ASTM E1879-22 PDF

Full title and description

Standard Guide for Sensory Evaluation of Beverages Containing Alcohol — ASTM E1879-22. This guide provides recommended practices and considerations for designing and conducting sensory and consumer evaluations of alcoholic beverages (beer, wine, cocktails, ready-to-drink products, liqueurs, hard ciders, hard seltzers, distilled spirits, and similar products), with emphasis on assessor selection, safety, sample preparation, serving procedures, and documentation (including informed consent for Central Location Tests and Home Use Tests).

Abstract

ASTM E1879-22 is a concise, practice-oriented guide that helps laboratories, manufacturers, and research organizations plan and run sensory evaluations involving alcohol. It outlines assessor screening (including legal drinking age and safety considerations), sample handling and serving protocols, test formats (e.g., CLT and HUT), and administrative measures (informed consent, liability minimization, and regulatory awareness). The guide does not prescribe a single test method but offers recommendations to ensure reliable sensory data while protecting assessors and test administrators.

General information

• Status: Active
• Publication date: March 1, 2022 (active; last updated March 9, 2022)
• Publisher: ASTM International
• ICS / categories: 67.160.10 (alcoholic beverages)
• Edition / version: E1879-22
• Number of pages: 12

Scope

This guide provides guidelines specific to the sensory and consumer evaluation of alcoholic beverages. It covers assessor selection and screening, sample preparation and serving protocols (serving temperature, serving volume, glassware), evaluation recommendations for different alcoholic product types, and sample-administration formats (for example, Central Location Tests and Home Use Tests). It also discusses practical safety, legal, and regulatory considerations but does not attempt to list all jurisdictional rules; it does not cover raw-material testing or prescribe laboratory test methods. Users are responsible for ensuring compliance with local laws and corporate policies when applying the guide.

Key topics and requirements

• Assessor selection and screening: legal drinking age, drinking habits, contraindications, and restrictions for employee panels.
• Safety and liability: managing intoxication risk, blood alcohol concentration considerations, assessor safety, and minimizing organizational liability.
• Informed consent and documentation: example consent forms and guidance for CLT and HUT administrations.
• Sample preparation and presentation: recommended serving temperatures, serving volumes, sample labeling, and randomization/replication approaches to reduce bias.
• Evaluation recommendations by product type: tailored considerations for beer, wine, distilled spirits, ready-to-drink products, hard seltzers, ciders, cocktails, and liqueurs.
• Regulatory and legal awareness: guidance to ensure testing conforms with applicable local laws, corporate policies, and distribution limitations.
• Limitations: does not include methods for raw-material testing nor provide exhaustive legal rules for all jurisdictions.

Typical use and users

Used by sensory scientists, beverage R&D teams, quality assurance and quality control groups, contract research organizations, consumer insights teams, and academic researchers involved in sensory and consumer testing of alcoholic products. Typical applications include product development, shelf-life and serving studies, consumer preference and acceptance tests, and safety-aware sensory trials conducted in central test facilities or in-home use settings.

Related standards

ASTM E1879-22 is part of the ASTM sensory/evaluation suite maintained by Committee E18 and references or is used alongside other ASTM sensory standards and terminology documents (for example, standards addressing general sensory terminology and other beverage-specific guidance). Standards that commonly relate to or are referenced with E1879 include terminology and broader sensory evaluation documents such as ASTM E253 and other E18-series standards that cover sensory methods, definitions, and related practices.

Keywords

alcoholic beverages, sensory evaluation, assessor selection, informed consent, Central Location Test (CLT), Home Use Test (HUT), serving temperature, serving volume, sample preparation, blood alcohol concentration, liability, sensory protocol.

FAQ

Q: What is this standard?

A: ASTM E1879-22 is a guide offering recommended practices for sensory and consumer evaluation of beverages containing alcohol, covering safety, assessor selection, sample handling, and test administration.

Q: What does it cover?

A: It covers assessor selection and screening, safety and liability considerations, sample preparation and serving protocols, evaluation guidance for a range of alcoholic beverages, and example informed-consent forms for CLT and HUT. It does not prescribe specific laboratory test methods or address raw-material testing.

Q: Who typically uses it?

A: Sensory scientists, R&D and product development teams at beverage companies, QA/QC staff, contract sensory labs, and academic researchers performing consumer and sensory testing with alcoholic products.

Q: Is it current or superseded?

A: As published and maintained by ASTM, E1879-22 is the current active version (E1879-22); the document status was updated in March 2022. Users should verify whether a newer revision exists before relying on it for regulatory or procurement decisions.

Q: Is it part of a series?

A: Yes — it is part of the E18 committee’s body of sensory evaluation standards and was developed by Subcommittee E18.06; it is intended to be used alongside ASTM terminology and other sensory guidance standards.

Q: What are the key keywords?

A: Key keywords include alcoholic beverages, sensory evaluation, assessor selection, informed consent, CLT, HUT, serving temperature, BAC, sample preparation, and liability.