Spirits: S. Am & Others Flashcards by Talia Elizabeth

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

Which Mexican states produce Tequila?

Jalisco, Guanajuato, Tamaulipas, Nayarit, and Michoacán

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

What is tequila distilled from?

tequila is distilled from the cooked piña (heart) of the blue agave plant.

the best tequila is made from 100% blue agave, but most is mixto, or min 51% blue agave

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

How is tequila distilled?

Either twice in a cooper pot still, or in a continuous still

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

Tequila aging designations

Blanco or Silver: bottled right after distillation

Reposado: aged two months to one year in oak casks

Añejo: must be aged for at least one year in oak casks

Extra Añejo: min 3 years in oak casks

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

Define Mezcal, where is it made?

Mezcal is the distilled liquor produced from fermented agave. It is made principally in the state of Oaxaca, but also in Guerrero, Durango, San Luis Potosí, Zacatecas

Most Mezcal is made from espadin agave, rather than blue agave

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

pechuga

Mezcal de Pechuga is made when a finished mezcal is redistilled with local fruits, grains, and nuts, and a raw chicken or turkey breast is hung over the still, cooking in the emanating vapors, supposedly adding to the spirit’s final flavor.

flavor infused through evaporation: The oils of the protein and the fat go into the pot, and as (the distillate) starts to evaporate, the oils carry over. Those oils are very important in the final texture and flavor of the spirit itself.”

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

What is mixto tequila?

Tequila made with min 51% blue agave, the remainder is fermented from other sugar sources

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

What is Sotol?

A Mexican distillate DO in the states of: Chihuahua, Coahuila, Durango.
Plant Species: Dasylirion wheeleri (A succulent, rather than an agave plant.)

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

List the Mexican distilled spirits DOs

Bacanora DO
Mezcal DO
Sotol DO
Tequila DO
Charanda DO
Raicilla DO

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

Mezcal classifications

Añejo: mezcal aged in oak barrels of no more than 200-liter capacity for at least one year

Reposado: mezcal aged in oak barrels for at least two months

White/Joven: young mezcal (Joven being phased out)

Madurado en Vidrio: matured in glass for 12 months in cool dark place

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

How long does the initial fermentation for tequila take? What is the resulting liquid called?

24-96 hours. Up to a week if it’s cooler. The liquid will settle after all the sugars have been converted and there are no more for the yeasts to feed on. This is what’s called ‘mosto muerto’ (“dead must”)

resulting liquid is called the tepache, and is about 5-10% ABV . Fermentation may occur in wooden vats or stainless steel tanks.

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

What is the traditional method of milling pinas? What is commonly used now?

a tahona is a traditional milling stone, weighing up to 1 ton that is pulled by a mule on a flat, circular stone pit. This would grind the pinas and release the juices needed for fermentation. This technique is only used by handful of producers of Tequila

now, a Molina, or mechanical mill is more commonly used

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

What is Raicilla?

DO for agave distillate made in Jalisco, Mexico. No blue agave allowed!

various age designations, ancestral/ artesenal, Raicilla de la Costa and de la Sierra allow different agave varieties.

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

What is bagazo?

Agave fiber left over after milling, fermentation, and distillation. It may be used to insulate the hot rocks of the pit oven, and to seal joints on clay-pot stills.

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

What is Bacanora? What is it made from?

DO for agave distillate made in Sonora, Mexico

Agave angustifolia (also known as Yaquiana)

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

What is blanco/ silver tequila?

unaged- bottled immediately after distillation

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

What is maguey?

The preferred term for agave in Oaxaca. The Spanish conquistadores brought the word with them from Hispaniola.

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

What additives are permitted for Tequila?

Caramel coloring
Natural oak or encino oak extract
Sugar-based syrup
Glycerin

up to 75 g/l of sugar
up to 85 g/l of additives
but total dry matter must be less than 1% of total volume

2023 change- no additives for blanco

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

What is Charanda?

DO in Michoacan for sugar cane distillate. Must be from 100% sugar cane grown in the delineated area.
Juice, piloncillo, or molasses is allowed

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

Tequila is distilled to a minimum of what % abv?

35%

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

Oro / Gold Tequila

Oro/Gold Tequila: Spirit enhanced by “mellowing” with caramel coloring or oak extracts.

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

How is tequila distilled?

Distillation occurs either in a traditional pot still (twice) or by the continuous method

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

What agave variety is most Mezcal made from? List some other varieties

espadín (Agave angustifolia)

other: arroqueño, tobalá, tepeztate, and many variations of Agave karwinskii

Mezcal additives

Insects Fruit Herbs Honey Coloring agents Meat up to 5% of volume

abocado

Flavored or infused mezcal. One of the classes of mezcal as defined by the current Norm.

Which mexican states produce tequila?

Jalisco, Guanajuato, Tamaulipas, Nayarit, and Michoacán

What is the traditional method for cooking agave for Tequila? What are 2 other methods

Horno de Tierra- stone lined pit in the ground. very slow, so no longer commonly used also: autoclave, stone oven

What agave is most tequila made from?

blue agave (Agave tequilana weber azul) - this variety is the fastest to mature, but still takes approximately 7 years before it's ready to be harvested

cachaca

distilled from sugar-cane juice in Brazil unaged (Portuguese: branca, "white" or prata, "silver") and aged (amarela, "yellow" or ouro, "gold" Sugar production was mostly switched from the Madeira islands to Brazil by the Portuguese in the 16th century. In Madeira, aguardente de cana is made by distilling sugar cane juice into liquor, and the pot stills from Madeira were brought to Brazil to make what today is also called cachaça. 38% and 48% ABV

cachaca producers

Pitu Leblon Ypioca Abelha Cachaça 51 Canario Avua

Requirements for Mezacal Ancestral

Pinas must be shredded with wooden bats or stone wheel (tahona) NOT mechanical shredder Distillation must occur in a clay or wooden vessel

Requirements for Mezcal Artesenal?

Agave pinas must be cooked in pit ovens or cement, NOT in stainless autoclaves

Maracuja - where is it from? flavor?

madeira / azores passionfruit

slivovitz- where it from? flavor?

eastern europe plum

sambuca - where is it from? flavor?

italy anise and elderberry

What is the difference between quinquina and americano?

Quinquinas are based on chinchona bark as a bittering agent while americanos are based on gentian root

infusion vs maceration - flavoring spirits

infusion: flavoring agents are soaked BEFORE distillation maceration: soaked AFTER distillation

what is absinthe distilled from?

aniseseed, fennel, wormwood

what is aquavit?

Scandinavian spirit distilled from potatoes or grain, must be flavored with caraway. additional flavorings like honey, whisky, and sherry are all allwed min 38% abv

four main styles of baijiu

heavy aroma- very aromatic sauce aroma- umami/ soi sauce notes rice aroma light aroma - like a rough vodka

famous Austrian eau de vie?

Hans Reisetbauer pear apricot cherry apple carrot ...etc

how long before agave plant reaches maturity?

5-8 years plants in the highlands can take up to 12 years

when is agave harvested?

b/t January and May - when plant is most productive

what is a jimador?

agave harvester

what is a coa?

long handled knife used to remove the leaves to expose the piña

sobre maduro

overripe (agave)

how long are piñas baked for in a horno?

24-48 hours. then the steam is shut off and the piñas are left to cool for a further 16-48 hours slow baking results in more fruit and sweetness

how long does an autoclave take to bake piñas?

around 7 hours at a pressure of 1.2kg/cm2, at 121C. cooking too quickly increases risk of burning sugars and creating a bitter caramel taste

benefits of estate grown agave?

jimadors harvesting piñas for their own estate will be careful to select perfectly ripe piñas, and also trim back the leaves enough if selling agave, jimadors are paid on weight and won't remove as many leaves, which can result in bitter/ adverse flavors

what is a diffusor in tequila?

a giant machine- it crushes the raw agave and uses steam to strip the fibers. sulphuric acid is added to lower the pH, and the juice is heated for a couple of hours to hydrolyze (convert energy into sugars) the inulin. it is very fast, and reduces the need for labor, but lacks complex flavors

what is aguamiel?

agave juice- what you get after crushing the piña. the sugar content is analyzed, and it may be diluted with water depending on the sugar tolerance of their yeast

when is sugar added for mixto tequila?

right before fermentation- cane or corn sugars added to a max 49% of fermentable sugars.

how long does fermentation take in tequila? abv after?

24-96 hours 3.8 to 6% abv

what is the product of the first distillation in tequila? abv?

the ordinario. 20-25% abv tequila after the second distillation

what is the name of the first distillation in tequila?

destrozamiento

abv of tequila after second distillation?

55-75%

tequila min abv for bottling

may be bottled between 35% and 55% US mandates min 40% for imports Europe mandates 37.5%