Spirits: Brandy Gin Grappa Sake Tequila Whisk(e)y Vodka

1. Spirits: • Brandy • Gin • Grappa • Sake • Tequila • Whisk(e)y • Vodka BC35f :“Other” alcoholic beverages • All spirits are made by the distillation of a fermented wash or mash. What differ are: • Source of the fermentable sugars • Degree of distillation • Additives, if any • Filtration, if any • Storage • Legislation

2. “Other” alcoholic beverages: Distillation was probably first performed in the Middle East: al-cohol is an arabic word (as is al-chemy) This and other science was largely unknown to “Western Europe” until the Muslim invasions and their subsequent military overthrow from Granada in Spain, some 800 years ago, whereupon a library was discovered by the christians, and handed over to monks for translation. The first university in Europe, Bologna, was set up to do this translation.

3. “Other” alcoholic beverages: Christian monks spread the method across European monasteries (founding universities in Paris then Oxford then others), probably originally intending to use the alcohol for dissolving medicinal plant material, though the odd taste of the pure spirit soon became a way of life for monks, as did drinking the original fermented wash, sometimes a beer, before distillation. The German city Munchen (our Munich) means “monks”: there were many monasteries and they perfected lager brewing.

4. “Other” alcoholic beverages: • Spirits: • Brandy Brandy is made by the distillation of a fermented fruit juice, originally grape, hence the old Dutch word: brandewijn =burned/heated wine. Cognac is town in Charente region of west central France from which wealthy English used to obtain their favourite spirit drink before taking to scotch whisky. The wine from this region is undrinkable.

5. “Other” alcoholic beverages: • Spirits: • Brandy Early 15th Century cognac was single distilled to about 25% alc. Double distillation, invented by the Dutch, was introduced to Cognac in the 17th Cent. and improved the quality. It was soon discovered that the longer it stayed in its Limousin Forest oak shipping barrels, the better it tasted. Under French law, a cognac may not be sold with a date.

6. “Other” alcoholic beverages: • Spirits: • Brandy 1st. distillation is in a large copper pot still, making a “low wine” called “brouilli”. The second or “good heating” (“bonne chauffe”) must be performed in smaller “alambic charentains”. VSOP (“Very Special Old Pale”) must be at least 4 years in wood. Neither the number of stars, nor the appellation “Napoleon” have official significance.

7. “Other” alcoholic beverages: • Spirits: • Brandy Other grape-growing countries make brandy; called pisco in S. America. Brandy from other fruits Calvados = apple brandy (Normandy) Slivovitz = plum brandy (Balkans) Kirsch = from cherries (Schwartzwald) (not “cherry brandy”)

8. “Other” alcoholic beverages: Spirits: Gin Lucas Bols founded his distillery, in Schiedam in 1575, to produce the pure spirit with which to mix oil of juniper making“jenever”, or “genever”. The English consumed large quantities of it and called it gin for short. Ethanol is from fermented malted grain or molasses, and highly rectified to remove congeners.

9. “Other” alcoholic beverages: Spirits: Gin English gins: Old Tom, London Dry, Plymouth, are redistilled with various other botanicals to extract the flavours. Secret recipes contain juniper berries (like the dutch original), coriander seeds, orris root, etc.

10. “Other” alcoholic beverages: Spirits: Grappa In Italy after the grapes have been crushed to recover the juice, the crushed skins, pips and stalks will ferment spontaneously. The product is carefully distilled to remove methanol, using pot followed by column stills. Maturation in wooden barrels improves the quality. The German equivalent is called “trester”.

11. “Other” alcoholic beverages: Spirits: Sake Japanese (non-distilled) spirit from fermented polished (de-hulled) rice. The rice is steamed to hydrate the starch, then inoculated with spores of Aspergillus oryzae. Solid substrate fermentation “koji” occurs and the secreted amylases produce glucose. A mash “moromi” of water, koji and steamed rice is inoculated with a S. cerevisiae starter culture. Water, koji and steamed rice are added 3 more times.

12. “Other” alcoholic beverages: Spirits: Sake Fermentation lasts 18 – 32 days, and alcohol can reach close to 20%! The moromi is pressed and the namazake is allowed to clarify by settling and subsequent filtration through charcoal. This can be kept refrigerated, or Pasteurised and diluted to 16% to produce stable sake for bottling and shipment.

13. “Other” alcoholic beverages: Spirits: Tequila The cabeza, large flowering head of a variety of Mexican agave called maguey, is cooked for a several hours then shredded and pressed. The juice ferments spontaneously for about four days to give pulque. This is distilled to give the rough spirit mescal, which can be hallucinatory. Double distillation gives tequila which can be matured 3-5 years (tequila nuevo) or up to 10 years in a cask (tequila maduro). Tequila must contain 51% maguey spirit.

14. “Other” alcoholic beverages: Spirits: Whiskey Whisky Bourbon Rye Irish or Scottish in origin, possibly in the 6th century A.D. (Not from “arabic” knowledge?) “Malt” (-ed barley) recorded in use in 1494, the word “usque-baugh” was used in the court of King James IV in 1500. The Scottish Parliament tried to tax it in 1644, and illicit distilling mushroomed. The English and Scottish kingdoms united in 1707, the new excise department failed to collect taxes from Highland distillers.

15. “Other” alcoholic beverages: Spirits: Whiskey Whisky Bourbon Rye The quality of the water and the shape of the copper pot stills are very important in determining the properties of the single malt product. Bulk spirit for making blended whiskies had to await the invention of the continuous still by Haig & Stein in 1827, improved and patented by Aeneas Coffey in 1832.

16. “Other” alcoholic beverages: Spirits: Whiskey Whisky Bourbon Rye French vineyards were devastated by phylloxera, cognac supplies dwindled and the English took to Scottish Whisky. During WW1 H.M. Government feared munitions factory workers were drinking too much whisky and passed a law that it could not be sold until cask matured for 3 years. Single malts had been matured in used oak sherry or bourbon casks to improve flavour before this.

17. “Other” alcoholic beverages: Spirits: Whiskey Whisky Bourbon Rye Irish whiskey is apparently made from a mash containing malted and unmalted barley, wheat, rye and oats! Thrice pot distilled, minimum 3 years cask maturation, but usually 7 years. Oldest distillation is in Bushmills, Co. Antrim, dating from 13th. century. Most famous in Eire is Jameson (1790). Unlicensed irish whiskey is called potcheen.

18. “Other” alcoholic beverages: Spirits: Whiskey Whisky Bourbon Rye Georgetown in Bourbon Co. Kentuky saw the foundation of american whiskey in 1789 by Baptist Rev. Elijah Craig. 1794: taxation attempts by Congress led to ‘whiskey rebellion’ and increase in illicit distillation of “moonshine”. By Act of Congress the mash must contain not less than 51% maize, can contain wheat, barley, rye. Must be matured in new oak casks

19. “Other” alcoholic beverages: Spirits: Whiskey Whisky Bourbon Rye ‘Straight Bourbon’ is product of a single distillery in one year. ‘Blended Straight Bourbon’ is from one year but more than one distillery. ‘Blended Bourbon’ must contain at least 50% Bourbon. Rye substitutes for maize in rye whiskey, which is distinctly american. Jack Daniel’s Tennessee ‘sour mash’ whiskey uses mixed grain mash and charcoal filtration.

20. “Other” alcoholic beverages: Spirits: Vodka Traditionally Russian, usually made from grain mash. A much greater tonnage of potatoes can substitute economically only if there is a glut. Rice or molasses can also be used. The highly rectified spirit, like gin, is often delicately flavoured: citrus, berries, paprika etc. Polish cherry-flavoured vodka is called ‘Wisniowka’

21. Spirits: • Brandy • Gin • Grappa • Sake • Tequila • Whisk(e)y • Vodka BC35f :“Other” alcoholic beverages • All spirits are made by the distillation of a fermented wash or mash. What differ are: • Source of the fermentable sugars • Degree of distillation • Additives, if any • Filtration, if any • Storage • Legislation