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IBD General Certificate > Unit 2 - Lesson 6 - Botanicals > Flashcards

Unit 2 - Lesson 6 - Botanicals Flashcards

1
Q

How far back does gin go?

A

1400s

1495 evidence indicates juniper berries used in spirits from household recipe book

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2
Q

Why juniper in gin?

A

Pine aroma - was used more for medicinal purposes and historically juniper was used for ailments

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3
Q

Where and when did gin become very popular?

A

Britain in 18th century

Soldiers were given gin at their posts and became “native” in those stations

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4
Q

How many species of Juniper?

A

Over 50 with Juniperus Communis the most common

Other species use is almost zero

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5
Q

Is juniper a tree or shrub?

A

Tree

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6
Q

What type of tree is juniper?

A

Dioecious - meaning male and female trees

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7
Q

What sex of trees grow juniper berries?

A

The female juniper tree

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8
Q

How high can juniper trees grow?

A

10-15m

Many also grow close to the ground

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9
Q

What climate are suitable for juniper trees?

A

Cool, temperate and primarily grow in the northern hemisphere

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10
Q

What are the qualities of juniper trees?

A
  1. Very hardy
  2. Thrive in variety of soils
  3. Drought tolerant
  4. Primarily grown in wild
  5. Rarely commercially cultivated
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11
Q

What are juniper berries?

A

They are seed cones with scales, tightly packed and fleshy - look like berries
Evolved to trick birds into eating and spreading seeds

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12
Q

How long do juniper berries take to mature and how big do they get?

A

18 month to maturity and 6mm in diameter

Change from green to purple or black

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13
Q

How juniper berries picked and why?

A

Handpicked for consistently since a tree has berries maturing at different times

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14
Q

How do harvesters collect juniper berries?

A

Use tarps
Beat branches with stick to drop berries
Manually sort for consistent ripeness based on color

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15
Q

What is the primary aroma of juniper berries?

A

Piney and floral

Some with citrus or turpentine qualities

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16
Q

Where does the aroma for juniper berries originate?

A

From high terpene content which is an aromatic hydrocarbon found in conifers and citrus trees

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17
Q

What is the most abundant terpene in juniper and makes up how much of the aroma molecule?

A

⍺-pinene making up 50% of aroma - pine wood scent

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18
Q

What are the important juniper terepenes?

A 
⍺-pinene = woody pine scent
sabinene = woody, pine, spicy
mycrene = herbaceous, hoppy
limonene = citrus
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19
Q

How did the Romans use juniper?

A

A cheap black ground pepper

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20
Q

What is the distiller’s challenge for juniper?

A

aromas can vary year to year when aromatic oils change

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21
Q

How to maintain consistency across juniper harvest?

A
  1. Reliable supplier
  2. Keep from same region (eg Macedonia)
  3. Trial benchtop distillations yearly
  4. Check smell, size of berries
  5. Check oils using gas chromatography
  6. Avoid inconsistent size and color
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22
Q

What does coriander add to gin as a botanical?

A

Citrus and sometimes sage

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23
Q

What is the formal name for coriander and where is it grown?

A

Coriandrum Sativum

Throughout the world

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24
Q

Where do the coriander aromas derive?

A

Linalool - floral, grassy, citrus
⍺-pinene - pine
geranyl acetate - roses, herbal
terpineol - lilacs

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25
Where is the largest proportion of coriander grown?
Morocco - with larger seeds
26
What is the difference between larger and smaller coriander seeds?
Larger seeds (more often in sub/tropical) have lower essential oils
27
How many varieties of citrus?
Too many to count since they are easily crossbred
28
What part of the citrus do distillers use?
The peel or pericarp
29
What are the 3 components of the pericarp?
1. Endocarp (or liths) - innermost section 2. Mesocarp (pith) - middle section - bitter, white, fibrous 3. Exocarp (Flavedo or Zest) - Outer section. Contains most oils, most important
30
What is the most important part of the pericarp?
Exocarp (outer layer) with the most oils
31
What is the majority form of the essential oil in citrus?
Limonene (also found in juniper)
32
What are the methods for choosing citrus peel?
1. Reputable supplier 2. Origin and harvest differences 3. Mindful of "bad-looking" or off aromas
33
Why is Orris Root used in Gin?
Used to preserve flavors as a "Fixative" equalizing vapor pressure and aroma volatility This prevents aromatic compounds from evaporating too quickly
34
What is Orris Root?
It is a flower
35
What is the process to collect Orris Root?
1. Seeds are sow 2. Grow for 3-4 years 3. Dug up 4. Root separated and dried 5. Can take up to 5 years Very labor intensive
36
What are the aromatic qualities of Orris Root?
Violet | Much lost in distillation and woody aroma takes over
37
What is a Fixative?
Compounds that equalize vapor pressure and aroma volatility
38
What other industry uses Fixatives?
Perfume Industry
39
What is another commonly used fixative in gin?
Angelica
40
What form of Orris Root is used in gin distilling?
either the chopped root or powdered
41
What are some herbs and flowers are used as botanicals in gin distillation and why?
Chamomile - dried flower for floral and hay | Hops - dried cones used in old Dutch style
42
What are some common spices are used as botanicals in gin distillation and why?
``` Allspice (pimenta or myrtle pepper) Cardamom Cinnamon/Cassia Cubeb berries Ginger Grains of Paradise Liquorice Root Saffron ```
43
What does Allspice add to gin distillation?
Pimenta or Myrtle from C America - cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg
44
What does Cardamom add to gin distillation?
More expensive spice | High in alpha-pinene, mycrene and limonene
45
What does Cinnamom/Cassia add to gin distillation?
Separate botanicals | Cassia is cheaper with similar flavor
46
What do Cubeb berries add to gin distillation?
Indonesian | Black pepper, some with floral
47
What does Ginger Root add to gin distillation?
Used fresh or dry Pungent, lemon-like aroma Volatile oils - zingerone, shogoal and ginnerol
48
What does Grains of Paradise add to gin distillation?
Aframomum melegueta - W Africa, ginger plant | Pepper and Citrus
49
What does Liqourice add to gin distillation?
Glycyrrhiza glaba Used for sugar substitute for centuries Sweetness to gin
50
What does Saffron add to gin distillation?
Most expensive spice Dried stigmas & styles of the saffron crocus plant Honey, Hay, Floral
51
What are the primary volatile oils in ginger root and how much weight do the hold?
Zingeron Shogoal Gingerol 1-3% of total weight of the root
52
What is the acceptable amount of botanicals for gin?
30g per liter of neutral spirit 96%ABV
53
What percentage does Juniper make up in gin?
40-50%
54
What are some common botanicals used in other spirits?
Wormwood - Absinthe Anise - Pastis (France), Arak (Israel), Ouzo (Greece), Raki (Aremenia) Sambuca (Italy), Mastika (Bulgaria) Caraway - Aquavit (Scandi) and Brennevin (Iceland)
55
What is wormwood?
A plant grown in temperate climate which use the leaves and flowers for spirit production
56
What are the compounds in wormwood?
Absintthin - intensely bitter | Thujone - caused stigma for Absenthe spirit can be lethal
57
What is the compound in woodworm that can be lethal in high doses?
Thujone and 19th C Ansinthe was below the 10 mg/L thresehold now in place - so it wasnt lethal then
58
Where is thujone also found?
Sage which may contain up to 50% thujone in sage oil
59
What is Anise?
Anise seed from the plant providing "black liquorice" aromas
60
What is the primary flavor compound in anise?
Anethole which can make up 80% of aniseed's essential oils
61
What is Anethole?
Essential oil found in Anise 1. not water soluble - makes spirits cloud with water 2. Highly soluble in ethanol 3. Fragrance is intensely sweet Added for some sweetness without having to add sugar
62
How much sweet is Anethole (Anise) than sucrose?
13 times
63
What part of Caraway is used for botanicals in spirits?
Relative to carrot family, the fruit which is often mistaken for seeds.
64
What compounds do Caraway seed contain?
Carvone Limonene Anethole
65
How should botanicals be stored?
1. Refrigerated - 4-10° C 2. Low humidity 3. Low oxygen
66
What are the big 4 botanicals in Gin?
Juniper Coriander Citrus Peel Orris Root

IBD General Certificate (52 decks)

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