1827 Wine and spirit adulterators unmasked

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staves of the Brandy puncheons. As soon as the Brandy is racked from the puncheons, four or five gallons of water are immediately put in, and allowed to remain three or four weeks, at the expiration of which time, they have imbibed a considerable portion of spirit; this material is called Cowe, and is chiefly used in the adulteration of Cape and other Wines; but, as that will be treated of when I arrive at another part of my subject, I shall now proceed to the article of And here, I may observe, that, with regard to the opportunities for its adulteration, the same facilities exist as in Brandy, the same impositions are practised in point of strength, and the same means possessed and resorted to of evading the no- tice of the Exciseman. I should, however, inform my readers, that, as sweets are but seldom or never used in sufficient quantities with Rum (owing to the peculiar flavor of that Spirit) to prevent a trial of its strength by the hydrometer, and which con- sequently renders it more liable to the surveillance of the Excise Officer, the Advertising Cheap Dealers, as some alternative, are therefore in the habit of keeping on hand a less stock of it, of an illegal strength, though no diminution takes place in the quantity sold, as the punishment entailed on the of- fence (and the same with Brandy, Rum, Hollands, RUM. *