Substitute for alcohol. How to identify counterfeit alcoholic beverages

2024 Author: Isabella Gilson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:14

What is a substitute for alcohol? How does it differ from ordinary alcohol and what are the consequences of poisoning with this substance? Not many people know the answers to these questions. Although it is better to be aware of such things.

What is a surrogate

These are liquids that are similar in chemical composition to alcohol, but which should absolutely not be used instead of alcohol. However, not everyone follows this rule. Moreover, the domestic market is teeming with low-quality products, that is, a surrogate. The most annoying thing is that a fake can be found not only in a dubious alcohol store, but also on the shelves of huge supermarkets.

By the way, statistics say that in 98 cases out of 100 alcohol surrogate poisoning did not happen by mistake, it was deliberately used to achieve intoxication. This means that people suffering from alcoholism most often suffer from such poisoning.

Types of surrogate

Now there are a lot of "wrong" alcohol, but it can be divided into two main groups.

1. Ethanol based. This includes industrial alcohol,lotions and even medicines. These are all alcohol-containing household products. They may contain substances that lead not only to poisoning, but also to death.
2. Ethanol free. They are also called false surrogates. But their use leads to a state similar to intoxication. These include dichlorvos, gasoline, amyl, butyl and methyl alcohols.

This list can be supplemented with colognes, disinfectants, alcohol tinctures from a pharmacy and moonshine. All this also applies to surrogates of alcohol. However, you need to understand that the use of these substances is dangerous to life and he alth.

Consequences of using surrogates

They can be very different, but never positive. Naturally, alcoholics are the most affected. In second place are teenagers. They are susceptible to poisoning by alcohol substitutes because they are not sold quality alcohol from the counter of a normal store.

But he althy adults are the least likely to end up in a hospital bed because of a surrogate, since it is almost impossible to run into fake alcohol in a store that has the appropriate license. Although there are such precedents. You can also get low-quality alcohol as a gift.

Oddly enough, it is the surrogate of alcohol that is the leader, among other causes of poisoning. Moreover, it very often leads to death. There is evidence that nine out of ten victims die without waiting for hospitalization. In addition to death, there may be other consequences, one of the mostblindness is common. Such poisonings are treated by toxicologists and narcologists.

What is ethyl alcohol

This is a liquid that has no color, that is, it is completely transparent, has a specific smell and a burning taste. This component is included in any kind of alcoholic beverages. So what is alcohol made from? It all depends on what it is intended for. After all, it is used not only as the basis of alcoholic beverages. That is why there are several types of ethyl alcohol.

Types of ethanol

1. Drinkable. It is used in the production of alcohol. Firstly, it contains only natural raw materials, secondly, it is made using a special technology, and thirdly, it is cleaned several times. It is thanks to this procedure that all harmful impurities that can cause serious damage to he alth leave the liquid.



2. Industrial. It is usually based on oil and other non-natural components. It is practically not purified, since such alcohol is not intended for human consumption.
3. Medical. Such a liquid is cleaned quite thoroughly. All technical requirements indicate that this product should not be drunk. But if consumed, it will not cause more harm to the body than ordinary alcoholic beverages. It can be purchased at any pharmacy without a prescription for little money. It can be based on both natural and chemical raw materials.

Important: in addition to alcohol, water and, most often, various aromatic additives are added to alcoholic beverages.

Productionethanol

So what is alcohol made from? There are several ways to make this liquid. Non-food ethyl alcohol is produced from various raw materials. For example, manure, coal, oil or any other element of technical origin. These components are prepared and transported to the distillery.

There raw materials are processed in a certain way, they undergo technical fortification. Then it is poured into containers and sent to industrial enterprises. Some distilleries operate illegally and send part of such product to make counterfeits of alcohol.

Production of spirits

Drinking alcohol is made a little differently. It uses completely different components. For its manufacture, cereals, potatoes, sugar beets, sugar cane and other natural elements are used. This raw material is carefully processed. In the next step, yeast is added and the fermentation process begins. The result is alcohol of the highest quality. Now it can be sent to distilleries. Alcohol purification takes place directly where alcoholic beverages will be produced.

Note: most often, inexpensive raw materials are used for the production of alcohol, since it requires careful processing and several degrees of purification, the production process is greatly stretched.

What is drinking alcohol like

There are many varieties of it, it all depends on what kind of alcohol will be produced from it. For its manufacture, cereals, grapes, fruits, berries, sugar cane, agave and many other raw materials can be used.

For example, the production of whiskey requires crops such as barley or corn. To produce cognac, brandy or armagnac, you need grape spirit. In no case can technical alcohol be present in the composition of these drinks. Otherwise, you get a surrogate for alcohol.

The production process of fruit spirits has several differences. So, for example, berries are most often soaked in ordinary drinking ethyl alcohol and a kind of flavored product is obtained. Apple alcohol is used to produce Calvados.

It is believed that sugar cane is used to produce rum, this is not entirely true. Since this product is used for the manufacture of sugar directly. After that, a waste material is obtained - black molasses. This is what rum is made from.

Tequila is made from blue agave and absinthe is made from herbal spirits.

How to drink alcohol

To avoid severe intoxication, in no case should you mix alcohol-containing products of different origin. That is, you should not switch from vodka to cognac, and then add tequila. Even taking into account the fact that they have the same level of alcohol, the body is unlikely to cope with such a variety. And the risk of a severe hangover increases exponentially. In addition, in order to protect yourself from a substitute for alcohol, you should buy alcohol only in large supermarkets orspecialized stores with a good reputation. Drinks should not contain questionable ingredients. Moreover, good alcohol must have a certificate confirming compliance with GOST.

Important: quality alcohol cannot be cheap.

The right cognac

At the moment, the problem of low-quality alcohol is more relevant than ever. From TV screens, almost every week they talk about mass poisoning with a surrogate. It is unlikely that the authorities will cope with this problem in the near future. In order not to get into an unpleasant situation, it is better to know in advance how to distinguish cognac from a fake. There are a few things you need to pay attention to.

Drink consistency

Good cognac is always thick and oily. In order to check this, you need to turn the container upside down. If “tears” slide along the bottom and walls, then the product is of high quality. Another good sign is one large drop that fell from the bottom.

It happens that the bottle is filled to the brim with a drink. Then, of course, the above method is not suitable. In this situation, you need to pay attention to the bubbles that rise when turning over. In good cognac, large bubbles will rise first, and only then small ones. This indicates that the drink has the right consistency.

Quality alcohol should not contain any impurities or sediments. That is, it must be perfectly transparent. Color can vary from amber to dark brown. The older the cognac, the darker it is.will.

Also, the color depends on the age of the barrels in which it was aged and the amount of caramel color. But it is worth noting once again that regardless of the color, the drink should be transparent. If there is even a hint of cloudiness and sediment, you should not buy cognac.

Label quality

First of all, pay attention to how it is glued. If alcohol is made by handicraft method, then, most likely, the label on the bottle will not hold well and look asymmetrical. If the drink is expensive and not fake, then its sticker is likely to be embossed, similar to a banknote.

All information must be indicated on the bottle: manufacturer, bottling date, expiration date, composition, and so on. If the quality of the label paper does not inspire confidence or the impression is not clear, then it is better to leave this drink in the store.

Real experts distinguish the original from the counterfeit by the label, but this requires certain equipment. Another important point is the excise stamp. Its presence is mandatory.

Price for quality alcohol

A good quality drink is expensive. If somewhere they offer cheap cognac, then it is either fake or not of high quality. The high price of this alcoholic drink is quite justified, since the production process is quite complicated and costly. No brandy factory will work at a loss.

Beware if they offer to buy a drink of the level of Courvoisier or Camus for 30-40 percent cheaper. It's explicitfake. Outwardly, it is unlikely that it will be possible to distinguish a fake from the original. Because it's a high level fake. Yes, and poison them, too, most likely, it is impossible. But the pleasure is not the same.

The only way to insure yourself against scammers in this case is not to buy such a product in suspicious places. Only at licensed locations. And you need to demand a certificate for expensive alcohol.