Spirits

Question 1

Which 4 brandies are made from wine?

Answer 1

Only four [brandies] are made from wine—Cognac, Armagnac, Brandy de Jerez and Pisco

Question 2

Name a Pisco brand from Chile and Peru

Answer 2

Pisco Portón (Peru)

Question 3

What is Pisco?

Answer 3

Pisco is a colorless or yellowish-to-amber colored brandy produced in winemaking regions of Peru[1] and Chile.[2] Made by distilling fermented grape juice into a high-proof spirit, it was developed by 16th-century Spanish settlers as an alternative to orujo, a pomace brandy that was being imported from Spain

Question 4

When did Chilean Pisco receive it’s DO status? What regions must it be made in?

Answer 4

Chilean Pisco received its Denomination of Origin in 1931.

Chilean Pisco can only be made in two specific regions of Chile, the Atacama and the Coquimbo regions in the north. Any other brandy made in the country cannot, by law, be called Pisco and is instead called Aguardiente.

Question 5

What grape varietals is Chilean Pisco normally made from? How many varieties are allowed?

Answer 5

Typically made from Muscat, with some vineyards preferring the Torontel and Pedro Jiménez varieties.

Only 13 grape varieties are allowed for the production of Chilean Pisco. The majority of the distilleries rely on just 5 different grapes: Pink Muscat, Alexandria (muscat), Pedro Jimenez, Austrian Moscatel and Torontel.

Question 6

What ingredients are in a “Daisy” cocktail?

Where did the term “daisy” originate from?

Name 3 examples of daisy cocktails

Answer 6

Ingredients must contain a spirit, citrus juice and orange liqueur (like Grand Mariner).

Name Spanish name for daisy is margarita

Examples include a margarita, side car and a cosmopolitan.

Question 7

What is the major differentiation between Bourbon and Tennessee Whiskey?

Aging in oak barrels
Bourbon must be “Bottled in Bond”
Different mash bills
Charcoal filtration

Answer 7

Charcoal filtration

Question 8

What is the main deciding factor between which bitters are enjoyed as an aperitif and those best served as a digestif?

Answer 8

Alcohol content is an indication of its role at the table: lower-alcohol bitters, such as Aperol or Campari, are often used as aperitifs and mixers, whereas higher-alcohol bitters, such as Fernet and Averna, are favored as after-dinner drinks.

Question 9

Which of the following regions of France does NOT produce an AOC eau de vie?
Charentes-Maritime
Jura
Gascogne
Champagne
Bordeaux

Answer 9

Bordeaux