Talk:Near beer

I just reverted the recent edit by User:Master Thief Garrett because as far as I can tell it is an inaccurate recounting of an anecdote actually involving a brand of grape-juice concentrate. -- Infrogmation 05:49, 5 May 2005 (UTC)
 * Well it's mentioned in a book I've got. So what I wrote was about all I know about it! It could be it is just anecdotal, but the book presented it as if it were a fact, and that same section also covered the somewhat similar grape brick product (albeit with no talk of instructions being supplied)... hmmm... investigate we shall, yes... anyway, thanks for that! Master Thief Garrett 06:05, 5 May 2005 (UTC)
 * Actually now I think about it that book was actually part of the resources for a Prohibition course I took, and I referred to that product in my project... so why would the teacher have included the article without comment, and not added a note when I used it, if that particular info was untrue? Well, I guess he is still fallible, but... hmmm... very interesting... Master Thief Garrett
 * If you can quote a print source verifying the details as you wrote them, I won't object to reinsertion. The story as presented sounds exactly like the much repeated anecdote I've seen mentioned in many sources ranging over 1/2 a century, regarding grape juice/wine rather than near beer/beer. Cheers, -- Infrogmation 06:30, 5 May 2005 (UTC)
 * I don't have the article on me at the moment, but I'll certainly look into it... eventually... for now, it's best to leave it out in lieu of authenticity. Master Thief Garrett 08:18, 5 May 2005 (UTC)

Strengthening near beer?
From the [Prohibition] article: "There were also many alcoholic products that fell just under the legal limit, and yet, with a bit of work, could become the real thing. One particular beverage was called "[near beer]," because it fell under the 0.5-percent ban, being virtually nonalcoholic. It gave detailed, step-by-step instructions on what the buyer should not (under any circumstances) do with it, for then he would have alcohol, and that was illegal. So drinkers could simply use the easy-to-follow instructions to make a refreshing alcoholic beer!"

The closest thing mentioned in this article is injecting stronger alcoholic beverages into near beer. But the Prohibition article makes it sound as though consumers could modify near beer without any illegal ingrediants. Is this correct, and if so, what methods were used? Careful evaporation? Secondary fermentation (perhaps by adding sugars)?