Omaha daily bee., 1907-04-11
WHISKY AND PURE FOOD LAW
Attorney Generals Opinion on Proper
Labsling Of Liquors,
JLING ON BLENDSANO COMPOUNDS
Former Applies to Mixtures of same
Kinds Of spirits and Latter to
Mixtures of Different
Kinds.

WASHINGTON, April l0.-The long eX-
pected opinion Of Attorney General Bona
psrte concerning the proper labelling Of
whisky under the pure food law, approved
June 30, 1905, was made public at the White
House today. Its purpose is briefly told
in letter addressed by tho president today
to the secretary of agriculture
I'm accordance with your suggestion"
says the presidents letter Il have sub
mitted the matter concerning the proper
labelling Of whisky under the pure food law
to the Department Of Justice. I enclose
the attorney generals opinion. agree
with this opinion and direct that action
be taken In accordance with It.
Straight whisky will be labeled as such.
A mixture Of two or more straight whis
kies will be labeled blended whisky or
whiskies.
A mixture Of straight whisky and ethyl
alcohol, provided that there Is a suffl-
Gient amount OF straight whisky TO make
It genuinely a mixture will be labeled
e ain distillate.
Imitation whisky will be labeled as such.
origin of Contention.
The questions at issue arose in connec-
tion with the labelling or branding Of the
different kinds OF spirits, claimed by their
manufacturers or proprietors to be en-
titled to the name of whisky" with or
the primary purposes Of the pure food
law" the attorney general says:
First-Under what circumstances should
a distilled spirit be labeled or branded
whisky without any qualifying words?
Second-t'n nder what circumstances should
a liquor be marked a blend of whisI<ies.'
or blended whisky" or blended whisllies ?"
Third-Under what circumstances should
whisky" or blended whiskies," and what
Woo or words, II any, must be added to
The same appropriate under the law?
Fourth-Under what circumstances. II at
all could a distilled spirit, with additions
termed Imitation whisky"
Compounds Are Discussed.
Referring to sherry, port and madeira,
he thought that there is an evident dis
/ tinction to be drawn between them and
champagne and adds:
In the view OF a chemist or a physicist.
champagne would be doubtless descrbed
as compound for It consists essentially
Of wine, Of sugar and Of an aeratnE gas
! three substances obviously unlike"
The attorney general declares according
to the true intent of the pure food law a
mixture of whisky with neutral spirit
must be deemed a compound and not a
| blend" although the spirit may be a dis
tillate from the same substance used to
! furnish the whisky. The definition of
whisky" he says as a natural spirit
involves as its corollary that there can be
such thing as limitation whisky"
| The attorney general says the most diff
! hcult question was whether a mixture of a
| liquid such as has been described, or, in
deed, a mixture of ethyl alcohol itself with
whisky, ought to be labeled whisky" at
! all. He then says:
When the words compound" or com
| pounded" are used in the act. 1t is in my
Judgment, ordinarily necessary, that two
. substances, at least, should be mentioned
as entering into the combination described.
In other words, II would not be accurate
10 nonS5sd GS SrTpS bsrr OF porI snSrT
such mixture must be designated as
sherry Compounded with port" or port
compounded with sherry or compound of
/ I consider champagne" a suitable label
or brand for the composite wine known hv
that name, concludes the opinion. If a
natural wine existed which was sweet and
sparkling and also generally known as
be, think, appropriately called com
pound or compounded" champagne.
some Specimen Brands.
J The following seem to me appropriate
specimen brands or labels for a. straight
E straight whiskies;" C3), a mixture of
straight whisky and ethyl alcohol. and
90, ethyl alcohol favored and colored 80
as 10 taste, smell and look like whisky.
a. Semper idem whisky: pure, straight
/ whisky mellowed by age
(2) Z Pluribus Unum whisky: blend
I of pure, straight whskes with all the
merits of each.
(S) Modern improved whisky: A com
: pound of pure grain distillates, mellow and
free from harmful impurities.
az Something better than whisky: An
imitation under the pure food law, free
from fusel oil and other harmful impuri
ties.
IN the third specimen it is assumed that
/ both the whisky and the alcohol are dis