The Washington herald., 1907-05-03
WHAT is WHISKY ABROAD?
BY FREDERIC J. HASKIM
BY FREDERIC J. HASKIN.

The question, What is whisky?' is of
as much interest abroad as IL is in the
United States. In fact. other countries
have gone farther than America in leg
islative efforts to prevent deception of
the buyer. AS the United States exports
great quantities OF whisky, and as much
Of this export goods viii come under the
operation of the ruling of Attorney Gen
eral BOnaparte, it can no longer be Ia
beled whisky unless il is the genuine dis
titled whisky. A great proportion OF that
whisky sent abroad is Of the neutral
spirit variety, and hereafter win have
TO be labeled compound" or imitation"
This feature of the ruling win have an
effect beyond that of merely designating
the true character OF the alleged whisky,
as customs duties make determinations
between the genuine and the artificial
The late John Hay. while Secretary of
State, took up the question of whisky
adulteration with the government of
Japan. In the exchange of diplomatic
correspondence he wrote a yeritable clas-
sic on what is whisky?" Japan has
law levyiag a tariff tax of 50 per cent
ad valorem on genuine whisky, and of
240 per cent ad valorem on the artihcially
prepared whisky. Five thousand barrels
OF the sure-enough American whisky lay
on the wharves OF Yokohama. Strangely
enough it had been shipped from Cali
fOrnia, Although the school question was
then undreamed of. Japanese officers
locked horns with the California trader
on the tariff. Japan demanded the 240
per cent. The trader declined to pay over
% per cent claiming his whisky was the
pure article. Secretary Hay and Minis
ter GrsCOm undertook 10 explain to the
Mikado's customs commission the justice
OF the CalifOrnian's claim, setting forth
in minute detail how the japanese ana
lyst could tell the difference between the
genuine whisky of the Western world to
be taxed - per cent, and the synthetic
stimulation thereof 10 be taxed AZ 20 per
cent Mr. Hay answered the question
what is whisky By explaining how real
whisky was made and that mixture of
alcohol. favorng and caramel coloring
was not whisky AT ALL Japan was con-
vinced that the whisky in question was
real whisky and the Californian won his
point But the Mkado's government has
enacted a law providing that liquors of
continental origin viii not be received
from England, but must come directly TO
Japan upon their original source Thus
does Japan protect itself against adul-
teratiOns
Horace Greeley and Alexander II. Ste
phens We're once co-editors of an ency-
elopedia. After describing the charae-
teristics of straight whisky, as the pure
article is now termed by Mr.. Bonaparte.
this encyclopedia explains that "a very
large proportion OF the whisky consumed
in this country is aruncially prepared.
1t then gives "a recipe for making ''cognac
brandy" which calls for forty gallons of
proof spirits, one gallon Of peach flavor.
one pint Of wine vinegar one pound of
glycerine. and little oil of cognac and
one gallon Of brandy with enough cara
mel 70 color TO suit. This encyclopedia is
known as JohnsOn's. Not that of rare
Ben who spelled il "Jonson." nor that
of DR.. Samuel, the great leNicogra apher.
but of a plain United States Johnson.
But if extra -Bosweillian tradition be be-
heved, the great Dr.. Johnson condemned
not the flowing bowl the pewter mug, nor
the clinking glass. Look to-day into the
dusty windows of his One-time favOrite
Cheshire Cheese" at the little brown
jugs OF Irish poteen! There is a fable
that tiN1 old song about the little brown
jug was born at a moment when d poe
looked in at these windows with a thick
blanket of London fog hanging heavy
on his good resolutions. Notwithstanding
the air Of romance and the halo of historic
interest, il remains a fact that it is ex-
eeedingly difficult TO get drink OF gen
uine whisky in the pubs Of London.
The Scotch and Irish whiskies sold
there are seldom pure and most often are
mixtures and compounds of neutral spir-
its. There are floating in the markets
of London to-day, as well as throughout
the United Kingdom. all over Europe.
America. and the Orient. bottles of So
called Scotch whisky. consecrated and
dedicated 10 his majesty Edward VII,
bearing emblems of the Highlands. with
kits and heather bloom, and all the
stage settings of the land OF Bobble Burns
and Walter Scott; and yet, in many cases
there Is hardly a drop IN bottle that
bears any geographical relation whatever
10 the land of Scotland. II is often moth
ing more than ethyl alcohol. favored and
coIored TO simulate the smoky taste of
the rare genuine article. However. II
one knows. 1t is possible to get genuine
Scotch whisky, just as it is possible TO
get pure American whisky despite the
multiplication of limitations
The fight against fraudulent labels in
England is being waged with warmth and
earnestness. In a case decided by Mag
istrate Fordham. of London, stm under
appeal the court said: "Adulteration by
the addition Of patent still spirit (ethyl
alcohol has been gradually increasing
for years, until the so-caIed blenders
have dared TO c0ncoct and place upon the
market. and sell retailers raw new patent
still spirit. with mere dash of Scotch
or Irish II Is time this fraud upon
the public in the matter OF the sale of
whisky was stopped.
one may sit in front of the Cafe de Ia
Paix in the heart Of Paris-that spot
which Booth Harrington dubbed the cen
ter of the universe-and point at half
dozen places where American whisky
is supposed to be vended to ease the nos
talgia of TAmericaine. who, yielding to
the curse of the wandering foot, finds
himself in the great French capital with
out an Interpreter. Yet one might walk
the streets of Paris for days without
finding a bottle of American whisky
bearing the green stamp over the cork
IN proof of its purity and age. That
American whisky for sale there was NOT
made IN France. It came from the Unit
ed States, all right, but the trouble was
before il left the American shores. OF
course, there are some good brands of
American whisky to be found IN Paris
but much OF II is Of the kind that from
now on VIII have 70 be labeled "a COM