SPIRITS/COCKTAILS Flashcards
What is the basic premise that underlays all distillation?
Alcohol has a lower boiling point than water
What are the three other names for a column still?
Continuous
Coffey
Patent
What will a continuous still do differently than a pot still?
Remove more impurities through multiple distillations, but therefore also flavour.
What’s the difference between maceration and infusion?
Maceration is colder and slower, infusion involves heat and is faster.
What is ‘proof’?
Britain’s original measure of alcohol content. Combustibility of gunpowder when doused in the liquid. Still on American spirit bottles sometimes, it’s twice the ABV.
What are five possible bases for Vodka
Potato (Wybo & Chopin)
Rye
Grapes
Beets
Molasses
Name a Russian, French and Polish Vodka, and their bases
Stolichnaya - wheat & rye
Grey Goose - wheat
Belvedere - rye
What are the main requirements for London Dry Gin
- Agricultural, neutral base spirit at least 96%
- No artificial additives
- All flavours added during distillation, never after
- Must be 37.5% minimum ABV
Apart from London Dry, what are two other regulated gin styles?
Plymouth
Old Tom
What are three classic gin cocktails?
Gin Martini (London Dry, dry vermouth)
Tom Collins (Old Tom, lemon, sugar, soda)
Martinez (London Dry, Red Vermouth, Maraschino Liqueur)
What is the correct spelling of the spirit when referring to Scotch?
Whisky
No E
What is the dominant grain for Bourbon and what is the minumum percentage required?
Corn. 51%
What are the specific requirements for Tennessee Whiskey?
Sour Mash
Made in Tennessee
EG Jack Daniels
How is the barrel work different in Bourbon and Whisky?
Bourbon - new charred oak casks with strong flavour impact.
Whisky - older less charred oak, less intense impact.
What are the five categories of Scotch?
Single Malt
Single Grain
Blended Malt
Blended Grain
Blended
What are the basic requirements for Scotch production?
Distilled Twice (at least)
Made in Sctoland
Aged at least 3 years
Minimum 40% ABV
Name the five Scotch regions and give an example of a Scotch from each
Highland - Glenmorangie
Lowland - Bladnoch
Speyside - Glenlivet
Islay - Ardbeg
Campbeltown - Springbank
What is the major distinguishing feature of Irish whiskey?
Large proportion of un-malted barley, resulting in a lighter end product.
Name a peated Irish whiskey
Connemarra
What is the EU definition of Brandy?
Distilled wine (not pomace, not grapes or juice) with a minimum ABV of 36%, and minimum 6 months ageing in barrel
What is Pisco?
Brandy, made in Chile and Peru, not typically oak aged, so clear and fruity
What are the two most renowned pomace spirits?
Marc
Grappa
What are the most famous French eau de vie (excluding Calvados)
Mirabelle (plum)
Poire William (pear)
Kirsch (cherry)
Framboise (raspberry)
What are the six Cognac sub-regions in descending order of quality?
Grande Champagne
Petite Champagne
Borderies
Fins Bois
Bons Bois
Bois Ordinaires
What are the Cognac Ageing Designations from youngest to oldest?
VS / Very Special / ***
- minimum 2 years in cask
VSOP / Very Special (or Superior) Old Pale
- minimum 4 years in cask
XO / Extra Old
- minimum 10 years in cask
XXO / Extra Old
- minimum 14 years in cask
What variety makes up 98% of the planting area in Cognac?
Ugni Blanc
Lesser varieties are Colombard, Folle Blanche, Semillon
What is Fine Champagne?
Cognac made from a blend of wines from Grande (50%) and Petite Champagne regions
What are the three sub-regions of Armagnac?
Haut-Armagnac
Bas-Armagnac
Armagnac-Tenareze
What varieties are used for Armagnac production?
Ugni Blanc
Colombard
Folle Blanche
Baco Blanc (hybrid)
It is usually a blend
What is different between the distillation processes of Cognac and Armagnac?
Cognac distilled twice in copper pot still.
Armagnac can be made that way, but almost all of it distilled in a column still.
What are the ageing designations for Armagnac from youngest to oldest?
Blanche Armagnac AOP
- three months, clear
VS / Very Special / ***
- 1-3 years in barrel
VSOP / Very Special Old Pale
- 4-9 years in barrel
XO / Hors d’Age
- minimum 10 years
Name three prominent Cognac producers
Remy Martin
Courvosier
Tesseron
Name three prominent Armagnac producers
Delord
Baron de Sigognac
Comte de Lamaestre
What are three important French brandies made outside of Cognac and Armagnac?
Fine de Bourgogne
Fine de Bordeaux
Fine de la Marne
What are the three Calvados AOPs?
Calvados AOC
- mininum 2 years ageing
Calvados Domfrontais AOC
- minimum 30% perry, minimum 3 years ageing
Calvados Pays d’Auge
- Premium, maximum 30% perry
What is Calvados?
Eau de vie distilled from apple and pear cider, made in Normandy, France
What are the ageing declarations for Calvados?
Fine
- less than 3 years
Vieux / Reserve
- minimum 3 years
Vieille Reserve / VSOP
- minimum 4 years
XO / Hors d’Age / Extra / Napoleon
- minimum 6 years
Name three prominent Calvados producers
Adrien Camut
Lauriston
Victor Gontier
What are the four major styles of rum?
Light
Dark
Demerara (Guyana)
Rhum Agricole (French style, Martinique, sugar cane juice)
What’s Cachaca?
Distillate from Brazil made from fermented sugar cane (essentially light rum), base of the Caiprinha cocktail
What is the region that surrounds the town of Tequila?
Jalisco
What is Tequila made from?
Fermented juice of the cooked pina of the blue agave plant (minimum 51%)
What are the ageing designations for Tequila?
Blanco / Silver
- Less than 2 months
Reposado
- 2-12 months
Anejo
- Minimum 1 year
Extra Anejo
- Minimum 3 years
What is Mezcal?
Where is it mostly produced?
Distilled liquor produced from fermented agave.
Oaxaca
Apart from it’s origins, what is the biggest difference between Mezcal and Tequila?
Mezcal typically made by heating agave over fire, so has a smoky character. Tequila typically made from steaming blue agave, so generally not smoky.
