QUALITY OF LIQUOR.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 20058, 22 September 1928, Page 16

QUALITY OF LIQUOR.

CLEAR AND TINTED GIN. PROSECUTION OF LICENSEE. MAGISTRATE DISMISSES CHARGE. Clear and yellow tinted gin were contained in three sample bottles of liquor placed before Mr. F. K. Hunt, S.M., in the Police Court yesterday, when John ltoilly, licensee of the Royal Hotel, city, was charged with bottling liquor for sale in a bottle carrying a particular label without destroying the label. Stating he was not satisfied with tho coloured samples, Mr. F. K. Hunt, S.M., dismissed the charge. Prosecuting on behalf of tho Health Department, Mr. Hubble said tho charge was brought under section 210 of the Licensing Act, tho minimum penalty being £2O and tho maximum £2OO. Samples of two brands of whisky were taken together with a sample of gin. Analyses proved tho whisky to be all right, but tho gin was not. Mr. McVeagh, for defendant, said tho analyses were not disputed. Analyses of a sample of gin taken from tho Royal Hotel, and a sample of a well-known brand of gin were described by Mr. K. M. Griffin, Government analyst. It was shown that the peiccntago of proof spirit in tho sample taken from the Royal Hotel was 74.92, whereas the percentage in tho other sample was 79.66. " Tho hotel sample contains less proof spirit than genuine gin, and also contains more extract," said witness. "The sample has a distinct yellow tinge, whiles tho genuine gin is clear and colourless. Tho sample is not genuine gin." The Magistrate: I have always been told by licensees that gin is the one liquor they cannot tamper with. It is so clear and crystal-like that it would not stand tampering with. Characterising tho ease as an extraordinary one, Mr. McVeagh said tho colouring was nut produced by any member of the hotel staff. Counsel was at a •loss to say how it happened, but it may have been that it was done quite unconsciously by a customer. After pouring himself a drink of gin and ginger ale it was possible that someone found the drink too strong and poured portion of it back into the bottle. That would account for tho colouring of tho gin. That he had known people to pour portion of a mixed drink cf gin back into a bottle when they found .it too strong, was stated by Erriest Hay ward, barman at the hotel. Tho magistrate said no ono was able to explain how the gin in tho original bottle was clear and how a sample produced was yellow. "Now that a third sample, taken from the original bottle, is yellow, I cannot convict," ho added. "I am not satisfied with these samples. A mistake must have occurred somewhere. Ihe charge was dismissed.