Distillation Flashcards
Who drinks the most distilled spirits?
Belarus
Lithuania
Guyana
When was distillation first applied to alcohol and by who?
9th Century
By islamic chemists - used it in preparation of medicine
When was fractional distillation developed?
12th Century
When was fractional distillation applied to beverages
13-15th century
What step does every spirit-based beverage involve?
Distillation
What does distillation generally involve?
Progressively heating up a mash/extraction to the boiling point of ethanol (78˚C)
Alcohol vapour is then condensed using a heat exchanger. Everything below the boiling point stays in the mash
What does fractional distillation remove?
Volatiles
What is the bp of methanol?
64.7˚C
What is the bp of ethanol?
78.37˚
What alcohol % are spirits sold at?
40-70
What is proof in spirits?
Twice the amount of alcohol percentage so 100 proof is 50%
What will ignite easier - proof or underproof?
proof/higher than
What can be distilled into a spirit?
Any source of sugar that can be fermented into beer, wine or cider)
What are spirits divided into?
Light and dark
What are liqueurs?
Spirits with sugar and flavours added - range from 15-45%
How can liqueurs be divided?
By flavour
What are cream liqueurs?
Liqueurs which contain milk solids
e.g. amarula, bailey’s, irish cream
What is Amarula?
Made from sugar, cream and the fruit of marula tree
17% ABV
Marula fruit is fermented to wine and distilled to provide the base for the liquor
Why are crème liqueurs given their names?
Due to the high amount of sugar added
They have a syrup like consistency
What does it mean when a liqueur is called ‘Crème de …’
They must contain a min of 250g of sugar per litre and min ABV of 15%
What are fruit liqueurs made with?
White spirit, sugar and fruit
e.g. cointreau (oranges), midori (melon), triple sec (orange)
What is frangelico?
Hazelnut flavoured liqueur.
Starts by crushing hazelnuts and then extracting the flavour compounds with a mix of water a dn neutral spirits. Vanilla, cocoa, additional extracts and sugar is then added to make the final product.
What is Kahlua?
Coffee-based liqueur
The rum base is made by distilling alcohol from sugarcane and is barrel aged for seven yrs. It is then combined with coffee extract, caramel and vanilla
What is amaretto?
Almond flavoured liqueur
Made from apricot pits, this is possible as almonds are related to peaches and apricots
What spirits is anise found in?
Herbal liqueurs
It produces aniseed
- used in galliano, anisette, pastis and sambuca
What are bitters?
Herbal liqueurs designed to be bitter in taste - generally mixed although amaro is drunk straight
Give examples of bitters
Campari
Amaro montenegro
Jagermister
Angostura
WHat in cinchona bark?
Comes from South American tree, important in bittering addition in many alcohols - tonic, bitter and aromatized wines all contain it
First cure discovered for malaria
Where was gin and tonic invented?
By british officers in india as they cut their bitter quinine ration with gin
What is Vodka?
White spirit, predominantly ethanol (60%) and water.
Trace impurities - flavour
What is Vodka traditionally made from?
Grains
When was vodka invented and where?
Poland/Russia
1400 AD
Is vodka an aged spirit?
Not traditionally
What happens if potatoes are used to make vodka?
Slow to release sugars and form a stick mass within the fermentation tanks
Why were potatoes used to make vodka?
They were abundant
What are the highest grade vodkas distilled from?
Rye and wheat
What does redistillation do in terms of vodka?
Highest purity spirit
What are modern vodkas like ciroc made using?
Grapes
What is the general rule of thumb when making an infused vodka?
Soak herbs for no more than half a day
Soak fruit for a week
Soak citrus and spices for up to a month
How is infused vodka made?
Use quality vodka as base, keep in dark place and shake daily
What is gin?
An infused vodka - predominant flavour = juniper berries
What is generally the base for gin?
A vodka distilled from barley, rye or wheat
Who were the first to distill gin?
Dutch - dutch courage as they gave it to british soldiers
How is gin made?
Juniper and other botanicals are macerated in base alcohol, suspended in ‘botanical trays’ within the still or undergo extraction and have their essential oil added to the base alcohol
What is absinthe?
Spirit not a liqueur as not additional sugar is added
What flavours are found in absinthe?
Anise and wormwood which has menthol flavours.
Wormwood traditionally used to disguise taste of poorly made alcohol.
Will contain fennel
Bottled at 70-80%
How is absinthe made?
By redistilling a mix of herbs macerating in neutral grape spirit.
Green colour due to chlorophyll of plants in secondary maceration.
What is regulated wrt absinthe?
Level of thujone, a potentially harmful chemical present in worm wood
Why did absinthe give hallucinogenic properties in the 20th century?
poor distillation
What is shochu?
Rice spirit
Most widely consumed drink in japan
Can be made from wheat/barley but rice is most popular
How is shochu made?
By fermenting rice and water with yeast for 6-8 days followed by a single distillation
Why is the single distillation in producing shochu important?
It not only retains a lot of the original flavour ad aroma of the mash but also has a low ABV of 25-30%, this allows it to be sold alongside beer and wine
What is Soju?
Korean rice spirit
What is Raksi?
Tibetan rice spirit
Which is the most sold spirit brand in the world?
Baijiu
Closely followed by Jinro (brand of soju) 608 mil L sold a yr
What is Baijiu
The world’s highest selling spirit by both volume and price - state run distillery
Chinese spirits derived from sorghum grains
How is baijiu aged?
Underground or in earthen jars - each region produces a different flavour
How is baijiu made?
Sorghum is fermented using a fermented starter grown on rice or wheat grains and then product is distilled
What is the ABV of baijiu?
50%
Why is there a current shortage of aged whiskies?
It is starting to make inroads into the baijiu market
What is a neutral grain spirit?
AKA rectified spirit - it is purified ethanol made from a grain source
What is the typical ABV of a neutral grain spirit?
90-95% - after repeated distillations
What are neutral grain spirits used to make?
Blended Whisky Cut brandy fortified wines some liqueurs some bitters
What is white whiskey?
Unaged grain spirit straight from whisky stills
Becoming increasingly popular
Generally between 50-62.5% ABV
What are the two main sources of oak?
European
American
How long have oak barrels been used and why?
Centuries
It was found that the heartwood of oak trees crystallise as they age = watertight
Why is american oak more watertight than european oak?
Higher concentration of tyloses
What happens when alcohol is stored in oak?
An extraction occurs
What is french oak a source of?
Tannins - adds body to wine
What flavours does american oak impart?
Vanilla Coconut Stone fruits Spices - flavours perfect for bourbon
What is japanese cedar used for?
To age some japanese beverages - imparts minty flavour
What happens to oak barrels before they’re used?
Charred
Why are oak barrels charred? (5)
- Allow for more of the flavours of barrel to transfer to alcohol
- To introduce carbon particles to the alcohol which can aid in filtering out some of the harmful species
- To sterilize the barrels so they are reused multiple times
- A certain portion of the alcohol is lost to evaporation - called the ‘angels share’
- This evaporation leads to the growth of a fungus called baudoinia, normally contained within bonded warehouse (causing issues for residents in kentucky)
What is bourbon?
Excess of corn grown due to settlers in Kentucky getting land grants for growing corn
- Bourbon made by mashing corn then distilling the product into corn whiskey
Who produces most of the worlds bourbon supply?
Kentucky - 90%
What are the regulations for a cron whiskey to be called a bourbon?
- Mash must be made a grain mix of at least 51% corn
- Distillat must be entered into the barrels at no more than 62.5%
- It must be aged in new charcoal oak barrels
- Must be bottled at no less than 40% ABV
How long are bourbons aged?
No min length
Baby bourbon = 3 months
How long is a straight bourbon aged for?
2 yrs
- issue in EU as needs to be 3 yrs
How old must bottled in bond bourbon be?
4 yrs
What age of bourbon must carry an age statement on the bottle?
Anything younger than 4 yrs
- Age must be youngest bourbon in the blend
How much straight bourbon must be in blended bourbon?
51%
- Can include colourings and flavourings
What is whiskey?
A catch-all term for spirits distilled from a grain mash and subsequently aged in oak - essentially distilled and aged beer
What is the only whisky made in scotland?
Scotch
Which type of whisky is sweeter malt or grain?
Grain
How is whisky manufactured?
Distillation has a ‘heart spirit- distillers aim for this as it gives the smoothest whisky
- Distillate enters the spirit safe (a traditional box where flow from the still can be controlled)
- This allows the heart liquor to be selected by measuring the gravity of the spirit
- it is called a spirit safe as it is locked to prevent anyone from syphoning the spirit off.
- Once the spirit is producing in the correct fraction, the spirit safe sends the raw spirit to be collected in casks. These are then moved to the excise free bonded warehouse.
- Each cask will produce whisky with a different flavour = single cask whiskeys
- Single malt whisky can be made from a blend of casks from the same malting run
How long does whisky have to be aged for?
Minimum of 3 yrs
What determines the bulk of the whisky flavour?
The barrel it is aged in
What is whisky predominantly casked in?
Sherry casks or Bourbon casks
How many times can casks be used in the production of whisky?
Up to 3 times:
- Strongest flavours
- AKA refills
- Less effect of wood, sometimes used to hold blends of single malt
Why do some whiskies undergo a second barelling?
In wine casks
- to add colour and flavour
What in terms of the malt affects the flavour of whisky?
How it is dried
Peat smoke is used to dry the grains = smoky medicinal flavour
What is grain whisky?
Any whiskey made from grain sources other than barley
- most popular are rye, corn (bourbon) and wheat
How is grain whisky produced?
On an industrial scale unlike artisanal malt whisky.
- produced in continuous fashion in column stills
- whisky has more of a neutral flavour and is higher in alcohol
What is rye whisky and where is it popular?
North america, canada
- must be 51% rye grains
- must be aged in oak barrels
- Jack daniels now making a rye whisky
What is one of the best sources of sugar to make alcohol?
Sugarcane 10-15%
Why does sugar cane have to be processed quickly after harvest?
Bacteria will attempt to ferment it immediately
What is cachaça?
fermented and distilled cane juice
- used to make caipirinha
What drink was made with molasses?
Rum
How is molasses made into rum?
By mixing it with water, fermenting it with yeast and distilling the product
Why did rum become the naval spiriti of choice?
Beer spoiled too quickly
What is proof wrt rum?
If gunpowder mixes with rum and ignites
Where is the majority of the worlds rum produced?
Carribean
Australia
- where the majority of the worlds sugar cane is grown
What is the world’s oldest rum distillery?
Mount Gay Rum
How is white rum produced?
FIltering the distillate and bottling the result
How is golden rum produced?
By ageing the distillate in Oak for a short time
How is dark rum produced?
By aging the distillate for longer
What is rum aged in?
Oak
How much faster is rum aging than whisky?
3x - due to warm climates
How is spiced rum made?
Adding spices to either white or dark rum
What happens when you distill apple cider?
- Apple brandy
- usually aged in oak and bottled at 40% ABV
What is apple jack?
American name for apple brandy
- generally prepared by freeze distillation
What is calvados?
An apple brandy made in Normandy, apples used must be 70% bitter and are least 20% sourced from specific orchards
- aged for 2 yrs in oak
When was wine first distilled as a beverage?
13th century
- dutch called it burnt wine - brandy
Why was wine originally distilled?
To reduce the volume that needed to be shipped with the idea that water could be added at the other end of the voyage to reconstitute the wine
- instead it aged in the oak = lrg improvement on original flavour
What is modern brandy distilled from?
Base wine - made from early grapes iwth high acid conc and low sugar content
First distilled to low wine - 28-35%
Redistilled to brandy and aged
What is cognac?
Brandy from cognac region in France
Made with specific grapes
Twice distilled in copper stills
Aged in limousin oak min 2 years
How are agave spirits made?
The juice from the core of the agave plant can be heated to convert the complex products into simple sugars
What is pulque?
Agave wine
Sap allowed to ferment
Drunk for at least 1000-2000 yrs
ABV 4-6%
What two spirits does the distillation of agave products lead to?
Mezcal
Tequila
What is mezcal?
Distilled spirit made from the hearts of the agave plant
- plant is a central american succulent related to yucca and asparagus
- plants take 10 yrs to grow
How is mezcal made?
The heart of the agave is roasted underground, crushed and the juice syphoned off.
This can be mixed with water and fermented with wild yeast to produce light tasting mezcal or the whole mash can be fermented and distilled to create a richer smokier mezcal
Where can mezcal be made?
Only in 5 mexican states by law
What is pechuga and how is it made?
A variety of mezcal
- a raw chicken is hung in the still so the vapours pass over it.
- Said to balance the flavours of sweetness of the fruit
What is tequila?
Mezcal made specifically from the single agave species agave tequilana
AKA weber blue
How is tequila made?
Agave spirits are heated and steamed in an oven (many modern tequila distilleries use lrg autoclaves - pressurised steam ovens)
- Steamed hearts are then crushed and juice fermented, often using wild yeasts.
- Then twice distilled (20%, then 55%) then either bottled or aged in oak
Where must the agave for tequila be grown?
Designated area around jalisco
What spirit originally contained a worm and why?
Mezcal
Marketing gimmick - 1940s
Claimed intact worm = strong pure mezcal
What does mezcal with a worm in it mean?
Generally cheap mezcal (stingless scorpios also found)
- Worm has no perceptible flavour to the spirit but study in 2011 showed every sip contained DNA of the worm
