Expired beer sold at Tasmac Elite' in Chennai

Chennai: A Tasmac Elite shop in Adyar was found selling expired imported can beer. “When the beer from Holland priced at Rs 270 per can was poured into a glass it looked like orange coloured juice with precipitation at the bottom and some flakes in between. It tasted awful” said a shocked customer.

Tasmac, (Tamil Nadu state marketing corporation) the government owned liquor distribution chain, manages purchase and sale of liquor in the state.

The expired beer which looks like a glass of orange juice.

When this reporter went and picked up a can of Royal Dutch Post Horn beer on Sunday from the Tasmac Elite shop located in Gokul Arcade in Adyar, which sells mainly premium branded and imported liquors, also found the shop selling such expired beer. According to the company seal found on the bottom of the can, the beer manufactured in 2015, expired in June 2016.

When asked, the sales persons at the shop said they were aware that the particular batch of Royal Dutch brand beer had expired.

“But we are asked to sell it telling the customers that the beer can be consumed up to 24 months from the manufacturing date,” a salesman said displaying a brochure.

The particular brand of beer is being imported and sold to Tasmac by a Delhi based firm named Aquavitae Imports Pvt Ltd, says a sticker found on the beer can. It is not clear who is pushing the sales teams at the Tasmac to sell expired beer.

“It is possible that somebody is procuring expired beer at very cheap rate and pushing the same into Tamil Nadu market through Tasmac. Somebody is certainly getting additional profit by selling expired imported beer,” noted a customer.

“Age can destroy beer. The liquid breaks down, the proteins fall out, the hop character goes away and the beer tastes stale and oxidized. There will be floaters in beer and also yeast sediments. Such beer should be avoided,” says a liquor expert.