4 simple tips to identify genuine liquor during the festive season

It is that time of the year when people gather together and celebrate with their friends & family. People make lots of food and spend a lot of time in planning even the smallest details of their get-togethers so that the events become memorable. Now, liquor is one of the important aspects one should take care of in a get-together as it is the time when most of the counterfeited goods are sold. They not only hamper the mood during such celebrations but can put everyone’s life in danger as well. Now, the catch is that most of these counterfeited bottles can easily pass by as original, as there are minute details that a normal person would not easily put focus on, or those who do not have enough knowledge of the brand can ignore. Thus, here are a few pointers that you must take care of while buying a bottle of booze. By exercising a little caution and vigilance, one might prevent such unwarranted situations. Here are some quick tips to be sure the alcohol you're drinking is real and not counterfeit. Take a look. (Images courtesy: iStock)

Even when you are buying from authorised stores, check the packaging closely. Often counterfeiters sell fake liquor in copycat packaging, while they can produce close copies of the packaging, they are not able to perfect it. Look for any damage in the packaging, discrepancies in the colours or size of the logo, smudged labels, spelling mistakes, tampered expiry dates, etc. For example, some counterfeit bottles have Johnnie Walker spelt with a ‘y’.

Make sure the seal of the bottle is secure and there are no signs of tampering. Feel around the neck of the bottle and see if it feels sticky, these are indications that the bottle has either fake or adulterated or diluted liquor.

Most of the States in India excluding Goa & Maharashtra are using tax stamps as an anti-counterfeiting & anti-tampering measure to ensure consumer and revenue protection. These tax stamps include various overt (visible), covert (invisible) and forensic security features along with digital features to ensure the authenticity of the liquor bottle. Please see that the proper tax stamp is there on the bottle while purchasing and does not show any signs of tampering.

Always buy liquor from authorised retail shops. Do not trust unauthorised shops or unauthorised person who is selling liquor. Such establishments or people mostly try to sell fake or adulterated liquor to earn money.

(With inputs from IANS)