ALCOHOL CONTENT OF BEER

Press, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 23717, 15 August 1942, Page 4

ALCOHOL CONTENT OF BEER

Explanation of New Regulations

STATEMENT BY MINISTER (P.S.S.) WELLINGTON, August 14. Under the Manufacture of Liquor Emergency Regulations which come into force to-morrow, no beer with a specific gravity higher than 1036 may be brewed for sale except with the consent of the Minister of Customs and under such conditions as he may prescribe. Announcing the regulations, the Acting-Minister of Customs (the Hon. A. H. Nordmeyer) said that when the new duty was imposed on beer last May, it was intimated at that time that, if a reduction in specific gravity to 1036 degrees was not achieved by the new duty, consideration would be given to the question of taking steps to ensure this. Most brewers were loyally falling in with the Government’s wishes, said the Minister, but one or two were openly advertising the fact that they would supply beer at the old strength This might give them an unfair advantage, and the regulations would compel them to come into line with the majority. Mr Nordmeyer said he wanted to make it clear, for the information of brewers, that in any case where it might be desired for the purpose of maintaining the quality of the. yeast to make a brew the specific gravity of which was higher than 1036 degrees and to blend it with a brew of lower specific gravity, this would be permitted, provided that the specific gravity of the worts which would be required to produce beer of-the spirit strength of the blond did not exceed 1036 degrees. It would be necessary in any such case for brewers to keep and furnish, in addition to particulars of brews now required to be kept and furnished to Collectors of Customs, information as to the numbers of all brews used in the blend, their original specific gravities, and the quantities of each incorporated in the blend. The brewing of stout, the specific gravity of which was generally higher than that of beer, would also be permitted in excess of 1036 gravity, but the quantity which might be brewed at the higher gravity in any one month would not be allowed to exceed the average quantity of stout, of gravity in excess of 1036, brewed a month during the period January to June, 1942. Another point dealt with in the regulations, said the Minister, was the prohibition, except with his consent, of the use of spirits of wine in the manufacture for sale of intoxicating liquors. This would not affect the existing provision allowing the fortification under supervision of New Zealand wines with spirits made in a licensed still on the vineyard where those wines were produced. In order that the necessary supervision might be exercised, importers and merchants holding stocks of spirits of wine on which duty under item 84 (3) of the Customs tariff has been paid, or any person or firm using such spirits of wine for manufacturing purposes will be required to keep a record as to how such spirits of wine are disposed of.