Day Two Theory- fermentation, distillation, vodka and gin Flashcards
When did the commercial distillation of liquor begin?
Middle of the 8th Century
What part of the world was distillation began?
Arabic
In what century did distillation make it to Europe and who was responsible for this?
12th Century
The Moors, nomadic warring people
Why was alcohol originally produced?
Medicinal purposes
Who were the first to succeed in refining distillates by introducing a second distillation?
The Dutch
What year was the column still invented?
1831
Who created the column still in 1831?
Aeneas Coffey
What was the purpose of the column still?
To increase the percentage of alcohol in distilled liquors and additionally segregate all waste products
Why is the process of distillation necessary?
Distil the alcoholic fluid known as the mash (aka wash) to separate the alcohol and water
What is the boiling temperature of alcohol?
78.3 degrees C
What temperature is the mash heated between in distillation?
78.3-100 degrees C
Advantage of pot distillation
When you want to preserve the taste nuanced of the fermented crop, as for example whiskey and brandy
Disadvantage of a pot distillation
More expensive and time consuming
Three different kinds of pot still
Pot Still
Alambic/ Alambic Charentaise
Alambic d’Armagnac
Advantage of a column still (1831- Coffey)
Makes more product, continuous product and more economic
Disadvantage of column still
Less character in spirit compared to pot still
VODKA
which two countries are said to have created vodka?
Russia and Poland
What was medicinal vodka called?
English and Russian
Zhiznennia Voda
The Water of Life
Who discovered charcoal filtration?
Theodore Lowitz (1780)
What did Theodore Lowitz discover and when?
Charcoal filtration in 1780
What effect does charcoal filtration have on vodka?
Milder and softer
Who made vodka successful in America?
John Gilbert Martin
Dates of prohibition in America?
1920-1933
When did vodka begin in Scandanavia? (What Century?)
1400s
Who was the founder of absolut?
Lars Olson Smith
What cocktail made vodka successful in America?
Moscow Mule
What are the two ingredients you can use to produce vodka?
Grain and potatoes
What percentage of vodka is made from grain?
90%
What are the two most common grain used in the production of vodka?
Wheat and rye
What are the two main classifications for vodka?
Eastern European
Western World
Classic vodka brands
Absolut Smirnoff Red Smirnoff Black Stolichnaya Stoli Elite Skyy Vodka Grey Goose Zubrowka
When was gin (or the predecessor) first produced?
1570s
Who first produced gin?
Professor Sylvius de Bourve
What is Genever?
Mash mixed with juniper berries
A more aromatic precursor to gin
What was the nickname given to gin and why?
Dutch courage
The Dutch drank it before battle in a time when England and Holland were fighting France (meaning brandy etc couldn’t be imported)
When was the Gordons distillery built and by who?
Alexander Gordon, in 1769
What is pink gin? And what was it thought to prevent?
Gin and angostura bitters
Cure stomach disorders
What is a gimlet? And what was it thought to prevent?
Gin and lime juice
Prevent scurvy
And what was gin and tonic thought to prevent?
Malaria
How is gin distilled?
Column distilled
Name 4 botanicals used in gin
Juniper berries
Coriander
Lemon zest
Angelica root
What does EU registration require to classify gin?
Juniper berries to be the predominant ingredient
What are the 3 methods of distillation/adding flavour to gin?
Cold compounding (blended gin)
Distilled gin (botanicals added to column distilled spirits then re-distilled in a pot still)
Flavour-extracted gin (racked or flavour infusion) (basket)
4 classifications of gin
London dry
Plymouth dry
Old Tom
Genever
Fact about London Dry
‘London dry’ refers to a method of production - not to a geographical location
Fact about Plymouth dry
Gin must be produced in Plymouth
Not as dry but has a sharper, richer taste of juniper berries
Fact about Old Tom gin
Sweeter- originally to conceal impurities from pure distillation
Preferred during the 1700s
Fact about Genever
Produced by grain, rye and malted barley
More aromatic
Oude (stronger flavour)
Junge (softer flavour)
Brands of gin
Beefeater Gordon's Bombay Sapphire Tanqueray Hayman's Old Tom Hendricks
How many botanicals in Hendricks?
11
Two unusual additions to the junipers in Hendricks?
Cucumber and rose petals
What three ingredients are needed to produce liquor? (Fermentation)
Yeast
Sugar
Water
