The Spirits Regulations 1991

PART IVTaking account of spirits produced

Taking account

17.—(1) A distiller shall give notice of the taking account of spirits and such notice shall be given in the entry book (or other records approved under regulation 21 below) and shall specify the vessel, day and time when account is to be taken.

(2) Save as the officer may otherwise allow, not less than 24 hours notice shall be given under paragraph (1) above.

(3) Save as the officer may otherwise allow, a distiller shall ensure that spirits are not removed from the vessel in which account of them has been taken until one hour after that account has been declared in the entry book (or other records approved under regulation 21 below), and that nothing is added to those spirits before that time has elapsed.

(4) A distiller may, for reasonable cause, before the time specified in the notice for taking account of spirits, cancel the notice or vary it by substituting a later time.

Ascertainment of strength of spirits

18.—(1) Subject to paragraph (2) below, the strength of spirits may be ascertained—

(a)by means of a hydrometer, a thermometer and the table entitled “The Practical Alcohol Tables Volume 2”; or

(b)by determining the density of the spirits in air at 20 degrees Celsius and taking the strength of the spirits to be the percentage of alcohol by volume corresponding to that density in the table entitled “Laboratory Alcohol Table”, provided that where the density of any spirits determined as aforesaid falls between any two consecutive numbers in that table the strength shall be determined by linear interpolation.

(2) Where spirits contain any substance other than alcohol and water the Commissioners may either—

(a)require that the strength of the spirits be ascertained by any of the means prescribed by this Part of these Regulations after removing from the spirits any such substance to the extent which they consider necessary by distillation or such other process as they direct and adding water to replace the volume so removed; or

(b)allow the strenth of the spirits to be ascertained, as though they contained alcohol and water only, by any of the means prescribed by this Part of these Regulations.

Ascertainment of volume of spirits

19.—(1) The volume of spirits contained in any container may be ascertained for any purpose by such method involving weight, measure or gauge as the Commissioners may approve.

(2) Where the Commissioners under paragraph (1) of this Regulation approve ascertainment by weighing, the volume shall be calculated by means of a hydrometer and the table entitled “Contents by Weight Table”.

Application of regulations 18 and 19

20.  Regulations 18 and 19 above shall apply to spirits, methylated spirits and any fermented liquor other than wash.