Posted on 07/27/2005 10:36:28 AM PDT by Cowman
Greek Authorities Find Spate of Fake Booze
The Associated Press
ATHENS, Greece Drinkers in the Greek capital who suspected their tequila sunrise was too bright or thought their rum tasted strange might be right after all.
Government inspectors carrying out spot checks in the greater Athens area found a staggering 100 percent of samples from rum and tequila to be adulterated, authorities said on Tuesday.
The checks took place at 39 restaurants, bars and nightclubs.
Unscrupulous bar owners in Greece frequently serve their clients locally made moonshine, saving huge sums in state alcohol taxes. Such adulterated alcohol, made with cheap and often toxic raw materials, can cause drinkers a splitting headache, permanent blindness or, in extreme cases, death.
The finance ministry's financial crime squad, SDOE, said half the vodka samples tested were found to have been adulterated, and 20 percent for whisky.
Greeks usually drink rum, tequila and vodka in cocktails, while whisky is more often consumed neat _ making adulterated batches easier to detect.
SDOE also found that two in three establishments inspected _ 26 out of 39 _ had been breaking laws on bookkeeping.
Pseudo uzo? ................
Awww. What harm's a little "undocumented beverage" betwixt a few patrons gonna do?!?
It always comes down to government involvement! When government gets involved, look for trouble!
I tend more toward Zorba on a '54 Ford donkey cart, broad-siding on a dirt trail with Robert Michum singing "Thunder road", accompanied by a bouzouki...
For some odd reason, I can't seem to associate the accordian music with the General Lee....;-)
"Thunder Thunder, Down on Thunder Road. Thunder was his engine; Ouzo was his load..."
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