stamp
OF on the package it. is a guarantee that
the goods are pure. &C.
that as soon as whisky is sold in less
than five-gallon packages it passes out
OF the control of the inspectors. After
that the barkeepers and, retailers can
mix in the bottle as much as they wish,
and as they are generally ignorant. the
result is !, something fierce. STRAIGHT
whisky. can be pretty bad, especially
when it is new, if it is manufactured
out Of poor quality Of grain or out Of
cheap potatoes.
| Another current opinion that ought
to be knocked in the head is that Fec.
filters put fusel oil in whisky. One OF
the things that the distiller does is to
get all of the fusel oil out of the whisky
that is possible. It sells for 500 cal
Ion and any rectifer making use Of il
would be foolish, What we do use is 8
soap oil for beading purposes, a hall
ounce to the barrel. It is perfectly
harmless. As far as the other essences
used are concerned, I would like to have
DR.. Wiley or any chemist examine
them. There is extract of prunes, anc
AO4 PoAASoCty AcSA AAAoSS.'
"The trouble Is, people want cheal
whisky. Good whisky costs money. Il
the retailer is honest he doesn' It adulter
ate his whisky, perhaps, but sells new
whisky which tastes pretty good. Peo
pie who are experts in tasting mos
often prefer blends, one whisky giving
the strength, another the flavor, AM
another the color. - IS. -
| The interview published In TIL
journal with retailer assertin,
that the government is practically il
'scahoots" with tho rectiher was en-
phatically denied in the other hal
dozen houses visited. One Charge hous
declared that because Of the restriction
lof the government they were forced t
gested against the sale Of impur
liquors was not that the government
do away with the rectifying houses bu
that the control Of the government OF
tend over the whisky until It is sold t
the consumer; At present the pure foo
commission Is supposed to attend t
whisky in less than hve-gallon packages
but their facilities are inadequate.