Cheap vodka or alcohol – too good to be true?

Glass of Beer

We all love a bargain whether it’s from the high street, a car boot sale or a mate, but if you come across bottles of vodka, gin, whisky or canned or bottled lager at rock-bottom prices, think twice before you snap them up.

If drink is on sale at bargain bin prices, the chances are you’re looking at counterfeit alcohol. It may have been diluted with tap water or it could have been made in an illegal still, with no guarantee of quality. Or it might have been smuggled into the country by criminal gangs.

Whatever its origin, every bottle of counterfeit spirits that’s sold means the public purse loses out on alcohol duty. That’s up to £300 million a year in lost tax which could be funding schools, hospitals and other vital public services.

Use this handy checklist from HM Revenue & Customs to make sure your vodka, gin or whisky are the real deal.

Price If you pay less than £7.34 for a 70cl bottle of 37.5% vodka or £7.82 for a 70cl bottle of 40% whisky, then it’s suspect.

Label Counterfeit labels are often poorly printed and contain spelling mistakes. The label may be crooked or creased too. And if you can’t see the manufacturer’s name and address or postcode on the label, that’s not a good sign.

Brand name Suspect spirits are often given invented names. If an internet search doesn’t throw up any details of the manufacturer or a wholesaler stocking the brand, it could be suspect.

Lot code Can you see a ‘lot code’ printed on the label or etched into the glass? Lot codes exist so each bottle can be traced in the event of a recall. Counterfeit bottles often have no lot code.

Contents If you compare two bottles and the height of the liquid is different, they may have been manually filled and are therefore suspect. Bottles of vodka shouldn’t have any white particles or sediment. If you see this, the vodka’s probably been diluted with tap water.

Screw cap The screw cap and its retaining ring shouldn’t both turn when you open the bottle. If they do, the cap may have been fitted by hand rather than by machine, so the contents could be counterfeit.

Taste and smell If you buy a particular spirit regularly, and this time it tastes or smells different, then stop drinking it and report it as suspect.

UK Duty Stamp Spirits sold in 35cl bottles or larger, and of 30% proof or higher, have to be duty stamped. The duty stamps are incorporated into the label or stuck on the glass of the bottle. Duty stamps stuck on or over part of the label are suspect and should be reported.

If you think you’ve come across counterfeit alcohol, report it to the Customs Hotline on 0800 59 5000 or email customs.hotline@hmrc.gsi.gov.uk