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Spirits & Alcohol
The history of alcohol is a parallel history of the world. It has been embraced as sacred, condemned as sinful, and used for celebratory indulgence. As such, alcohol has always been an important part of the human experience. Early humans must have been mystified by the enigma of alcohol. It would have crystallized seemingly from nothing and thus was proof to many of God’s existence and dominion. Alcohol provides nourishment, invites intoxication, foments inspiration, and numbs during times of difficulty. It is profoundly multi-faceted, complex, and simply interesting. This section will give insight into the process that creates an alcoholic substance and then will explain the differences between some of the world’s most well-known varieties.
Spirits & Alcohol
Most compactly, distillation is the boiling of a fermented mixture where the escaped vapors are captured and then returned to concentrated liquid form. Alcohol tends to evaporate at a lower temperature than many other substances. As such, the process can be tightly controlled. Multiple distillations can result in a purer end product with a more intense flavor. Recall that a significant contributor to an alcohol’s end taste profile is the fruit or initial substance that it was distilled from. Distilled alcohol can be made from any fermented liquid. Generally, spirits come from grains or plants with a high sugar concentration. Grain alcohol is often made with multiple types of grain.
Spirits & Alcohol
The natural creation of alcohol is striking in its simplicity: All that is required is sugar, a hospitable temperature, and yeast. Once humans transitioned to a sedentary, agriculture-based lifestyle, various societies began to specialize in methods of food storage and preparation. When fruit was collected, one line of thinking suggests that some pieces broke and a sweet juice fell to the bottom of containers. When that fruit was retrieved days or months later, alcohol would have formed. This is believed to be the earliest crude version of wine. What is more, evidence of beer residue was found in a jar that dates to 7000-6600 BCE. The earliest jar of wine comes from what is now Iran and is believed to date from 5400-5000 BCE. Fermentation happens daily in nature. Alcohol formation depends primarily on its divisor—often fruit and grain. Anything that naturally stores sugar is a likely candidate.
water + sugar + yeast àethanol + carbon dioxide + heat
Spirits & Alcohol
Aperitif: Meaning, “to open” in Latin, an aperitif is designed to awaken the palate before a meal. These drinks are low in alcohol so as to not compromise the taste buds
Digestif: These are intended to aid in digestion after a heavy meal. They are often bitter and dense in flavor and have a long medicinal history.
Liqueurs: In a most general sense, a liqueur is any spirit mixed with another flavor or sweetener. Liqueurs can be found around the world and are said to have originated in the monasteries of Europe for medicinal purposes. Most liqueurs use a neutral spirit as a base and add distinct flavor agents.
Maraschino: Italian liqueur made from the pits and stems of Maraska cherries
Sloe Gin: Made From sloe berries or plums that grow on blackthorn bushes
Grand Marnier: Cognac-based liqueur flavored with bitter orange
Crème de Cacao: Flavored with cacao beans and vanilla
Bénedictine Brandy: Cordial flavored with 27 herbs and spices
Chartreuse Ancient: Cordial flavored with more than 100 herbs, fruits, spices
Drembuie Scotch: Liqueur with honey and heather
Spirits & Alcohol
Amari, meaning ‘bitter’ in Italian, Amaro spirits combine their namesake ingredient with something sweet to produce a compound with an alcohol content between 16-40%. Amaro spirits are most commonly consumed as a digestif. They are made by combining unique blends of herbs, flowers, bark, roots, and citrus.
Campari: bittersweet Italian aperitif
Fernet: bitter Italian digestif made from 40 herbs and spices
Meletti Italian: liqueur flavored with saffron and anise
Amaro Nonino: A aged grape-based digestif infused with alpine herbs
Spirits & Alcohol
Vermouth: a fortified wine flavored with herbs, bark, and spices. A relatively neutral white wine stands as the base for most vermouth and a small quantity of neutral spirit is added. This time-tested practice helps to preserve the wine. Common ingredients: clove, cinnamon, quinine, citrus peel, cardamom, marjoram, chamomile, coriander, juniper, hyssop, and ginger
Sherry: a fortified wine exclusively produced in the Jerez region of Spain. It comes in two main categories, dry and sweet, and can be aged in a number of different ways. Aging takes place in a solera, a system of stacked barrels that are varied in age. At a certain point, wine from the oldest cask is bottled and replaced from the next oldest.
Port: Produced in the Douro Valley in Portugal, port can be made in several styles: ruby, tawny, white, and rose.
Madeira: Another fortified wine from the Portuguese island of Madeira. It is made in a number of styles that range from dry to sweet. Madeira is made from four different types of grapes: malvasia, bual, verdelho, and sercial.
Absinthe: An overproof spirit whose primary flavor comes from anise. A specific blend of base ingredients must be used for absinthe to be classified as legitimate. Absinthe was originally invented by an eccentric doctor in Switzerland to aid with digestive issues Absinthe should be consumed with 4-5 parts of cold water and a sugar cube. It should not be lit on fire or taken as a shot.
Pastis: An anise-flavored liqueur invented by Paul Ricard. It is between 40-45% alcohol by volume. Other anise-flavored liqueurs include Ouzo and Sambuca.