Minhas Sask recalls liquor products after discovering problem with alcohol content

Minhas Sask is recalling all its distillery and spirit products from Saskatchewan retailers due to a problem with the alcohol content in some of its product, the liquor producer said Friday.

"The highly sophisticated instrument we use to measure alcohol [content] went out of calibration in the second week of December 2018," the company said on its Facebook page, adding the problem wasn't discovered until now.

"As a result, we have discovered that the alcohol content in the bottles is slightly greater than the alcohol content stated on the bottles."

The difference in alcohol by volume ranged from 0.2 per cent to 4.1 per cent, depending on the product, Minhas said.

While the products were still safe to drink, "this does not hold to the consistency we strive for," Minhas Sask said.

"Therefore, we are voluntarily recalling all our distillery/spirit products and temporarily closing our Regina Tap Room."

The Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Authority said that test results on five Minhas products failed to meet national acceptable labelling guidelines.

All retailers should have been notified of the recall and can contact Minhas Sask directly for information about returning the product and getting refunds, the SLGA said.

The distillery, winery and brewery opened in Regina late last year. Shortly after opening, it raised the ire of Regina business Rebellion Brewing, when that company discovered Minhas had sold Rebellion Brewing beer from a keg without advertising it as such.

At the time, Minhas president and CEO Moni Minhas said his business was within its rights to sell Saskatchewan-made beers, wines or distilled products, chalking the complaint up to fear of competition.