Tumbwa in Whiskey Bottles: Imbibers at Risk of Poisoning
People who drink alcohol in Zimbabwe are at risk of getting really sick or even dying from drinking fake whiskey and other boozy drinks.
The issue of fake alcohol in Zimbabwe has become a significant concern. There have been reports of counterfeit whiskey being sold in Zimbabwe, which has led to severe health consequences.
For instance, in 2019, three people died after binging fake Jameson Irish Whiskey. Some of the counterfeit alcohol brands are smuggled in from Mozambique and Zambia.
There's a big problem with fake alcohol in Zimbabwe, and some of it is even being made in secret distilleries in areas like Mbare.
They're refilling fancy whiskey bottles with cheap or dodgy stuff and selling it super cheap. This fake alcohol can be really harmful, and people have even died from drinking it.
Recently, one X user decried how he forgot his bottle of whiskey in the refrigerator. When he finally remembered it, it had frozen to a stone.
I forgot to take it out 🥺🥺 pic.twitter.com/iLT6Is3OiX
— TakuTT (@TakudzTT) May 14, 2024
Tumbwa in Whiskey Bottles: Imbibers at Risk of Poisoning
The real Jameson Whiskey company says that their whiskey doesn't freeze in the fridge, so if it does, it's probably fake:
“While we may love our whiskey on the rocks, the idea of it turning into a glacier in our freezers seems, well, a tad too frosty for comfort. Whiskey doesn’t freeze under normal conditions. The alcohol content in whiskey, typically 40% to 60%, has a lower freezing point than water. While water freezes at 0°C (32°F), whiskey must be exposed to extremely cold temperatures below -27°C (-17°F) to freeze solid. In a home freezer, whiskey simply won’t freeze.”
They explained that whiskey has a special ingredient that stops it from freezing, unless it's super cold. So, if your whiskey turns into a ice block in the freezer, it's probably not the real deal.
However, Jameson Whiskey may freeze when mixed with water:
“The misconception that whiskey can freeze stems from the fact that whiskey may partially freeze when diluted with water, causing it to look slushy. While it is true that water freezes at a higher temperature than alcohol, the alcohol content in whiskey is high enough to prevent it from freezing in a standard freezer.”
