| Whiskey
Whiskey is a spirit, aged in wood, obtained from the distillation
of a fermented mash of grain. Whiskey is produced in four countries:
the United States, Canada, Scotland, and Ireland. The whiskeys produced
in Canada, Ireland, and Scotland take on the name of their countries.
Whiskeys produced in other countries, even though they may taste
similar, cannot legally be called Canadian, Irish, or Scotch.
Whiskeys vary in alcoholic strength, from 110
proof American bottled in bond whiskey, to 70 proof Canadian whiskeys,
sold only in Canada. Most whiskeys sold in the United States are
either 86 or 80 proof, depending on the distiller and brand. Prior
to the 1960s, most whiskeys were bottled at a higher proof. Today,
modern drinkers prefer lighter-tasting whiskeys. Federal law requires
that the label on each bottle be plainly marked with the proof of
the liquor. Proof indicates the amount of alcohol in any distillate,
and represents 50 percent alcohol by volume. The term "proof"
came out of the pioneering era of distillation. In the beginning,
to determine the strength of liquors, distillers would mix equal
quantities of the spirit and gunpowder and then apply a flame to
the mixture. If the gunpowder failed to burn, the spirit was too
weak; if it burned too brightly, it was too strong. However, if
it burned evenly, with a blue flame, it was said to have been proved.
Hence the word proof. Pure alcohol, like the kind used in laboratories,
is 200 proof, being 100 percent alcohol. A combination of half alcohol
and half water is scored as 100 proof or 50 percent alcohol. Proof
is a measure of alcoholic strength, not necessarily of quality.
American Whiskey
American whiskeys are rigidly defined by law, and governed accordingly.
They include bourbon, corn, sour mash, Tennessee, blended, straight,
bottled in bond, and rye. The history of American whiskey
and America parallel each other. Whiskey was an integral part of
everyday life in the Colonial days. It helped comfort the settlers
during hard times and was enjoyed at the end of a rough day. It
was also used to cure snakebite, ward off disease, and ease pain
both superficially and internally.
Canadian Whisky
Canadian whisky is a distinctive product of Canada made
under government supervision in accordance with the regulations
governing the manufacture of whisky in Canada. Canadian whiskeys’
are whisky blends. The most distinguishing characteristic of Canadian
whisky is its light body.
Scotch Whisky
Scotch whisky is a distinctive product of Scotland, made in compliance
with the laws of Great Britain. There are two types of Scotch whiskies
sold in the United States. The first type is blends of malt
and grain whisky. These are the most popular because they
are made in large quantities and the least expensive.
The second type is single malt. A single
malt Scotch comes from one distillery and made from only one malted
barley. Single malt Scotches are expensive because they are
made in limited quantities.
Brandy
Brandy is a potable spirit, distilled from a fermented mash of grapes
or other fruit. Most brandy is distilled from wine. White wine,
made from white grapes, is used most often. Wine that has recently
finished its fermentation process makes the best brandy. An aged
wine, even if it is of superior quality, won't make a good brandy.
Brandies are produced wherever grapes are grown.
Cognac comes from France, and Metaxa is from Greece. Brandies produced
in California must be made from California grapes, and they have
to meet rigid standards set by the distillers. California brandies
account for over 75 percent of the brandy sales in the United States.
In many parts of Europe, brandy is made from fruit.
Kirsch, from Germany, is cherry flavored, and Mirabelle, from France,
has a plum flavor. To the brandy base, which contains the alcohol,
they add an extract or concentrate of the fruit and sweetening syrups.
The labels on fruit brandies must indicate the kind of fruit used,
such as apricot brandy, cherry brandy, peach brandy, or blackberry
brandy, etc. Almost all brandies are aged in oak barrels from three
to eight years.
Cognac should be mentioned more specifically because
it is the most famous of all the brandies. It is produced in the
Cognac region of France, which is an area north of Bordeaux, bordering
the Atlantic Ocean, with the city of Cognac near its center. The
region is divided into seven districts, ranking in order of the
quality of the cognac made in each district. In order, they are:
Grande Champagne, Petite Champagne, Borderies, Fins, Bois, Bons
Bois, Bois Ordinaries, and Bois a Terrior.
It is important to understand that all cognac is
brandy, but not all brandy is cognac. A brandy may only be called
cognac if it is distilled from wine made of the grapes that grow
within the legal limits of Charente and Charente Inferieure Departments
of France. Brandies distilled from wines other than these are not
legally entitled to the name cognac, even though they may be shipped
from the city of Cognac.
Gin
Gin is distilled from grain and receives its unique flavor
and aroma from juniper berries and other botanicals. Every gin producer
has his own special recipe, which is under strict quality control.
The flavor of gin will vary with the distiller. Gin was first
produced in Holland by Dr. Sylvius, a Dutch physician, during the
17th century. He named it Genievre, the French word for the juniper
berry. It was the English who shortened the name to gin. Brought
from Holland into England by English soldiers, who called it "Dutch
Courage", gin soon became the national drink of England and
has so remained.
Gin can be made two ways, by either being distilled
or compounded. All leading popular brands sold in the United States
are distilled. Compounded simply means a mixture of neutral spirits
with juniper berries. Distilled gin is distilled completely.
Virtually all gins in the United States use the
word "dry." You will see it on brand labels that may read,
"Dry Gin," "Extra Dry Gin," "London Dry
Gin," or "English Dry Gin," but they all mean the
same thing‑‑lacking in sweetness. Originally, "London
Dry" meant gin produced in London, but the name "London"
is considered to be generic, and therefore it is often used to describe
gins produced in the United States.
Rum
Rum is produced wherever sugar cane grows. Many countries, such
as the United States, South Africa, and even Russia, produce rum,
but it is only the Caribbean Islands that produce rum in quantities
sufficient for worldwide export. The islands in the Caribbean each
produce a distinctive type of rum, the result of the base material
used, the method of distillation, and the length of maturation.
Generally, the islands where the Spanish language is spoken, such
as Puerto Rico, produce light, dry-tasting rums. The English speaking
Caribbean islands produce dark, heavy-tasting rums.
By definition, rum is any alcoholic distillate
made from the fermented juice of sugar cane, sugar cane syrup, sugar
cane molasses, or other sugar cane by-products, distilled at less
than 190 proof, that also possesses the taste, aroma, and characteristics
generally attributed to rum.
Sugar cane was brought to the Caribbean by Christopher
Columbus on his journey from the Azores Islands. The climate was
perfect for growing sugar cane, and soon it was being grown on every
Caribbean island. The Spanish colonists who followed Columbus brought
with them the art of distilling and began distilling the juice of
the sugar cane into an alcoholic beverage, which became known as
rum. Most authors believe the word "rum" is derived from
the old words rumbullion (rumpus) or rumbustion (uproar), certainly
appropriate words when referring to the first rum drinkers.
Rums can be broken down into various classifications.
The light-bodied ones are dry and have only a very light molasses
taste. They are available in two varieties: white, which is by far
the most popular, and gold, which is a mixture of light and dark.
The gold is sweeter and has a more pronounced molasses taste. The
two favorite light rums come from Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.
Another classification is heavy-bodied rums that are much darker
and sweeter. They have a pungent bouquet and a heavy molasses taste.
The dark rums differ because of slower fermentation and special
maturation processes. Well-known dark rums come from Jamaica, Demerara,
Martinique, Trinidad, Bermuda and New England.
Tequila
Tequila, the primary spirit of Mexico, has its own special
flavor that is almost tart and leaves the tongue clean and tingling.
In the 1970s, tequila became the fastest growing spirit in sales,
as vodka did in the 1960s. Tequila is obtained from the distillation
of the fermented juice (sap) of the mescal plant, called pulque.
The only source for Tequila is the mescal plant, which is a species
of the agave plant. It is a cactus that takes between twelve and
thirteen years to mature. Its long leaves, or spikes, are cut off
at harvest time, leaving only the bulbous central core, called the
pina, meaning pineapple. The pinas, which weigh from 80 pounds to
175 pounds each, are taken to the distillery where they are cooked
in pressure cookers for several hours. They are then cooled and
shredded, and the juice is pressed out. The fermentation process
is completed in huge wooden vats. The fermented juice is then
twice distilled in traditional copper-pot stills.
Vodka
Like whiskey, vodka is distilled from a fermented mash
of grain, but they differ in the methods of distillation. Whiskey
is distilled at a low proof to retain flavor. Vodka, however, is
distilled at a high proof, 190 or above, and then processed even
further to remove all flavor. Most American distillers filter their
vodkas through activated charcoal. Also, whiskey is aged, and vodka
is not.
A few vodkas are made from potatoes. Most vodka
is not. Almost all vodka is made from grain, the most common
being corn, rye, and wheat. There are many countries that
claim they invented vodka, among them Poland and Russia. Some historians
claim the Poles were producing it as early as the 8th century AD,
for use as medicine. It wasn't until the 15th century AD, that both
the Poles and the Russians were drinking it every day.
Liqueurs
The words liqueurs and cordials are used interchangeably. Liqueurs
were first developed by the Christian monks of the middle ages.
They were developed to help the sick. The monks added secret combinations
of honey, seeds, herbs, spices, roots, and bark to distilled-base
spirits and offered them as remedies.
After Shock
Cinnamon liqueur imported from Canada. Initially tastes like hot
cinnamon.
Amaretto Di Saronno
Imported Italian liqueur made from apricot stones, which produce
an almond flavor.
B & B D.O.M.
Imported liqueur from France. A combination of Benedictine and Brandy
that started out as a popular mixed drink until the French decided
to bottle the two together.
Campari Aperitivo
Aperitif imported from Italy. Aromas of fruit pits and botanicals.
Slightly bitter flavors of fruit.
Chambord
Black raspberry liqueur from France made with small black raspberries,
other fruits, herbs and honey.
Chartreuse Green
Herbal liqueur made by the monks of the Carthusian order in
the French Alps.
Cointreau Liqueur
Imported orange liqueur from France. Similar to orange curacao.
Clear in color. Flavor of fresh orange peels with a slight hint
of spice.
Romana Black Sambuca
Imported licorice flavored liqueur from Italy. Black color.
Drambuie
Imported liqueur from Scotland. Made with aged Scotch-over 15
years old-and blended with heather honey and herbs.
Frangelico
Hazelnut Liqueur imported from Italy. A mix of hazelnuts, berries,
and herbs. Flavors of hazelnut and butter.
Goldschlager
Clear cinnamon schnapps from Switzerland with flecks of gold
leaf floating in the bottle. Sweet-sour cinnamon flavors.
Grand Marnier
Made with cognac, essence of wild oranges and delicate syrup,
the mixture is aged in oak casks prior to bottling.
Irish Mist Liqueur
Imported liqueur from Ireland. A blend of heather and clover
honey and herbs.
Jagermeister
Imported liqueur from Germany. Intensely herbal,
citrus nose.
Liquore Galliano
Imported liqueur from Italy. Aromas of
roots, herbs, flowers, and cedar.
Metaxa Ouzo
Imported liqueur from Greece. A combination
of grapes, herbs, and berries including aniseed, licorice, mint,
wintergreen, fennel, and hazelnut.
Pernod Anise
The recipe for Pernod is a slight variation
of the original recipe for absinthe; an herbal elixer made from
15 exotic herbs steeped in alcohol. Licorice flavored and yellow-green
color.
Midori Melon
Imported honeydew melon flavored liqueur.
Light, fresh melon taste.
Yukon Jack
Canadian liqueur. White-wine-like appearance.
Flavors of orange and spirit.
Kahlua Coffee Liqueur
America's number one imported liqueur.
Aromas of coffee beans. Flavors of coffee and semisweet chocolate.
Tia Maria Coffee Liqueur
Imported coffee liqueur from Jamaica.
Bailey's Irish Cream
Cream liqueur imported from Ireland.
A blend of real cream and Irish whiskey.
Melon Liqueur
Sweet melon flavored.
Brown Creme De Cacao
Brown color. Rich cocoa flavor.
White Creme De Cacao
Clear color, taste the same as the
Brown Crème De Cacao.
Creme De Menthe Green
Dark green color. Mint flavor.
White Creme De Menthe
Clear. Natural mint flavor.
Creme De Banana
American banana flavored liqueur. The 'Creme'
means that this liqueur is sweeter than most liqueurs or schnapps,
not that it is blended with cream.
Creme De Noyaux
Made from fruit stones (pits) that gives
it a nutty, almond flavor. Similar in flavor to Crème De Almond
Creme De Cassis
Black currant flavored liqueur .
Peppermint Schnapps
Peppermint flavored liqueur. Schnapps
is less sweet than a liqueur or a fruit creme.
Peach Schnapps
Peach flavored. Most schnapps are generally
low in proof and contain a lower sugar content than other cordials.
Root Beer Schnapps
Root Beer flavored schnapps made in
the U.S.
Buttershots Schnapps
Cordial that has intense butterscotch
aromas and flavors.
Fire Water Cinnamon Schnapps
Hot cinnamon schnapps, like
fireball candy. 100 proof.
Anisette
American liqueur with the aroma and flavor of
licorice from the anise seed.
Orange Curacao
Orange flavored (only natural ingredients
are used) liqueur. Made from orange peel.
Blue Curacao
Orange flavored. Made from orange peel. Blue
color.
Triple Sec
Orange flavored liqueur. Orange peels are used
for the flavoring. Similar to curacao, but more refined.
Southern Comfort
A blend of bourbon and peach liqueur.
Made from bourbon and peach liqueur in which fresh peaches were
marinated.
|
