Bad Whisky

by Edward Burns

This volume provides an insight into the Victorian scandal which raged at the turn of the century, concerning the adulteration of whisky in public houses throughout the UK. Returning to contemporary press reports and Hansard, the author unravels the events which eventually resulted in laws being passed which created safeguards for what is now known throughout the world as "Scotch". The extent of adulteration was widespread with additives such as meths, shellac gum, sulphuric acid and boot polish. The "North British Daily Mail" took up the fight against the practice when, out of 30 samples of "whisky" taken from public houses, only two were found to be whisky. With some of the most prominent figures in Scottish public life joining the fray, the battle was on to clear up Scotch.

176 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1995

About the author

Edward Burns is not what you might term a regular author. In the past he has filled quilts with feathers, filled petri-dishes with agar, and filled holes in old coups that he dug out to find Victorian bottles and clay tobacco pipes. He has stayed in Alloa, Edinburgh, Stirling, Glasgow and Oxford, liking nothing more than sitting in old taverns supping ale and munching pork crackling in all these places.

When not supping ale he likes to footer with words. For each word has its place, has meaning, and the ability to suggest and form and fashion and create something new, a life that is not ours. Words can take us back in time, to enter that manky Victorian hovel, or they can take us to a different world, a world in the past, the present or the future, one where the only limit is our own imagination.

[And right now I'm thinking that is possibly the corniest, most unbiographical biography I have ever read! (Just checkin' ma dictionairy for 'corniest' ... )]