44 Maine; agricui,turai, expe;rime;nt station. 1911. 



IMITATION BEER. 



In the desire to avoid breaking the prohibitory law, which 

 does not allow the sale of a malt beverage, and at the same time 

 make the consumer think that he is getting the real thing or 

 something similar, certain bottlers in the State are violating the 

 Maine Food and Drug Law in labeling bottled goods. Imita- 

 tion beer carrying about three per cent alcohol is being imported 

 into the State in conformity with the National Food and Drug 

 Law under a label "fermented liquor" or something equivalent. 

 These are fermented goods, and are made without the use of 

 malt. They are bottled in Maine and sometimes have put upon 

 them labels which are exceedingly misleading, so much so that 

 the goods are misbranded. It is unlawful to brand these goods 

 in any way so as to deceive the purchaser as to their character. 

 They cannot without some defining word be called "beer" as beer 

 is a malt beverage. They cannot be called "lager beer" even 

 though they may have been aged in the wood. Ihey could be 

 lawfully labeled "Imitation" in some such way as "Regal Brand 

 Imitation Lager Beer." 



Put up as these goods are in bottles of the general style used 

 for Budweiser Beer, aritifically colored so as to resemble such 

 goods, and labeled "lager beer" or something similar, they are 

 calculated to deceive and doubtless do deceive many who use 

 them. 



This is a warning to the purchaser of these spurious articles 

 as well as a caution to the bottlers thereof. 



Fictitious and Incorrect Firm Names. It is an altogether too 

 common practice for bottlers of carbonated beverages to use 

 bottles bearing blown in the glass the names of other manu- 

 facturers. This is misbranding under the law and the practice 

 must cease. It is a great injustice to a manufacturer of high 

 grade goods to have his bottles filled by makers of low grade, 

 artificially sweetened and flavored sodas. 



