Flavoured Spirits & Liqueurs Flashcards
Vermouth. Spirit or Wine?
Wine.
Fortified to 20% ABV, which a spirit does not make.
Name the botantical that Vermouth must contain?
Wormwood
Red Vermouth… where does the red come from?
Caramel colouring
Gin… go on, name the major botanicals. All 5 of them.
Citrus peel (lemon, orange but not lime) Coriander Orris (Flag Iris) root Angelica Juniper
If natural flavours are used in a spiced rum, why does that probably preclude them having been added through re-distillation?
Re-distillation would almost certainly affect the flavours and especially the colour. Maceration is more probable.
In Eastern Europe, the traditional home of vodka, which (4) flavourings are common?
Honey
Fruits
Spices
Bison Grass
Traditional vodka gains its flavours through which process?
Maceration
A premium flavoured vodka will have been redistilled after maceration. True or False
True this.
Which is the only botanical that must be in Gin?
Juniper
Quite how much is an increasingly moot point. In theory, it must be dominant in either flavour or quantity.
The best Gins are re-distilled. True or False?
True dis. Obvs. It costs money to re-distill.
In terms of Gin production, what is the major difference between the EU and US requirements?
The EU requires Gin to be made using an entirely neutral spirit.
The US allows the use of other distilled spirits or have the Gin distilled directly from a fermented alcoholic liquid.
Prior to bottling, what is gin typically stored in?
Inert vessels
Your gin has a pale lemon colour… why might that be?
Oak maturation
The three approaches to re-distilling gin. Dilute the spirit and…
- Add botanicals, allow to macerate, distill
- Add botanicals but use a Carterhead Still
- Distill some or all the botanicals separately and blend afterwards
What is a Carterhead still?
A container somewhere between the top of the column/pot still and the condenser that houses the botanicals, through which the alcoholic vapours pass.
Using Carterhead does what to the style of the gin?
It lightens the style - a sort of maceration ‘Lite’
Name the two Aniseed spirits you need to know at L2
Pastis
Absinthe
From which country does Pastis and Absinthe come from?
France
Name the chemical in suspension that is linked to the distinct flavour of Absinthe and Pastis
Fishnet stocking?
Anethole
A-Net-Hole
Name the (3) botanicals from which anethole is extracted
Fennel
Aniseed
Star Anise
Name another couple of Anethole botanicals (not aniseed, star anise or fennel)
Wormwood
Liquorice
Louching…
Not a drooling square-eyed teenager on the couch.
What is it?
The clouding effect in a drink when water causes anethole to come out of suspension
- How are aniseed spirits usually coloured?
2. Are these typically aged, if so, how?
- With natural or artificial colours
2. Nope. Not aged. Ha!
What anethole botanicals must be used in pastis?
The standard Aniseed, Star Anise and Fennel
…plus…
Liquorice
Pastis.
Must or Must Not be sweetened?
It must be sweetened to ‘medium’ or ‘sweet’
Unlike Absinthe
Absinthe.
Must or Must Not be sweetened?
It must not be sweetened.
Unlike Pastis
Pastis is normally coloured… what?
Yellow, Green or Green Brown
The production of Absinthe is heavily regulated with legal definitions.
True or False?
Bollocks. Sadly, perhaps.
There are no guarantees.
Name the two key differences between Absinthe and Pastis
- Absinthe is not sweetened before bottling. Pastis is.
2. Absinthe must also use Wormwood. Pastis must use liquorice
Wormwood imparts what flavours into Absinthe?
Floral and Bitterness
Absinth is bottled at
- high ABV and heavily diluted in the glass
- low ABV and modestly diluted in the glass
1.
70% ABV is not uncommon, but it is typically heavily diluted down to wine strength.
Name (3) botanicals used for Bitters spirit
Quinine
Gentian
Bitter Orange
(oh, and (f)artichokes, but it’s not a L2 learning outcome)
The bitterness of Bitters is balanced with what?
Sugar
(obviously)
Sour would also work
Just sayin’. You don’t need to know this.
Can bitterness be smelled?
Nope. Only tasted
Name the three categories of Bitters
AC-D(C)
Apertif
Cocktail
Digestif
How does an American “Distilled” gin differ in production from an EU “Distilled” gin?
In the US, all the flavours must have come from re-distillation
In the EU, flavours can be added after distillation
London Gin… must be made in London or at least the UK.
True or False
No truth to that at all.
It can be made anywhere.
London Dry Gin and American Distilled Gin have something in common…
All flavours must be derived only from re-distillation.
Old Tom gin. What’s it all about?
Basically, expect a sweetened product
All liqueurs share a common feature. Name it.
Sweetness.
The degree of sweetness varies from country to country.
What is the minimum bottling strength of a liqeuer?
No such thing as a min. ABV
All liqueurs must be made from a neutral base spirit.
True or False?
Not true. Most are.
Notable exceptions: Grand Marnier (cognac) and Drambuie (scotch)
What is it about cream liqueurs that needs complex techniques to avoid?
Going lumpy
Name the (5) main flavouring types of liqueurs
Herb Fruit Seed Nut & Kernal Cream,
Re-distilling Gin achieves what to the flavours?
A purer and more precise fruit character
Name the two cocktails that require Bourbon (discounting Sazerac)
They different Sours… name them too
Old Fashioned has Angostura Bitters Whiskey Sour (which can also be Rye) has Lemon
