Application of chromatography and spectrometry to the authentication of alcoholic beverages

The use of gas chromatography (GC), gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (G C-MS), and UV-VIS spectrophotometry for identifying the falsification of st rong alcoholic beverages (vodka, gin, cognac, and whiskey) was considered. In the GC analysis of ethyl alcohol and vodkas based on it, the test alcoho l was assigned to synthetic alcohol or to biochemically produced alcohol us ing a set of typical impurities, markers of the alcohol nature, which prese nt in the test alcohol in a certain ratio and can be determined by GC or GC -MS analysis. The multicomponent analysis of cognacs and related liquors ca n reveal the replacement of cognac spirit with alcohol produced from nongra pe raw materials, to determine whether the cognac spirit was in contact wit h oak wood and how long was the duration of its aging, and to detect the fa lsification of the age by adding certain ingredients. The limitations of ch romatographic and spectrometric analytical techniques in the identification of adulterated alcoholic beverages was demonstrated. The validation criter ia for testing the identification of alcoholic beverage components by chrom atographic techniques received special attention.