CIDER PROSECUTIONS

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LVI, 30 December 1924, Page 7

CIDER PROSECUTIONS

, (To the Editor.. . Sir,—Judging by comments and letters received by me, the recent Press i Association message reporting prosecutions for retailing cider without a license has caused an entirely false impression .throughout the district, and in an effort to correct same I trust that you will publish the following facts. A Wellington paper stated that “the ! cider contained nearly 15 per cent of alj cohol,’ ’while the Nelson Evening Mail i published a telegram from Auckland 1 stating that the same cider contained nearly 15 per cent of proof spirit. The j Wellington report would lead people to believe the cider excessively alcoholic, Avliile the Auckland report- Avould give tho impression that proof spirit had been introduced. Both impressions are incorrect, and these tAvo statements are also quite contradictory, as frequent certified analyses of my cider prove it to contain from 7 to 9 per cent of alcohol. An analysis is usually made as follows: —A quantity of cider is taken . and its volume and Aveight measured very accurately. It is then distilled, and the alcohol, volatile oils, etc., which are i left are termed “proof spirit,” hut this I proof spirit contains only 47 per cent- by 1 Aveiglit. or 59 per cent by volume of al- ( cohol, the balance, consisting of the , natural oils and other substances, conI tained in the apples. As the analysis I mentioned in Court showed under 15 J per cent proof spirit the alcoholic conI tents of the “Key Brand” champagne j cider must have been approximately 7 i per cent by weight or 9 per cent by volume. In view of the fact that most wines contain about 18 per cent of alcohol, and that a good cider is classed as a light wine, your readers Avill now be able to judge the actual facts. Thanking you in anticipation, I am. etc.. CUAS. A GRAINGER.