Bar: Spirits (basics) Flashcards
Vodka
A neutral spirit that can be made from just about anything. Most often made from grains, but also made from potatoes, grapes, milk, and more.
Vodka is originally from Poland or Russia, which one, is still a debate.
Vodka in the USA must be at least 40% ABV (80 proof), and is officially described as colorless, odorless, and tasteless. However, the nuances come in the texture, viscosity, and level of ethanol burn.
Gin
A neutral spirit most often made from grains. It incorporates the flavors of different botanicals into the distillation process; most commonly juniper, but also ingredients such as coriander, cardamom, cassia, licorice, oris root, citrus peels, pine, and bay.
Gin is originally from Holland and England. The Dutch version is called Jenever, which means juniper in Dutch. Gin is essentially flavored vodka (juniper flavored).
The process of making Gin is the same as making Vodka, where the impurities are distilled out to about 97.5% to get rid of almost all of the flavor. The only difference is at this point it is infused with the before mentioned botanicals, which add their unique flavors to the “vodka.” This is the same process for making flavored vodka.
Styles of Gin
London Dry: What most people think of when they think of Gin. Majority of the flavor comes from Juniper. Very clean, light, and dry.
New Western Style: A more modern take on Gin making, still highlighting juniper, but not as the “main event,” like London Dry. Often softer with more robust flavor coming from the other botanicals, such as the citrus.
Plymouth: In style/flavor, a middle-ground between London Dry and New Western Style. Still mostly juniper, but earthier and with more body.
Genever: Juniper in Dutch. The first gin to be produced. Heavy and malty, more whiskey-like. Very different from what most people think of when they think of Gin.
Old Tom: The middle ground between London Dry and Genever. Old Tom is a fuller Gin, very mildly sweetened, and sometimes aged for a short period.
Whisk(e)y
The umbrella category for any spirit distilled from cereal grains, and aged in barrels. Whiskey is produced in various places around the world, such as Scotland, Ireland, Japan, USA, and Canada, most commonly made from a combination of barley, wheat, rye, and/or corn, and usually aged in oak barrels.
Scotch, Bourbon, Rye, etc. are all different types of whiskey.
Originally from Scotland and Ireland. The Irish distilled barley beer, that the called Uisge Beatha, Gaelic for “water of life,” which eventually became the first whiskeys.
The Scottish spell whisky without the “e”, while the Irish and the rest spell whiskey.
The difference between corn whiskey and Tito’s Vodka, though they both are made from corn….
Whiskey is distilled up to 60-80%, the remaining 20-40% is what is providing the flavor. Vodka is often distilled to 95%, which is why it is so flavorless.
Whiskey is aged in oak barrels, which gives it the darker color. Caramel coloring is also used some whiskeys (many Scotch whiskeys).
Bourbon
Bourbon is the umbrella category for American Whiskey. Within that there is Bourbon Bourbon (what we all call just “Bourbon”), which is made up of at least 51% corn
The Rules for Bourbon that distinguish it from Irish or Scotch etc.:
Bourbon must be aged in a new, charred, American oak barrel
The new oak combined with the temperature swings in Kentucky, give Bourbon its strong wood, vanilla, caramel, and spice flavors
Bourbon must be distilled to no more than 160 proof (80% ABV)
The higher the distillation the more flavor is being removed, so the 160 proof rule is to ensure that people are not trying to call aged vodka whiskey, and use the selling point of smoothness
Bourbon must be made up of at least 51% corn
The sweetness from bourbon comes from the fact that it is made from mostly corn. It is typically 70-80% corn
Bourbon must be put into the barrel at no higher than 125 proof
This is to ensure that distilleries don’t try to cut costs at the expense of a better tasting product. The spirit ages slower in the barrel if it is higher than 125 proof.
Bourbon must be made in the USA
Anywhere in the USA
Rye
Same rules as bourbon bourbon, but must be made from 51% rye
Scotch Whisky
Scotch Whisky is made from barley malt, sometimes with grain added to it.
Scotch Styles / Terms
Single Malt: Made from 100% malted barley, and from only one distillery
Vatted Malt or Pure Malt: Made from 100% malted barley and mixed from many distilleries
Blended: a mix of whiskies from barley and other grains including wheat or rye. A mix of single malt and grain alcohol (vodka). Lighter product.
Peat: Comes from peat moss, which is a fragrant soil-like sponge that is formed from thousands of years of decaying plant growth, and is all over Scotland. The Scottish often use peat moss on the fires when they kiln-dry the barley for their whisky. The peat smoke then infuses with the grain, giving the medicinal, smoky flavor, characteristic of certain Scotch Whiskys.
Cask-Strength: Another term for barrel-proof. The proof that the whiskey was when it came from the barrel before any alteration.
Sherry: aromatized wine made in Spain, which is aged in barrels. After aging the Sherry, the empty barrels are sent to Scotland, and often used to age Scotch Whisky. Some characteristics of the Sherry, such as a darker color and dried/candied fruit flavors (date, raisin), become present in the whiskey.
Scottish Whisky Regions / Characteristics
The region in Scotland where the whisky was produced usually express different characteristics, and these regions are often printed on the bottle label.
Highland / Speyside: the easiest to drink Scotch Whisky, the best style for introducing someone to Scotch. Little to no peat / smoke flavor. High-toned and fruit flavors.
Lowland: Traditionally lighter whisky, often distilled 3 times rather than the 2 times more commonly done in the other parts of Scotland. Not many active Lowlands distilleries.
Islay: (eye-la) Comes from Orkney, Jura, or Skye, the islands around the Scottish coast. The peated Scotch Whiskys mostly all come from Islay. So almost always very smoky.
Irish Whiskey
Irish Whiskey is a blend of barley and neutral grain spirit, which is what makes it so light. They use smokeless heat to stop the barley’s germination, so Irish Whiskey is not smoky. They usually blend column distilled (lighter whiskey) and pot distilled (heavier whiskey) to reach the perfect combination of flavor and smoothness.
Other Irish Whiskey Styles:
Pot Still: means exclusively distilled in pot stills, usually means richer flavor
Pure Malt / Single Malt / Malt: means it is 100% malted barley, with no light neutral grain whiskey blended in
Peated / Smoked: Irish Whiskey made in the style of Scotch, will have a smoky flavor
Japanese Whiskey
Japanese Whiskey, just like Scotch Whisky, is made from barley malt, sometimes with grain whiskey added to it. Also like Scotch Whisky, Japanese Whiskey utilizes peat moss for flavor, as well as is matured in many different types of barrels (ie. wine, sherry, bourbon etc. barrels). It is different from Scotch in that it is often more mild, and delicate in profile.
Agave Spirits
Tequila and Mezcal are from Mexico, and are both made by distilling pure agave nectar. There have been many changes in the legal vernacular used to describe Mexican distillate products. Originally all agave based distillates from Mexico were called Mezcal. Tequila was just a type of Mezcal. Overtime new laws have been enacted to protect Mexican heritage spirits, and evolved to create todays common understanding of the difference between Tequila and Mezcal.
The Aztecs already were fermenting agave nectar, and turning it into a beer, which was called Pulque. However, it was not until the Spanish came to Mexico that agave nectar was first distilled, and the first Tequila was made.
Tequila
Spirit distilled from fermented blue webber agave. Tequila must be fermented, distilled, and bottled in 1 of 5 designated, protected regions of Mexico: the entire state of Jalisco, and parts of Guanajuato, Tamaulipas, Nayarit, and Michoacán.
Good tequila is made of 100% agave, pure agave is much cleaner, and less hang-over inducing. If it is not 100% agave, it is called a mixto. It can have up to 49% of its sugars coming from any source, drastically reducing the quality.
Aged Tequila is aged in oak barrels, usually old whiskey and bourbon barrels, with some using new American and French oak. There is a regulation committee, known as the CRT, that monitors activity at each distillery very closely to maintain production in accordance with the law.
Categories of Tequila
Blanco: (white) Tequila bottled within 60 days from the time it was distilled. Most are not but some blancos are aged for a short period before bottling. Also known as plata, silver, crystal, etc.
Reposado: (rested) Tequila aged between 60 days and 1 year.
Añejo: (aged) Tequila aged between 1 and 3 years in a barrel no larger than 600 liters.
Extra Añejo: (extra aged) Tequila that has been aged for over 3 years. Primarily for the American market.
Mezcal
Mezcal is an agave distillate that must be made from 1 of about 30 species of agave. Mezcal must be fermented, distilled, and bottled in 1 of 8 designated states of Mexico: Oaxaca, San Luis Potosi, Guanajuato, Guerrero, Durango, Zacatecas, Tamaulipas, and Michoacan. It is most often made from Espadin agave. The agave is cooked in underground conical pits, which is what causes the smoky flavor of Mezcal.
Categories of Mezcal
Blanco: Mezcal either unaged or aged for a maximum of 2 months. Previously called “joven.”
Madurado: (matured) Mezcal aged in glass for a minimum of 12 months. The exact amount of time it has been aged is often stated on the label.
Reposado: Mezcal aged in barrels from 2 to 12 months. The barrel does not have to be made of oak, rather other regional Mexican woods are often used. The exact amount of time it has been aged is often stated on the label.
Añejo: Mezcal aged over twelve months, in any type of wood vessel of any size. he exact amount of time it has been aged is often stated on the label.
Use of additives (abocantes: flavors, aromas/stabilizers, ie. worms, damiana, caramel, etc.) and production of traditional Pechugas are defined as “additional operations.” The ingredients used in all additional operations must be listed on the label.
Pechuga: Mezcal made by redistilling finished Mezcal with local fruits, grains, nuts and the breast of a chicken or turkey hanging over the still cooking in the emanating vapors, adding to the spirits final flavor. Pechugas are only allowed for artisanal and ancestral Mezcals. The term “destilado con” is required for pechugas. An example of what the label of an artisanal Pechuga distilled with turkey breast could say: “Artesanal Blanco Mezcal, Distilled with Turkey.”
Rum / Rhum
Rum is a spirit distilled from molasses or sugar cane juice, originating in the Caribbean, Colonial America, and Indonesia. In the Caribbean, sometime in the 17th century, the byproduct of turning sugar cane into sugar, molasses, was first distilled to make rum. The first Rum was extremely popular, but tasted very bad. Hence it’s first name “Kill Devil.” The name Rum came from rumbullion and rumbusion, which both mean uproar or ruckus….which are both caused by drinking a lot of rum. It was quickly discovered that the flavor of Rum, like other wines and spirits, can be drastically improved by aging it oak barrels.
In the English and Spanish speaking world sugar too valuable to be distilled, so Rum was made from molasses.
The French and Portuguese colonists however, had much more access to sugar, so they made their Rum with sugar-cane juice, rather than molasses (Rum Agricole).
Rum Agricole: Any rum made from sugar-cane juice rather than molasses. Much more earthy and funky than molasses rum, has a grassy characteristic.
Rhum: Rhum is Rum Agricole made in the French Caribbean, ie. Martinique
Cachaça: Cachaça is Rum Agricole made in Brazil
Rum is incredibly diverse, because of all of the different styles of making it across different countries, and the flavor differences between Rum and Rum Agricole. Different Rums can be clean and light, heavy and funky, one may be dry and crisp, resembling a tropical voda, while another is rich and thick full of flavors, such as caramel, vanilla, and banana.
Brandy
Brandy is a spirit distilled from the fermented juice of various fruits, such as grapes, apples, pears, apricots, cherries, etc.
Brandy in France is known as Eau de Vie (water of life). The name Brandy is derived from the Dutch term “Brandewijn,” which means “burnt wine.”
Brandy is definitely one of the first distillates, concrete evidence of the process being enacted has been found from as early as the 12th century. Wine merchants of this time began distilling wine to preserve it for longer periods of time. In this storage process, discovering the dramatic improvement in flavor, caused by aging in barrels.
Brandy Regions / Styles
Cognac: Cognac is twice distilled in pot stills, and made in the Cognac region of France, primarily of Ugni Blanc (Trebbiano) grapes. It is broken up into regions and age destinations. The regions, in order of best to worst, are: Grand Champagne, Petit Champagne, Borderies, Fins Bois, Bon Bois, and Bois Ordinaire. The ages, youngest to oldest, are: VS, VSOP, and XO. Cognac has a bright and smooth flavor, with different types having hints of different combinations of flavors, such as: jasmine, iris, passion fruit, cigar box, vanilla, and earthy black truffle. Cognac must be aged for at least 2 years in French oak barrels.
Armagnac: Armagnac is once distilled in a column still, and made in the Armagnac region of France, of Ugni Blanc, Folle blanche, Colombard, and Baco Blanc grapes. Being distilled for a shorter period, Armagnac is left with more impurities, but also a fuller, more complex flavor. It is broken up into age destinations, which, youngest to oldest, are: VS, VSOP, XO, and Hors d’Age. Armagnac must be aged for at least 1 year in French oak barrels. Armagnac is more commonly drunk by the French, while Cognac is more commonly exported.
Calvados: Calvados comes from Normandy, the Calvados region, where grapes do not grow, but there are many apple and pear orchards. Calvados is usually twice distilled from either fermented apple or pear juice. Calvados is broken up into regions: AOC Calvados, Pays d’Auge, and Domfrontais, and age statements, youngest to oldest: Fine, Vieux, VS/VSOP, XO, and sometimes “Napoleon” or Hors d’Age.
Pisco: Unaged brandy, traditionally from Peru and Argentina, and made from a variety of 8 different grapes: Quebranta, Negra Criolla, Uvina and Mollar, Moscatel, Torontel, Italia and Albilla.
Applejack: American Apple Brandy
Kirsch: Cherry Brandy, originally German
Palinka: Hungarian Brandy, made from many fruits, such as cherries, apricots, apples, etc.
Cognac is the most popular Brandy in the USA. Age adds richness to cognac, but the best flavor profile and complexity comes from blending many cognacs of many ages together. This, when done correctly, achieves are harmonious combination of flavors that delight the palate. The age on the label of a bottle represents the youngest spirit in the blend.
Age Classification Meanings
VS: (very special) Aged at least 2 years
VSOP: (very superior old pale) Aged at least 4 years
X.O.: (extra old) Aged at least 6 years
