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a short introduction only to a rapidly developing area Specialized field-based instruments are available from
of potential quality control analysis for the alcohol a number of manufacturers often following on from
beverage industry. their development in academic settings (5, 6). Usually
instruments rely on single sample analysis at a time
Introduction This short review covers developments to build up a library of “fingerprints” which can be
in the UV-visible scanning of and analysis of alcoholic compared with fresh samples to ensure either product
beverages (1-8). The craft brewing and distilled beverage batch consistency or authentication as to brand. With
industries are creating new products at a rapid pace such analysis undiluted samples are pumped into the
while at the same time being under a constant attack spectrophotometer, one at a time and through variable
from counterfeiters and those who would clone-copy, path-length cells (often interchangeable) prior to a
dilute or adulterate beverages for their own economic complete scan, and examined typically from 200 to 500
gain (3, 5, and 8). It is estimated that the distilled spirits nanometers (or up to 1000 nm) to obtain the “profile”
industry alone incurs losses of hundreds of millions of the sample (2,4-9, 12). We recently took advantage
of dollars annually based on counterfeit production of micro-plate technology to scan multiple samples
around the world (5). As a result of such economic and or replicates with low volume sample use providing
regulatory issues distilled spirits – Tequila and Whisky the short path-lengths needed to examine undiluted
in particular, have been the focus of fingerprinting or samples. The method has proven reliable, fast and
“true-identity” evaluations to ensure authentication economical and can return data on many samples
and to look for adulterations of product in trade (1- within a few minutes (17). This can provide for near
8). Such investigations have included rapid analysis real-time analysis of production batches as well as for
(and later application of chemometric evaluation; evaluation of suspected adulterated samples obtained
1-4, 7, 9) by means of various types of spectroscopy from the trade. For distilled spirits the samples can be
including UV-visible scanning analysis. Studies to tested in as low of a volume as 50 microliters without
discriminate wines (10, 11) and specialty beers (12) the need for dilution which can affect the spectral
have also been undertaken. Academic studies make properties of chemically complex beverages. Beer and
use of sophisticated and expensive broad-range sherry samples (for example) do unfortunately often
application instruments whereas a number of simpler need to be diluted but do give decent results; for beer
and dedicated spectrophotometers are reaching the complex polymeric compounds responsible for the
market for laboratory use within the industry and color of the product breakdown upon dilution thus
even, with miniaturized instruments, for off-site or changing the spectral properties (see 13 for a review of
field analyses such as in bars and restaurants, etc. (5, 6). the complexities of measuring color in beer) and such

Figure 1: A selection of distilled spirits: Top down – Aged tequila, 3 Bourbon brands,
Canadian whiskey, a Blended Scotch whisky and a Brandy.

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