A Chinese beer maker has been arrested after it was discovered that he was adding Viagra to his drink in a bid to make them more popular, according to reports.

The man, who was only named Mr Huang, owned a liquor factory in the province of Hubei. He is suspected of adding Sildenafil, a chemical compound used for the treatment of erectile dysfunction, to alcoholic drinks marketed as "nutritional" and "healthy" for 30 yuan or $5 per bottle, according to People Daily.

Huang paid 2,400 yuan (390 U.S. dollars) for the sildenafil powder. He added 130milligrams of sildenafil per 100 milliliters of liquor, producing 750 liters of the spirits intotal, according to the police.

Adding sildenafil to liquor is illegal and is likely to have strong side effects on patients withcardiovascular problems.

Facing stiff competition in the alcohol market, Huang said his motivation was to 'increase alcohol sales and make money fast', according to CNA.

He also gave 810 bottles to his friends and reportedly kept 30 bottles for his personal use. Chinese authorities are now trying to locate the unconsumed bottles of Huang's liquor, which contained 130 milligrams of Sildenafil per 100 milliliters of liquor according to police.

The Jianshi County authorities are trying to retrieve the liquor from the market.