WHISKEY AND BRANDY 217 



acids, etc., are present. These congeners are normally present 

 and vary somewhat, dependent upon variations in the method 

 of distillation, slight differences in the quality of the grain or 

 fruit used, the process of fermentation, temperature, etc. With 

 ageing whiskey as well as brandy undergo complex changes (chem- 

 ical as well as fermentative) indicated by changes in color, odor 

 and taste. These slow changes appear to be largely zymotic in 

 nature but they are not well understood. 



Whiskey and brandy may be made from all substances ca- 

 pable of undergoing alcoholic fermentation, such as rice, wheat, 

 barley, rye, oats, potatoes, apples, pears, berries of all kinds, etc. 

 Any apparatus so constructed and equipped as to vaporize and 

 carry over and condense the alcohol existing in the fermented 

 product, may be used in distillation. In the process of distilla- 

 tion certain congeners are always carried over with the alcohol 

 and these constitute normal inclusions of the brandy or whiskey. 

 If the congeners are poisonous or otherwise objectionable, then 

 the distillate containing them is also poisonous or otherwise 

 objectionable and may render the product unsuitable for human 

 use. These poisonous congeners evidently exist in certain 

 products of alcoholic distillation and should be more carefully 

 investigated. 



Alcohol per se (less all congeners) is a protoplasmic poison. 

 Small quantities, when taken into the system are oxidized and 

 in so far as it is oxidized, alcohol is a food, but because of its 

 toxic character, alcohol can never be used as a food having 

 practical value as such. 



Rectified whiskey or brandy is redistilled or double distilled 

 whiskey or brandy. As a result of this redistillation there is an 

 increase in the alcoholic strength, with a decrease in the amount 

 of fusel oil, a change or decrease in the congeners, a change in the 

 color and bouquet or flavor, etc. As generally comprehended 

 rectification implies purification and increase in alcoholic strength, 

 without foreign additions of any kind. Adding coloring sub- 



