Beer, Sake, Spirits Flashcards
Before a grain’s starch can be fermented, what must happen?
It’s starch must be converted to sugar
What is the wort?
A sugar-rich liquid derived from malted grain
What are hops?
A flower that adds flavor and bitterness, and has both preservative and antiseptic qualities that prohibit bacterial growth
What are the four raw ingredients in beer?
Water, yeast, a starch source, and hops
What does the Bavarian Purity Law say?
In 1516 it codified the ingredients for beer as barley, hops, and water—the action of yeast in fermentation was as of yet undiscovered, and wheat, a component of Hefe Weizen and White Beer styles, was reserved for the production of bread
What is the cereal grain of choice for most brewers?
Barley
After the grain, generally barley, is soaked in water for a couple days and begins to sprout, what happens next?
The sprouting produces the enzyme amylase, which will convert the starchy carbohydrates of the grain into the fermentable sugars maltose and dextrin. This green malt is then roasted in a hot kiln to stop further growth.
The style of beer desired will determine the length and degree of roasting. Heavy roasted black malts, for instance, are used for porter-style beers, whereas pale malt, dried at low temperatures and very light in color, is used for pale ales
What is grist?
Malted grain (grain that has germinated and then been kiln dried) and then ground or cracked..
How is wort created?
The mashing of grist and hot water (generally 1-2 hours of mashing) converts and extracts sugar from the malt, and results in the flavor-, sugar- and color-rich wort
The wort liquid is drawn off the grains and filtered into the brew kettle, or “copper.
What does boiling the wort achieve?
It stabilizes and sterilizes the brew, darkens the color, and causes excess water to evaporate
What are the two subsets of beers?
Lagers and Ales
What category of beer is top fermenting? What are some of it’s characteristics
Ales are top-fermenting. They ferment in warm environments and ferment quickly, usually within a week.
They are fruity and richly flavored beers.
Are lagers top or bottom fermenting beers?
Bottom fermenting. They ferment in cooler temperatures over longer amounts of time. They are considered to be more delicate and cleaner beers.
What are lambic beers?
Lambics are a unique specialty of Belgium and are spontaneously fermented in open-top containers with native wild yeasts.
They are often aged up to 3 years.
Generally, lambics are blended before release
What is Geuze?
Geuze is a style of lambic produced by mixing one-year-old lambics with beers that have aged for two to three years.
Because there are fermentable sugars in the young lambic, when the mixture is added to bottle and sealed, it re-ferments in the bottle, giving it a sparkling wine effect. Because of this it is also known as “Brussels Champagne”
What are examples of fruit lambic?
Kriek (refermented with sour Morello cherries)
Framboise (refermented with raspberries before bottling)
Cassis (refermented with black currents)
What are 2 producers of fruit lambics?
Lindemans and Cantillon
Should lagers or ales be served at cooler temperatures?
Lagers at cooler temps (48-52 degrees F)
Ales (54-57 degrees F)
Name 3 trappist beers
Orval (Belgian, est. 1931) Chimay (Belgian, est. 1863) Rochefort (Belgian, est. 1595) Westvleteren (St.-Sixtus, Belgian, est. 1838) Westmalle (Belgian, est. 1836) Achel (Belgian, est. 1998)
What is Multiple Parallel Fermentation (MPF)?
A process that relies on the combined activities of yeast and a mold, the koji-kin (Aspergillus oryzae) to undergo both crucial processes of fermentation at once (starch to sugar and sugar to alcohol)
What is Yamada Nishiki?
A type of sake rice considered superior by many
What is shinpaku?
The pure, starchy, heart of the rice grain (with the outer layer of protein removed)
What does Junmai indicate in sake?
The producer has used only water, rice and koji in making the sake and that the rice is milled to at least 70%
What is the meaning of Honjozo?
70% of the grain remains and a slight bit of brewers alcohol (pure distillate) has been added to the sake
What does Ginjo indicate?
60% of the grain remains
If labeled Ginjo, the sake will be honjozo in style, with brewer’s alcohol added.
If no distilled alcohol is added, it will be labeled Junmai Ginjo
What does Daiginjo indicate?
50% of the grain remains
If labeled Daiginjo, the sake will be honjozo in style, with brewer’s alcohol added.
If no distilled alcohol is added, it will be labeled Junmai Daiginjo
What is the koji in sake?
The koji is the steamed rice that the koji-kin is cultivated on
What is a Moto?
A starter, consisting of additional rice and water added to the koji
What is the moromi?
The fermenting mash. It’s the Moto with Koji, water, and steamed rice added in 3 successive stages. Each stage doubles the volume of the moromi.
What is a typical final level of alcohol for sake?
17% Often times the ABV after fermentation reaches close to 20% and water is added back in to bring the ABV down to 17%
On the Sake Value Meter (nihonshudo), negative numbers indicate?
Sweetness
Positive numbers indicate dryness.
0 is neutral
At what temperature should quality sake be served?
Room temp or slightly chilled
What is a tokkuri?
A traditional decanter (a ceramic, narrow-neck flask) the sake is generally poured in to for serving into ochoko (small cylindrical vessels) or, for the more ceremonial sakazuki cups
What is namazake?
Unpasteurized sake
What is nigori?
Unfiltered sake
What is Taruzake?
Sake aged in wooden barrels
What does Jizake indicate?
Sake produced by small brewhouses
The sake is not mass produced
What does Genshu sake indicate?
The sake has not been diluted with water.
Is a spirit a fermented beverage?
No. It is a distillate of a fermented beverage
What simple premise does distillation rely on?
Alcohol has a lower boiling point than water. At sea level it boils at 173 degrees F
Who is Jabir ibn Hayyan?
An 8th century chemist who developed an improved alembic still - the precursor to the pot still
What are synonyms for the continuous still?
The coffey, column, or patent still
After distillation all spirits are what color?
They are colorless.
Brown spirits such as whiskey’s and Brandy’s get their color from barrel aging
What are the three methods for imparting additive flavors to a distilled spirit (not oak aging)?
Maceration - a slower, cold method
Infusion is a quicker, hot method.
Percolation - A method resembles coffee brewing, as the base spirit is pumped through the flavoring material
What is the bestselling spirit in the US?
Vodka
What does the EU and the US mandate any spirit labeled vodka to be?
Neutral in flavor
The EU also mandates a min ABV of 37.5% and if the vodka is not made from potatoes or grain, then the ingredients used for fermentation must be on the label
What is Tito’s vodka make from?
Corn
Name 5 vodka producers.
Stolichnaya (Russia) Ikon (Russia) Chopin (Poland) Belvedere (Poland) Grey Goose (France) Kettel One (Holland) Tito's (US)
What is acquavit?
Essentially, a Scandinavian vodka (bases used are potatoes or grain) and flavored with caraway and other spices
What is the most important botanical in gin?
Juniper berrys
Name two London dry gin’s
Beefeater Tanqueray Bombay Sapphire Gordon’s Boodles
Where was gin first developed?
Holland (not Britain)
What is Genever (Jenever)?
The first crude gin developed in the 16th century by Dutch Dr. Sylvius de Bouve.
What are the main differences between Genever and London’s Dry Gin?
Genever has sweetness and a lower ABV
Traditionally, the Genever recipe incorporates a minimum 15% “malt wine”. What is malt wine in this instance?
A distillate of corn, rye and wheat.
This traditional style is cold “oude” (old)
A cleaner, more neutral Genever with less malt wine is labeled jonge (“young”).
Corenwyn (“corn wine”) is a cask-aged version in which malt wine comprises at least 51% of the distillate
What is the main difference between Plymouth Gin and London Dry gin?
Plymouth Gin is fuller bodied and very aromatic
What is Old Tom Gin?
An English style gin, rarely encountered today that has RS
What is the dominate spirit in the Tom Collins cocktail and the base of the 19th century Martinez cocktail
Old Tom Gin
When is the first recording of whiskey production?
1494, Scotland
When was Bourbon whiskey first produced? Where?
1789 - Elijan Craig pioneered the Bourbon whiskey style
Kentucky
What is Bourbon whiskey’s primary ingredient?
Bourbon Whiskey must be made from min 51% corn
What is bourbon whiskey aged in?
Charred new oak casks
What is different about Tennessee whiskey than bourbon whiskey?
Tennessee whiskey must be filtered with maple charcoal prior to aging and manufactured in the state of Tennessee
Jack Daniels and George Dickel produce Tennessee whiskey
With Bourbon Whiskey, when must aging be labeled on the bottle?
when aged for less than 4 years
Name three types of American whiskey
Bourbon (51% corn)
Corn (80% corn)
Rye (51% rye)
Name two rye whiskey producers
Sazerac
Rittenhouse
What type of vessels are generally used to age scotch?
Used Bourbon or Sherry casks
Name the 5 legal categories of Scotch Whisky
Single Malt Scotch Whisky Single Grain Scotch Whisky Blended Malt Scotch Whisky Blended Grain Scotch Whisky Blended Scotch Whisky
What are the requirements for all Scotch whisky
It must be produced in Scotland
Distilled twice (or more)
Aged for at least three years
Hit an ABV of 40% or higher
What type of Scotch Whisky constitutes the majority of production?
Blended Scotch Whisky
What are the six regions of Scotch production?
Highland Lowland Speyside Islay Campbeltown The Islands
Which is the largest Scotch producing region?
Highland, producers include: Oban, Glenmorangie, Dalwhinnie and Dalmore among its better-known distilleries
Glenlivet, Glenfiddich, and the Macallan are produced in which region?
Speyside
What are the major Scotch producing islands?
Skye Jura Mull Arran Orkney
Who is the maker of Jameson?
New Midleton
Name a Japanese whiskey producer
Suntory
What are some differences between Irish and Scotch whiskey
In general, Irish whiskey is lighter. It uses less, if any malted barley (it uses unmalted barley) and it generally does not use peat as a heating source, thus it is less smokey than a Scotch whisky.
How is brandy defined by the EU?
Brandy is defined by the EU as a distillation of wine—not pomace—with a minimum abv of 36% and a minimum oak aging period of six months
What are France’s two delimited Brandy producing regions?
Cognac and Armagnac
What are the 6 defined regions of Cognac?
Grande Champagne Petite Champagne Borderies Fins Bois Bons Bois Bois Ordinaires (Bois à Terroirs)
What type of soil is found in petite Champagne and grande champagne?
soft chalk
What is the primary white grape of Cognac?
Ugni Blanc
(98% of cognac’s plantings are Ugni Blanc)
Folle Blanche, Colombard, and other varieties are permitted but rare
What is the brouillis?
The first distillation of cognac which reaches 28-32% ABV
What is bonne chauffe?
The second distillation of cognac
What are the four parts of the bonne chauffe?
The tête (heads), coeur (heart), secondes (second cuts) and queue (tails)
What part of the Bonne chauffe is used to make cognac?
Coeur (heart) - Approximately 40% of the total Brouillis liquid
What are the aging requirements for VS, VSOP and XO Cognac?
VS - 2 year min aging in cask
VSOP - 4 years in cask min
XO - min 10 years in cask (as of 2018, prior to 2018, 6 years was the minimum)
What is Cognac generally aged in?
Oak casks, traditionally sourced from the Limousin and Tronçais forests
Generally, a cognac is a blend of vintages, which vintage denotes the label date?
The youngest Eau-de-vie is referred to. So, in a VSOP, the youngest is 4years, some vintages may be older.
If a Cognac is labelled by region, what percentage of grapes need to come from that region?
100%
If Cognac is labelled “Fine Champagne” where are the grapes coming from and at which percent?
Grande Champagne (must be at least 50% of the blend) and Petit Champagne
What are the three regions of the Armagnac AOC?
Haut-Armagnac
Bas-Armagnac
Armagnac-Ténarèze
What grapes are used to produce Armagnac?
Ugni Blanc
Colombard
Folle Blanche (Picpoul)
Baco Blanc (the only hybrid grape authorized in any French AOC/P appellation).
Unlike Cognac, Armagnac is more frequently produced from a blend of varieties than a single grape.
What is a synonym for Folle Blanche?
Picpoul
How many distillations does Armagnac generally undergo?
95% of brandy produced from the Armagnac AOC only undergoes 1 distillation, although 2 are permitted.
What is Blanche Armagnac AOC?
A clear spirit that achieved appellation status in 2005
In Armagnac, what does VS, VSOP and XO or hors d’age indicate?
Aging indication refers to the youngest eau-de-vie in the blend
VS: 1-3 years aging in barrels
VSOP: 6-9 years in barrel
XO (hors d’age): 10+ years in barrel
What is coupage?
The blending process in armagnac tp achieve a desired style that remains consistent throughout the years
What is the minimum ABV for Armagnac?
40%
Do you see vintage bottlings more often in Cognac or Armagnac?
Armagnac
Vintage bottlings of Armagnac must be aged a min of 10 years before release
Name 3 prominent Cognac producers
Rémy Martin
Hennessy
Martell
Courvoisie
Name a Armagnac producer
Larressingle
Château Laubade
Besides are Armagnac and Cognac, name a few brandies from other parts of France
Fine de Bordeaux
Fine de Bourgogne
Fine de la Marne
How is Brandy de Jerez aged?
In the Solera method.
Brandy de Jerez is produced the the same area as Sherry and distilled from wines based on Airén and Palomino grapes
Name a notable sherry producer that also produces Brandy
Domecq
Emilio Lustau
Osborne
What is the name for brandy in Portugal?
Aguardente
What is the Italian synonym for Ungi Blanc?
Trebbiano
Name a US brandy producer
Germain-Robin from Ukiah
What is the name of the brandy produced in Chile and Peru?
Pisco
Pisco is not typically aged in barrel.
Marc (France), grappa (Italy), and bagaceira (Portugal) are examples of what type of spirits?
Pommace spirits
Where is Calvados produced? From what?
In the Normandy region of norther France.
It is produced from apple and pear cider
What are the three appellations of Calvados?
Calvados AOC
Calvados Domfrontais AOC
Calvados Pays d’Auge AOC.
What is another name for pear cider?
Perry
What is the considered the premier region for Calvados?
Calvados Pays d’Auge
Requires 30% maximum Perry
2 years min aging in casks
What percentage of Perry is required in Calvados Domfrontais AOC?
30% min
3 years min aging in casks
What are the youngest bottles of Calvados aged as?
Fine
With Calvados, what does Vieux or Réserve, Vieille Réserve or VSOP and XO, Hors d’Age, Extra, or Napoléon indicate?
Vieux or Réserve: 3 years aging
Vieille Réserve or VSOP: 4 years aging
XO, Hors d’Age, Extra, or Napoléon: de 6 years aging min
What type of spirit is Kirschwasser (Kirsch)? What is it made from?
Eau de vie
Black Cherries
Boukha, is the national drink of Tunisia, what type of drink is it and what is it made from?
It is an Eau de vie derived from figs
What is rum distilled from?
Sugarcane or molasses
Where and when did Rum originate
The Carribbean in the 17th century
What are the 4 different styles of rum?
Light rum
Dark rum
Demerara rum
Rhum agricole
Where is Demerara rum unique to?
Guyana
It is a light style rum distilled from molasses but can be aged for up to 10 years prior to release
How is most light rum made?
Through the continuous method, and filtered with charcoal after a short period of cask aging to remove any color
In dark rum, how is the color achieved
Aging in cask and the addition of caramel
Where is rum agricole primarily produced?
Martinique AOC
Rhum agricole may only be produced from sugarcane juice; column distillation is mandated in Martinique
What is tequila produced from?
The fermented juice of the cooked piña (pineapple), the heart of the blue agave plant
What is the minimum amount of blue agave necessary in Tequila?
51%
What are the aging requirements for Silver, Reposado and Anejo tequila?
Silver: Bottled after distillation
Reosado: 60days- 1year cask aging
Anejo: 1-3 years cask againg
Extra Anejo: 3+ years cask aging
Where does the majority of Mezcal production take place?
Oaxaca
Where is tequila produce?
Primarily produced in and around the city of the same name in the western state of Jalisco.
The states of Guanajuato, Tamaulipas, Nayarit, and Michoacán also have limited regions of production
What kind of agave is used in Tequila?
What kind of agave is used in Mezcal?
Tequila = Blue Agave Mezcal = Agave Espadin (typically but other varieties are sought after by connoisseurs such as Arroqueño, Tobalá, Tepeztate, and many variations of Agave Karwinskii)
What were the 3 mezcal labeling categories created in 2016?
Mezcal (can be industrially produced)
Mezcal ancestrale - limits the production to quality-minded or traditional techniques
Mezcal artisanal - limits the production to quality-minded or traditional techniques
