Whisk(e)y Flashcards
what are some raw materials that spirits can be made from?
- grains + cereals
- fruits
- plants
- vegetables
- fruits + their pits
- sugar cane + its derivatives
what are some common grains + cereals that can be made into spirits?
- barley
- wheat
- corn
- rice
- rye
what are some fruits that can be made into spirits?
- cherries
- apricots
- apples
- pears
- grapes
for grain + cereal-based spirits, such as Bourbon or Scots, what has to happen first in order for them to be distilled?
The grains + cereals have to have their starches converted into sugars so the yeast can ferment the sugars out
high levels of natural sugars already exist in fruits and plants, so do they have to have their sugars converted first, too, like cereals or grains?
No! Sugar levels are already so high in fruits and plants that their sugars can be directly fermented into alcohol – just add yeast!
if you think bout it, making beer and making a grain-based spirit share similar steps (germinating the grain to convert the starches into sugars, kilning it to make a malt, then brewing it). So why would you basically take a beer-like liquid and distill it?
To remove impurities and the diluting parts of the beverage (water) to acquire and concentrate the true character of the grain or cereal
What are the boiling points of alcohol and water? Which one is higher?
Water’s BP = 212ºF (100ºC) !
Alcohol’s BP = 173ºF (78ºC)
go through the general steps of making a spirit
- make your alcoholic liquid
- bring it to a boil
- as the water boils, the alcohol evaporates (because alcohol boils at a lower temp than water)
- those alcoholic vapours rise up the distillation still and are captured by a condenser
- the vapours collect and are cooled
- Bingo! New distillate / spirit
what are the 2 types of stills used in making spirits?
- pot still
2. continuous still
features + functions of a pot still:
- Are they used for fast or slow distillations?
- What spirit style is typically made in a pot still?
- What are used for small or large scale production?
- Are flavours of primary ingredient retained or lost?
Pot stills:
- Usually slower distillations
- used for rich, wooded spirits e.g. cognac + scotch
- small scale production
- aim to retain the flavours of primary ingredient
features + functions of a continuous still:
- are they used for fast or slow distillations?
- what spirit style is typically made in a pot still?
- are they used for small or large scale production?
- are flavours of primary ingredient retained or lost?
continuous still:
- faster distillation than a pot still
- best for neutral spirits such as vodka and many bourbons
- best for large scale production
- aim is to remove flavor + impurities
regardless of what type of still was used to make a spirit, what colour is a spirit when it comes out of a still?
clear
name some clear spirits that are bottled as soon as they come out of the still
- vodka
- gin
- blanco tequila
- light / white / silver rums
how is color added to new spirits?
- aged in oak
- coloured with caramel
what does ageing in oak do to a clear spirit?
- changes the colour
- changes the flavour + texture