The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1908-04-09
AMERICAN BEER.
Its Purity and Freedom From Adulterants
Defended.

To II EDITOR or THE SUN-Sif; II. W.
h. asserts that he has been Informed on
reliable authority that there are thousands
Of barrelso imported la ger beer sold through
out this country daily because our American
brewers, with hardly any exception, will not
make the pure article" When he talks Of
the "thOusa nds Of barrels Of imported lager
beer sold throughout this country daily, an
opportunity Of making money by brewing
pure beer seems to loom large before him,
II he had stopped to consult the figures he
would have been better informed, aud DOS
sibly would not have rushed into print. The
consumption Of American lager beer for 1905
was 54.G5l .GS7 barrels; the total importation
Of foreign beers. including ale and porter. was
1875 ,I0S barrels, Of which about 1000 barre,s
was lager heer, One-hfth OF 1 per cent. Of the
domestic consumptlon-a negligible quantity.
Groundless charges OF adulteration VI the
va que sort advanced by H. W. H." and by
like Anonymous or irresponsible persons are
no rarity, They are sometimes conceived In
ignorance, but more often in malice: and the
bulk Of themlmight be traced to the declared
and organized enemies Of our industry.
First, then, as TO the general, though eN-
trelnely vague, charge Affecting the purity
Of American beers. Some years ago, acting
under a mandatory law. the New York State
Board OF Health caused nearly 500 samples
Of malt Liquors breMed within the State TO be
aNAhAN ~ " - q AalNh AAAa 9NANN hHhlNH I
Not one Of the very large number Of samples
officially analysed was found to contain any
deleterious substance whatever, the use OF
which could be regarded as an adulteration.
Not less valuable and conclusive Is the tes-
timony OF DR.. II. W. Wiley, chief Of the bureau
Of chemistry. Cniteu States Department of
Agriculture, "'aS Sas dolc sc !nnchtc~srd the
establishment ofa general pure food law in this
country, and who has paid a remarkable tribute
to the purity and high standard of American
beers. Senator McCumbeT, one OF the fathers
Of the Pure Food law, rs recorded on page
2S0S Of the Congressional Record as follows: =
| believe that we manufacture In this country
the puTcst beers that are manufactured upon The
associations are all In favor OF this pure food
bill evidences the fact that they are satisfied that
they manufacture a pure article.
III. ". KS" specific attack Oh corn. a.
used by the American brewer. evinces his
deplOrable ignorance Of the whole subject
more than. any other feature of his article.
Persons who have any real knowledge OF
brewing need not be Informed that corn Rrits
and rice are regarded a. peculiarly desirable
as a malt adjunct In this and many European
countries. As q matter Of fact, instead of
the solitary brewer known TO II. W. r."
there are a great many brewers who use
only malt and many also use other cegeals
With IL. When corn IL used only the best
part, the inside OF the grain, free from ali
Finally, the Agricultural Department Of the
United States, which is generally CHARGED
with the administration OF the pure food
law, admits corn. rice and wheat as barley
sdJ DW 1t 10 In ad5 9T tSs1 +. ReThsPs may be
ers Association. representing practically the
entire brewing trade OF the country Nas
the first aud for a long time the only body OF
manufacturers that from the earliest intro.
adSoSat Cd q rs sn esI pS[S food bRl SSGHDsiSteHtly
NEW YORK, Aprtl B.