1827 Wine and spirit adulterators unmasked

TO THE READER.

SINCE writing the accompanying work, an alteration in the cash price of Gin, from the Rectifiers to the Trade, has taken place. The scale, however, offered to the notice of the Public, in the division, which more imme- diately treats on the article of Gin, in this Treatise, ap- plies equally as well, in respect to its extensive adultera- tion and reduction, as though, another scale was ex- hibited, adapted to the present prices which are quoted for it. The terms which the Author has mentioned, and which are agreeable to those, at the time this work was commenced, are, for Gin twenty-two per cent, under- proof 9s. 4d. and for the article at seventeen, per cent, un- derproof 10s. per gallon. The recent alteration which has taken place, renders the cash prices from the Rectifiers to the Trade, for the former strength 8s. 6d. per gallon, for the latter 9s. By some of our placarders and advertisers, Gin is now sold at the low price of 5s. 4d. per gallon, to enable them to do which, and to permit of its being vended at that sum per gallon, (allowing for the sugar and etceteras, used in sweetening and making up,) it takes sixty-Jour gallons and a half of water, and, further to admit of a profit of only 6d. per gallon, sixteen gallons more, of the same liquid, making a total of eighty gallons and a half of water, to every 100 gallons of Gin at 8s. 6d. per gallon. This cal- culation is offered to the Reader, to show, that, although the prices which relate to the article of Gin in this Treatise, differ from those, at present fixed by the Rec- tifiers, yet the circumstance, does not in the least affect the general statement of facts.