Scientists Adopt New Approach Against Counterfeit Alcohol

Scientists from the International Centre for Brewing and Distilling (ICBD) at Heriot-Watt University's Edinburgh campus, in Scotland, working alongside Dr John Edwards of Process NMR Associates, based in New York, are compiling a database to test, compare and log alcoholic spirits.

The research has featured in a new paper titled ‘Worldwide Illicit and Counterfeit Alcoholic Spirits: Problem, Detection, and Prevention’, published in the Journal of the American Society of Brewing Chemists.

The team used lab-based analytical techniques to detect the chemical fingerprint of hundreds of authentic international spirits, including whisky, tequila, mezcal, and bourbon.

Michael Bryan of the ICBD at Heriot-Watt's School of Engineering and Physical Sciences, is leading the research as part of his PhD project. He said: ‘once complete, this database will provide in-depth analysis of hundreds of legitimate spirits, becoming an information source to determine the authenticity of a product.

‘At present, testing apparatus, methodology and human resource is ridiculously expensive, costing up to half a million or more pounds. And the analysis machinery is huge, it can be the size of a car or bigger. So, it’s a very difficult process and what I want to do is to take a different approach.