- WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT BOOZE
What is single malt?
Single malt is so-called because the malt comes from a single
distillery. It is a whisky refined by a single distillery, using malted
barley as the only grain ingredient. Each distillery has its own
distinct taste, flavour and style and single malts bear that. Some
world-renowned single malts are Glenfiddich, Glenmorangie, Glenlivet,
Glenkinchie and if you move into the rarevarieties, PortEllen, Dalmore,
Glenfarclas, IsleofJura, Knocdhu, Lagavulin,Laphroig, Macallan,
Oban,Taliskar, Cragganmore. Enjoying a single malt is a connoissseur's
job and you have to learn to be one. A single grain, as distinct from a
single malt, is a grain whisky made at one distillery, while the single
malt is made with barley.
What is Blended Whisky?
Blended whisky is a mixture of single malt whisky and ethanol derived
from grains. Developed for those who could not stomach the strong taste
of whisky, it is a combination of malt and grain whiskies. First
distilled and bottled by Andrew Usher in Edinburgh in the early 1860s,
it turned out to be softer, lighter and more palatable.
The character of the whisky is determined not only by the proportions of
malt and grain whisky, but also by the ages of the individual whiskies
and the manner in which they are combined to bring out the finest
qualities in each other. Most whisky drunk across the world is blended
whisky. Famous Grouse, Bells, Teacher's, Whyte & Mackay and Johnnie
Walker are a few that are well-known.
What is the difference between Whisky and Whiskey?
Alcohol, malted or not, made from grain which is produced in Scotland is
called WHISKY, while it is called WHISKEY if it is produced in USA or
Ireland. American whiskey is called Bourbon and is made from grain.
Bourbon is at least 51 per cent corn or maize.
Scotch whisky is generally double distilled, while Irish whiskey is
generally distilled three times. Wheat whisky is the rarest whisky.. Rye
whiskies are mostly
popular within the US. Scotch whisky is whisky that has been distilled
and matured in Scotland for at least three hours in oak casks.
What is Alcohol?
Alcohol is obtained after breaking down natural sugar of grain into C02,
ethanol or ethyl alcohol and residual content. Yeast from grains and
vegetables changes the sugar into alcohol. From the cheapest beer to the
most expensive wine or after dinner liqueur, all alcohol is made with
the same fermentation process.
The different colours, tastes, potencies and flavours come from the
different fruits or vegetables used as well as the additives,
by-products and diluting substances employed during the fermentation
process.
Why should you never drink on an empty stomach?
Experts say eating food before drinking retains alcohol in the system
where it is absorbed slowly into the blood stream. This gives the liver
more time to break the alcohol down. Otherwise, it is directly absorbed
without being broken down into simpler compounds into the blood stream.
This can be harmful for the
liver and general health. The kick comes when the alcohol is absorbed
into the bloodstream directly and slows down the central nervous system.
The absorbed alcohol blocks some of the commands the brain sends to the
body; hence the reflexes and reactions are slower.
Does drinking water before or between drinks help you hold your drink
better?
Dehydration causes your blood volume to go down and alcohol will cause
it to go down further. So make it a habit to drink enough water before
you go out for a hard drink. Experts say in case of alcohol consumption,
the bigger you are the better it is. Big people have a larger quantity
of blood, so alcohol they take in is more diluted as it mixes with the
blood.
Women are generally smaller than men. They also have proportionately
more fat and less water in their bodies and so the concentration of
alcohol in their blood is higher for the same amount drunk.
What goes better with Whisky - Water or Soda?
Whisky is preferred with water more than soda as soda is carbonated
water and it kills the taste of whisky. But real connnoisseurs of whisky
like to have it neat or with water on side or with two cubes of ice.
What is Cognac?
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The wines of Poitou, La Rochelle and Angoumois, produced from high
quality vineyards, were shipped to Northern Europe where they were
enjoyed by the English, Dutch and Scandinavians as early as the 13th
century. In the 16th century, they were transformed into eau-de-vie,
then matured in oak casks to become Cognac.. That was the start of the
adventure for a town, which was to become the capital of a world famous
trade.
Cognac is a living thing. During its time in the oak casks it is in
permanent contact with the air. This allows it to extract the substances
from the wood that give both its colour and its final bouquet.
Aging is indispensable if an eau-de-vie is to become Cognac. It takes
place in casks or barrels that hold between 270 and 450 litres. The
natural humidity of the cellars, in which the casks are stored, with its
influence on evaporation, is one of the determining factors in the
maturing process. With the balance between humidity and dryness, the
spirit becomes mellow and ages harmoniously.
Making Cognac is the work of the Master Blender. Applying strict
control, experience and intuition, he subtly blends eaux-de-vie of
different ages and crus, producing a Cognac that through the years will
not only retain its own personality, but will also keep a place in the
heart of the consumer.
What is the difference between Scotch, Irish, Rye and Bourbon Whiskies?
Scotch Whisky is whisky, which has been distilled and matured in
Scotland.
Irish Whiskey means whiskey distilled and matured in Ireland.
Whisky is distilled in Scotland from malted barley in Pot Stills and
from malted and unmalted barley or other cereals in Patent Stills. The
well-known brands of Scotch Whisky are blends of a number of Pot Still
and Patent Still whiskies.
Irish Whiskey distillers tend to favour three distillations rather than
two, as is general in Scotland in the case of Pot Still whiskies and the
range of cereals used is wider.
As regards Bourbon Whiskey, the United States Regulations provide:
(I) that Bourbon Whiskey must be produced from a mash of not less than
51% corn grain;
(ii) that the word 'Bourbon' shall not be used to describe any whiskey
or whiskey-based distilled spirits not produced in the United States.
Rye Whiskey is produced both in the United States and Canada but the
name has no geographical significance. In the United States, Rye Whiskey
by definition must be produced from a grain mash of which not less than
51% is rye grain. In Canada, there is no similar restriction. The
relevant Canadian Regulation states: 'Canadian Whisky (Canadian Rye
Whisky, Rye Whisky) shall be whisky distilled in Canada and shall
possess the aroma, taste and character generally attributed to Canadian
Whisky..'
Canadian Whisky is in fact often referred to simply as Rye Whisky or
Rye.
What is Tequila?
First the history: Tequila was first distilled in the 1500-1600's in the
state of Jalisco, Mexico. Guadalajara is the capital of Jalisco and the
city of Tequila was established in about 1656. This is where the agave
plant grows best. The agave is not a cactus as rumoured, but belongs to
the lily family and has long spiny leaves (pincas). The specific plant
that is used to make tequila is the Weber blue agave. It takes 8-12
years for the agave to reach maturity. During harvest, the leaves are
cut off leaving the heart of the plant or pina which looks like a large
pineapple when the jimadors are done. The harvested pina may weigh 200
pounds or more and is chopped into smaller pieces for cooking at the
distillery. Tequila was first imported into the United States in 1873
when the first load was transported to El Paso, Texas. In 1973 tequila sales in the US
topped one million cases.
There are two basic types of tequila, 100% blue agave (cien por ciento
de agave) tequila and mixto. The 100% blue agave tequilas are distilled
entirely from the fermented juice of the agave. All 100% agave tequilas
have to be distilled and bottled in Mexico. If the bottle does not say
100% blue agave, the tequila is mixto and may have been distilled from
as little as 60% agave juice with other sugars.
Grades of Tequila:
* Blanco: 100% agave tequila that is un-aged and untreated with
additives.
* Reposado: 100% agave, "rested" tequila that has been stored in oak
between two months and one year.
* Anejo: 100% agave, aged tequila that has been stored in oak at least
one year.
* Mixto blanco: mixto tequila that is unaged.
* Mixto reposado: mixto tequila that has been stored in oak between two
months and one year.
* Mixto anejo: aged mixto tequila that has been stored in oak at least
one year.
* Joven abocado: mixto tequila that has been treated with additives to
achieve an effect similar to aging.
How many types of Beer are available to Drink?
Here are the different styles you may come across at our stores or your
favourite local brew pub.
Ale - originally liquor made from an infusion of malt by fermentation,
as opposed to beer, which was made by the same process but flavoured
with hops. Today ale is used for all beers other than stout.
Alt - means "old". A top fermented ale, rich, copper-coloured and
full-bodied, with a very firm, tannic palate, and usually well-hopped
and dry.
Amber Beer - an ale with a depth of hue halfway between pale and dark.
Barley Wine - dark, rich, usually bittersweet, heavy ales with high
alcohol content, made for sipping, not quaffing.
Bitter - the driest and one of the most heavily hopped beers served on
draft. The nose is generally aromatic, the hue amber and the alcoholic
content moderate.
Bock - a strong dark German lager, ranging from pale to dark brown in
colour, with a minimum alcoholic content of about 6 percent.
Brown Ale - malty beers, dark in colour and they may be quite sweet.
Burton - a strong ale, dark in colour, made with a proportion of highly
dried or roasted malts.
Christmas/Holiday Beer - these special season beers are amber to dark
brown, richly flavoured with a sweetish palate. Some are flavoured with
special
spices and/or herbs.
Dopplebock - "double bock." A stronger version of bock beer, decidedly
malty, with an alcoholic content ranging from 8 percent to 13 percent by
volume.
Hefe-Weizen - a wheat beer, lighter in body, flavour and alcohol
strength.
Ice Beer - a high-alcohol beer made by cooling the beer during the
process to below the freezing point of water (32 degrees Fahrenheit) but
above that of alcohol (-173 degrees Fahrenheit). . When the formed ice
is removed and discarded, the beer ends up with a higher
alcohol-to-water ratio.
India Pale Ale (IPA) - a generously hopped pale ale.
Kolsch - West German ale, very pale (brassy gold) in hue, with a mild
malt flavour and some lactic tartness.
Malt Liquor - most malt liquors are lagers that are too alcoholic to be
labelled lagers or beers.
Muncheners - a malty, pale lager distinguished from the darker, heavier
Munich Dark beers by the term "dunkel".
Octoberfest/ Maerzen/Vienna - a copper-coloured, malty beer brewed at
the end of the winter brewing season in March.
Pale Ale - made of the highest quality malts, the driest and most highly
hopped beer. Sold as light ale or pale ale in bottle or on draft as
bitter.
Pilsner - delicately dry and aromatic beers.
Porter - a darker (medium to dark reddish brown) ale style beer,
full-bodied, a bit on the bitter side. The barley (or barley-malt) is
well roasted, giving the brew a characteristic chocolaty, bittersweet
flavour.
Stout - beer brewed from roasted, full-flavoured malts, often with an
addition of caramel sugar and a slightly higher proportion of hops.
Stouts have a richer, slightly burnt flavour and are dark in colour.
Sweet Stout - also known as milk stout because some brewers use lactose
(milk sugar) as an ingredient.
Wheat Beer - a beer in which wheat malt is substituted for barley malt.
Usually medium-bodied, with a bit of tartness on the palate
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