Many of us have come across low-quality alcoholic products. I propose to figure out together what to look for when buying alcohol-containing drinks and in what cases it is better to refrain from such purchases.
Price
The minimum cost of alcohol is set by the state, so I advise you to pay attention to the price. So, 0,5 liters of brandy when buying at retail cannot cost less than 307 rubles, cognac – less than 388 rubles and vodka – less than 215 rubles per half liter.
A legal drink will not cost less than this price. These figures are approved by the Russian Ministry of Finance.
Since the issue of artisanal alcohol production is unsolvable in our modern realities, in order not to harm your health, when buying in stores licensed to sell such products, start from these data.
The same precautions should be observed if you purchase expensive alcohol. Higher quality drinks, such as whiskey, bourbon or aged cognac, cannot cost 700-900 rubles per bottle.
bottle shape
Before buying the desired drink, I advise you to familiarize yourself with the range of goods on the official websites of the manufacturer. Pay special attention to the shape of the bottle, the presence of convex inscriptions or other relief elements that are present in the original.
Counterfeiters minimize their costs and, as practice shows, do not focus on such distinctive features.
The volume of the bottle can also serve as a sign of counterfeit. A number of manufacturers do not produce some types of drinks in a half-liter container. This knowledge will help you avoid buying a low-quality product.
Excise stamp
An excise stamp must be affixed to each bottle containing alcohol. The paper it is printed on contains colored fibers. It must necessarily contain the inscriptions “Russian Federation”, “Excise stamp”, the type of alcohol sold, as well as the number and code by which the authenticity of the product is checked.
I am looking for information on the Rosalkogolregulirovanie website. All numbers must be clear, the presence of a hologram is mandatory. A crookedly pasted or peeling stamp should arouse suspicion, it is better to refuse such a purchase.
Label
The label on alcoholic beverages must be attached perfectly evenly. Wrinkles, damage, traces of glue, blurry words are not allowed. On bottles of high-quality, expensive alcohol, a relief inscription of the name of the drink is felt, embossing and complex elements are often present.
The name of the product on the label and the excise stamp must match.
I also make sure that there is information about the country, the manufacturer, the composition of the drink and the date of its bottling, and the stamp of the enterprise.
Content
Only a professional can determine a fake by color, taste, smell. Without tasting experience, this is difficult to do. However, I focus on such indicators as the transparency of the liquid, the absence of sediment or plaque, the presence of the correct bubbles.
For example, when shaking vodka, small bubbles should rise, if large ones form, then this is most likely a surrogate.
In whiskey, on the contrary, the presence of large bubbles is a sign of authenticity. The quality of cognac can be determined by its density when draining. All this can be done before opening the bottle, in the store.
Do not lose your vigilance, compare products on all the above points, protect yourself from purchasing counterfeit products.