STRONG HOP BEER.

Auckland Star, Volume LXI, Issue 241, 11 October 1930, Page 10

STRONG HOP BEER.

TOO MUCH PROOF SPIRIT. FINE OF £25 INFLICTED.

Waiwai, Limited, an aerated water firm, was fined £25 by Mr. F. li Hunt, S.M., in the Police Court yesterday, on a charge of carrying on the business of a brewer without a license. An alternative charge against the manager, Charles John McCulloch, was withdrawn. On behalf of the Health Department, Mr. J. Mcintosh said that iv* March the firm brewed a quantity of hop -beer, which contained more than the maximum amount of proof spirit,. On being analysed the hop beer was found to contain seven per cent proof spirit. A prosecution was brought by the police, and the firm was .convicted in May. On the foot of the defendant's license to brew hop beer was a warning that, if the holder of the license brewed beer -of more, than the limit of three per cent proof spirit, 'lie would be held to have brewed beer. It was on this account that the charge of carrying, on business as a brewer was brought.

(Replying to a question :by the magistrate, Mr. Mcintosh said that the alcoholic content of real beer was about seven per cent proof spirit.

Mr. Towle, who appeared for the defendants, said the firm had been in business -for 25 years, and had borne an excellent reputation. In March a brew •had been made which contained seven iper cent of (proof spirit, and a prosecution had followed. Since then the firm Jiad enforced an analysis of each subsequent month's brew, and for the next few months the hop beer had an alcoiliolic content well below the limit. In the present case it was very little above' the limit. Each brew was made from itlie same recipe and ingredients, and iit was exceptionally difficult to guarantee a uniform percentage of proof spirit.'