Advances in assessing the elemental composition of distilled spirits using atomic spectrometry

•We outline possible sources of elements in distilled spirits.•We survey sample-preparation procedures for elemental analysis of distilled spirits.•We survey methods of atomic spectrometry for element analysis of distilled spirits.•We discuss calibration strategies, and quality assurance and control of results.

Elements that affect the taste, the smell and the color of distilled spirits can originate from raw materials and utensils used for processing and reach levels from several to hundreds of thousands of µg L−1. Determinations of certain elements in distilled spirits are required to assess their quality and safety and can be used to judge their nutritional value or to verify if finished products conform to specific safety regulations. This review is dedicated to spectrochemical techniques and sample-preparation procedures used in elemental analysis of distilled spirits and covers studies published in the past 20 years. We pay particular attention to sample-treatment procedures and calibration strategies prior to measurements by different atomic spectrometry methods. We also discuss possible sources of elements in distilled spirits and the suitability of the information about elemental contents for identifying and classifying distilled spirits.