The Ogden standard. [volume] (Ogden City, Utah) 1902-1910, 1909-06-08
WHAT "WHISKEY"
MEANS In LAW

Washington, June Lloyd w.
Bowers. solicitor general of the Unit
cd States, today submitted TO Prcsi-
dent Taft his opinion as to what the
term whisky means In law.
In effect Solicitor General Bowers
holds, after discussing at great length
what the term whisky meant at the
time of the passage of the pure food
law, that the public does not consider
that added coloring or tiavoring mat
ter can make whisky out of what 9th
erwise is not whisky Whisky is re-
garded generally and naturally as hav-
ing flavor and properties of It's own.
There is no more reason for say
Ing alcohol becomes whisky because
colored and favored like some true
whisky, than for saying that alcohol
becomes brandy because colored or
favored like some brandy" he said
'On the other hand, the mere add
tion Of harmless coloring or ilavorlng
matter, to what is previously whisky,
ddes not destroy Its whisky character,
unless such addition unduly dilutes or
otherwise affects the essential prop
critics of the whisky.
Whisky, having been In all its his
tory extensively and variously colored
and favored by addition of extrane
GUS matter, auch cooring and flavor
ing. cannot be considered illegitimate
or incompatible with the name whisky.
The United States pure food also pro.
ydeS In terms that the addition or
harmless coloring or tiavoring ingredi-
ents used for the purpose OF coloring
and fayoring only Is consistent with
the term blend, and, therefore. may
be done. One OF the most important
matters, In a practical view. is
whether "A mixture of an admitted
whisky with neutral spirits or alco-
hol may be called whisky" says
Mr. Bowers" Such mixtures nave
been made most extensively for a long
period. and have become most popu-
lar form of the beverage, both In the
United States and In England.
eft is even true, as ! understand
the testimony. that larger quantity
of these mixtures than of straight
whisky was consumed during the last
twenty years or more
This mixture of whisky with alcohol
OF neutral spirits is entitled TO the
name whisky, Mr. Bowers holds, pro-
vided the mixture retains a substans
tial amount of by-products In proper
ton 10 the volume or the mixture, CIV
ing distinct flavor and properties. He
says the addition of alcohol TO whisky
is not the introduction of a foreign
substance, but Is merely an enlarge
ment of the proportion OF one proper
constituent lt is merely form oil
dilution just as the addition of water
is. Continuing, Mr. Bowers said:
so long az the mixed article varies
only In respect OF being stronger or
weaker, without losing distinctive fiav-
ors and properties In substantial de-
gree, and consequently the article has
not been altered In Its essential ma
ture, 1t cannot be said that the public
has been giving the name whisky 10
an article in ignorance OF its charac-
ter or under delusion concerning the
thing to which the name whisky has
been applied. Even q compound article
made by the combining OF two things,
wholly foreign to each other. may.
through application TO II by the pup'
lie OF a single distinctive name, nc
quire tho full right 10 that name. In
such case, the established distinctive
name properly describes the COM
pound article; and the pure food act
recognizes this. IT being provided In
that act that, "in the case OF mixtures
or compounds which may be now or
from time to time hereafter known as
articles OF food. under their own dis