Spirits Flashcards
How is a spirit unlike wine or beer?
It is not a fermented beverage; rather it is the product of a distillation of a fermented beverage.
What simple premise does distillation rely upon?
alcohol has a lower boiling point than water
What is the principle behind fractional distillation?
The separation of two liquids with different boiling points
What is the term “alcohol” derived from?
the Arabic al-koh’l, a cosmetic powder purified through distillation
Modern spirits are generally distilled in what?
Either the more rudimentary pot still or the more modern continuous still
What is the continuous still also called?
The Coffey, column, or patent still, a device developed in the early 1800s
What is the fermented liquor called that you place into a pot still?
the “wash”
What will contribute to the flavor (or off-flavor) of a spirit?
vaporized volatile molecules such as esters, other alcohols, and aldehydes
When the vapors cool from the still, what is the product?
An impure spirit- the distiller must discard heads/tails
What are the foreshots in the vaporized spirit?
the first vapors to condense, discarded as these contain congeners such as methanol, a toxic alcohol.
What is also discarded in a vaporized spirit?
The tails are also discarded, as unwanted congeners tend to collect in the distillate residue
What does a continuous still have that a pot still doesn’t?
2 columns (the analyzer and the rectifier) and uses steam, rather than direct heat, to vaporize the alcohol.
What is the result of alcohol created in a continuous still?
The alcohol is condensed in a purer fashion, stripping the liquor of excess congeners and creating a higher-alcohol spirit. While congeners are responsible for impurities, they are also the source of flavor; thus, the continuous still sacrifices distinction for a clean spirit.
What is the difference between maceration and infusing alcohol?
Are similar techniques that involve steeping a flavoring agent in alcohol; maceration is a slower, cold method and infusion is a quicker, hot method.
What is the percolation method?
Resembles coffee brewing, as the base spirit is pumped through the flavoring material
Until 1980, Britain based its legal calculation of the alcoholic strength of liquor on what simple test or proof?
The ability of gunpowder to combust when doused in the spirit.
What is the range of abv for liqeurs?
15-30%
What is the abv for spirits such as vodka/gin?
40-50% abv
What is the abv range for whiskey, brandy or rum?
much wider range, some over 60% abv.
What are cask-strength whiskies?
those that are not diluted with water prior to bottling
vodka is derived from the Russian word for ___
water
Vodka may be distilled from a ____, such as potatoes, rye, grapes, beets, and molasses—if it will ferment it can potentially become vodka
number of different bases
What is the wash for vodka usually distilled in?
A continuous still
What is vodka filtered with and why?
charcoal to make the spirit ultra-clean