The increasing demand for imported alcohol has helped bootleggers to make a quick buck by selling spurious liquor in original bottles. While you might be paying for a Johnnie Walker or Chivas Regal, chances are that your local distributor might sell you some cheap whisky packaged in nice looking bottle. It is very difficult for most people to spot the differences between fake and authentic alcohol by just looking at it in the store.
Also, some bootleggers are clever enough to even mimic the original taste by blending different types of alcohol.
Having said that there is a dedicated government website to check the genuineness of the liquor that you have purchased. The online service offered by the Delhi government excise department verifies the genuineness of the liquor purchased within the past one month from Union Territory of Delhi using barcode or serial number.
There is also a dedicated app called “mLiquorSaleCheck” on Android that can be used to avail the same service. The advantage of using the app is that you will not have to type the serial number and can simply use the barcode scanner of the app to proceed.
Where to find the barcode or serial number?
All alcohol bottles that are sold in Delhi comes with a QR/ serial number sticker that is attached on the cap. This sticker firmly secures the seal between the bottle cap and body. So, the serial number on this sticker is important to check the genuineness and source of the alcohol. Never buy any alcohol bottle from Delhi which do not have this sticker.
How to check on website-- the original price and genuineness of alcohol
-Visit this website-- https://delhiexcise.gov.in/Portal/liquorsalecheck
-Enter the entire serial number seen on the sticker. It should be less than 28 digits. Also, do not type any special characters or brackets that are printed on the sticker.
-After correctly entering the serial number, click on submit.
-The website will reveal the status. If it is original than the status will read as--”The Liquor is from an authorized supply source” along with the brand name, size, price and the name and address of the shop from where it was purchased. You can also use this service to know the exact selling price of the bottle.
How to check by using “mLiquorSaleCheck” app
This app is a bit hard to find on Google Play. We recommend readers to search for “Delhi Excise” on the search box instead. Note that this app is offered by “The DPT of Excise, Entertainment & Luxury Tax”. So, be sure that you are downloading the right app.
-Download “mLiquorSaleCheck” app
-Tap on the scan barcode option. A camera window will open and scan the QR code of the sticker attached on the cap.
-If the barcode scanner fails to read, you will have to type the serial number. It should be less than 28 digits. Also, do not type any special characters or brackets that are printed on the sticker.
-After correctly entering the serial number, click on submit.
-The app will reveal the status. If it is original than the status will read as--”The Liquor is from an authorized supply source” along with the brand name, size, price and the name and address of the shop from where it was purchased.
What if the website/app fails to identify the bottle?
If the serial number or barcode doesn’t generate the above mentioned status then it could be that the alcohol is not from a Delhi government-verified source. Also, it could be possible that the bottle was procured from some other State or UT or the distributor haven’t paid the necessary taxes. Note that this service is only for alcohol purchased from Delhi and not from any other state or UT
