Spirits General Flashcards
What is the boiling point for ethyl alcohol?
173F (78C)
What are the two main methods of distillation?
Pot Still
Continuous Still
(aka Coffey Still / Column Still / Patent Still)
What is “Wash” in distillation?
The fermented spirit that will be heated to extract its vapours.
What are the two columns of a a Continuous Still?
Analyzer
Rectifier
What are the 3 methods for flavouring a distillate?
- maceration
- percolation
- infusion
What is the primary difference between Maceration and Infusion?
maceration - Cold / slow
Infusion - Hot / fast
(VS Percolation - base spirit pumped through flavour agents)
Until 1980, how did Britain measure alcoholic strength?
Pour spirit on gunpowder, combust rate gauged %
What is the min ABV for vodka produced in the EU?
37.5%
If not from potato or grain, it has to list what it is a distillate of
What method of distillation does Grey Goose use?
Pot Still
What is Awamori?
Japanese distillate specialty from. Okinawa.
from long grain Indica rice
Where was Gin created?
Holland
(Dr. Sylvius de Bouve - Genever - 16th Century)
(lower ABV / slightly sweeter)
What three categories may be labeled for Genever gin?
- oude (“old”); Traditional made with min 15% “Malt Wine”
- jonge (“young”): cleaner, more neutral
- Corenwyn (“corn wine”) is a cask-aged version in which “malt wine” comprises at least 51% of the distillate.
What are the 3 main categories of Gin?
London Dry- flavour must be added AFTER
Genever - lower abv/sweeter
Plymouth - fuller body (pink gin cocktail)
Old Tom - sweetened (Martinez / tom collins)
Give 2 examples of each gin.
London Dry - (Beefeater / Tanqueray)
Genever - (Bols / Boomsma / Old Simon)
Plymouth - only 1
Old Tom - (Liberty / Both’s / Hayman’s)
Who produces Plymouth Gin?
Black Friars Distillery
What famous distillate does the Black Friars Distillery produce?
Plymouth GIn
Name 3 producers of Old Tom gin.
Both’s / Secret Treasures / The Liberty Distillery
Tanqueray / Langley’s / Jensens / Ransom
Master Of Malt / The Dorchester Hotel
The London Distillery Company Ltd / Haymans
What are ‘alquitaras’
Copper stills the Spanish use to distill Brandy.
(Airen and palomino grapes)
(used American oak for Solera)
What are the average ageing for Spanish Brandy?
Solera - avg 1yr
Solera Reserva - avg 3yrs
Solera Gran Reserva - avg 10yrs
name an Italian producer of Brandy.
Buton (from Trebbiano)
Vecchi Romagna)(the diamond shaped bottle
Notable USA producer of Brandy?
Germain-Robin (Ukiah)
Nme 3 examples of Pomace spirit.
Marc (France)
Grappa (Italy)
Bagaceira (Portugal)
What are the 5 stages for making whiskey?
- mashing
- malting
- fermentation
- distillation
- maturation
Explain the Malting step.
soak your grain in warm water to begin germination.
(2-3 days)
-once they start to sprout, must be stopped.
- dry the in a kiln (sometimes fired by peat)
- ground to remover husks etc (called grist)
- now called malt
Explain Mashing.
- add grist to warm water to extract fermentable sugars.
- (called ‘mash’)
- placed in a ‘mash tun’
- sugar and malt dissolve (called ‘wort’)
- repeet - 1st and 2nd draws used only
- 3rd is put back
- left over husks etc (called ‘draft’) used for feed.
Explain fermentation.
- ‘wort’ is cooled and placed in a ‘washback’
- fermentation happens (48hrs usually)
- liquid now called a ‘wash’ (5-10% ABV)
At what stage could you redirect in the making of Whiskey to make beer?
- Fermenation stage.
- spoil off the “wash” and continue to make beer with it.
Explain the distillation process stage of making Whiskey.
- ‘wash’ in put into copper distiller.
- Scotland - distilled Twice
- Ireland - Distilled 3 times
- Taller next - lighter spirit
- shorter neck - richer spirit
- heat / rises / called “Low Wine”
- moves to second “Spirit Still’ (smaller)
- 3 stages: ‘Foreshots” / “Hearts”(65-70%ABV) / “Feints”
*What is an American Proof Gallon?
The measure of alcohol used in the USA:
A proof gallon is one liquid gallon of spirits that is 50% alcohol at 60 degrees F.
Distilled Spirits* bottled at 80 proof (40% alcohol) would be 0.8 proof gallons per gallon of liquid.
At 125 proof, a gallon of liquid would be 1.25 proof gallons.
In the industrial and fuel industries, most alcohol is at 190 or 200 degrees of proof. One gallon of alcohol that is 200 proof is equal to 2.0 proof gallons
*What is Orujo? (Or-oo-Hoe)
Pomace Brandy from Northern Spain
-Origions of Pisco.
(Spanish settlers tried to produce it in Peru/Chile and it became Pisco there)
*What are the departments of Peru that Pisco must be produced in?
Lima Ica Arequipa Moquegua Tacna (Only in the valleys of: - Locumba Locumba - Sama - Caplina
*What is the main difference between Pisco from Chile VS Peru?
Peru is never cut. Always cask strength.
*What are the categories of Pisco?
Puro (Pure) - single variety (mostly Quebranta), although (Mollar or Common Black can be used - but not blended)
Aromáticas (Aromatic) - from Muscat or Muscat-derived grape varieties, and also from Albilla, Italia and Torontel (No blending)
Mosto Verde (Green Must), distilled from partially fermented must, this must be distilled before the fermentation process has completely transformed sugars into alcohol.
Acholado (Multivarietal), blended from the must of several varieties of grape
All must be aged min 3M (glass or stainless. NO wood)
what are the four categories of Pisco?
Puro (Pure), made from a single variety, mostly:
- Quebranta (Mollar / Common Black)
Aromáticas :
- Muscat or Muscat-derived grapes varieties, and also from - Albilla, Italia and Torontel
Mosto Verde (Green Must): distilled from partially fermented must, this must be distilled before the fermentation process has completely transformed sugars into alcohol.
Acholado (Multivarietal)
