ILLICIT SPIRITS

Evening Star, Issue 22524, 17 December 1936, Page 17

ILLICIT SPIRITS

DEFINITION OF A COCKTAIL “ It ought to make us tremble every time we mix a cocktail to think we may be liable to a fine of £500.” This re« mark was made by Mr A, R. RoyNadin, clerk to the court, when a young man appeared at Sutton Coldfield, Birmingham, and was fined £IOO and 20gs costs on allegations of, distilling and disposing of illicit spirits. He was David .Ronald Tullis, described as of independent means. Mr T. J. Wilson, prosecuting, stated that in Tullis’s. house Customs and Excise officers and police discovered quantities of liquids, including sloe gin,creme de menthe, cherry brandy, absinthe, wine, beer, and compound spirits. In the corner of the room were a still and three metal drums containing “ wash ” in a state of fermentation.For the defence it was stated Tullis was a man of high scientific attainments, and he was engaged in experiments for the production of a preparation of animal food. The “ wash ” was the pure culture of the preparation, which had been bottled and labelled with a chemical formula. During cross-examination a witness,when asked “ Are cocktails compound spirits?” replied that they could be described as comnound spirits, and this led to Mr Roy-Nadin’s remark. Cocktail experts in fashionable London hotels, when told about these remarks. were unite mystified. “ I have been in the business over 30 years,” remarked one. “ and I never heard anything like it.” A newspaper representative, who made inquiries from the Customs authorities, understands that no instrii. ions have been given to enforce owners of cocktail bars to obtain compounding licenses. These licenses, it is stated, are mainly issued to manufacturers of medicinal spirits. Honours, etc., and the question, of cocktail bars has never arisen