Colossal Cookbook/ColossalCookbook.cdr/alco/microbar/mbtut3.tut

Text File | 1984-11-05 | 13KB | 357 lines

THE LIQUOR DICTIONARY
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Much of the enjoyment of social drinking comes from a knowledge
of the different types of alcoholic beverages available.  This
section was prepared to help you understand some of the subtle
differences between one type of liquor and another.

First, here are a few common terms frequently misunderstood:

Alcohol - the common ingredient of all liquor.  There are many
types of alcohol, but for liquor only ethyl alcohol is used.  Of
the several types of ethyl alcohol, those spirits distilled from
grain, grape, fruit, and cane are the most common.

Proof - a measurement of alcoholic strength or content.  One
degree of proof equals one-half of one percent of alcohol.  An 80
proof product contains forty percent alcohol by volume; a 90
proof product, forty-five percent alcohol, etc.
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For centuries the Scotch, British Gin, and Canadian Whisky sold
in England, Scotland, and most of the rest of the world was 80
proof.  America has only begun to appreciate the tasteful quality
of the more moderate lower proofs.  Practically all the rum sold
in America is now 80 proof and vodka at 80 proof outsells higher
proof vodkas.  For years the most expensive, famous name cognacs
have been imported at 80 proof, and now nearly all American-made
brandy is also 80 proof.

Grain Neutral Spirits is a practically tasteless, colorless,
alcohol distilled from grain (like whiskey) but at 190 proof or
above, whereas whiskey must be distilled at less than 190 proof.
Used in blended whiskies, in making gin and vodkas, and in many
other liquors.




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Brandy

Brandy - is distilled from a fermented mash of grapes or other
fruit, aged in oak casks, and usually bottled at 80 proof.  Long
enjoyed as an after-dinner drink, brandy is also widely used in
mixed drinks and cooking.

Cognac - this fine brandy, known for its smoothness and heady dry
aroma, is produced only in the cognac region of France.  (All
cognac is brandy, but not all brandy is cognac, nor is all French
brandy cognac.)

Armagnac - is much like cognac but has a drier taste.  It is
produced only in the Armagnac region of France.

American Brandy - all of which is distilled in California, has
its own taste characteristics.  Unlike European brandies (whose
farmer-distillers sell their brandies to the blender-shippers who
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control the brand names), California brandies are usually
produced by individual firms that grow the grapes, distill, age,
blend, bottle, and market the brandies under their own brand names.

Apple Brandy, Apple Jack, or Calvados - is distilled from a cider
made from apples.  Calvados is produced only in Normandy, France.
Apple Jack may be bottled-in-bond under the same regulations that
apply to whiskey.

Fruit Flavored Brandies - are brandy-based liqueurs produced from
blackberries, peaches, apricots, cherries, and ginger.  They are
usually bottled at 70 or 80 proof.


Liqueurs

The words liqueur and cordial are synonymous, describing liquors
made by mixing or redistilling neutral spirits, brandy, whiskey,
or other spirits with fruits, flowers, herbs, seeds, roots,
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plants, or juices to which sweetening has been added.
Practically all liqueurs are sweet and colorful, with highly
concentrated, dessertlike flavor.

Liqueurs are made in all countries.  Several, made from closely
guarded secret recipes and processes, are known throughout the
world by their trade or proprietary brand names.

Here are brief descriptions of the liqueurs and flavorings
mentioned most frequently in the recipes in this book.

Absinthe - anise seed (licorice) flavor; contains wormwood
(illegal in the United States)

Absinthe Substitutes - Abisante, Abson, Anisette, Herbsaint,
Mistra, Ojen, Oxygene, Pernod

Amaretto di Saronno - the original Italian almond-flavored liqueur
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Amer Picon - bitter, orange-flavored French cordial made from
quinine and spices

Benedictine - secret herb formula first produced by Benedictine monks

Chartreuse - yellow and green herb liqueurs developed by
Carthusian monks

Cream Liqueurs - a relatively recent addition to the category.
Usually flavored with chocolate, coffee, or orange

Creme(s) - so called because high sugar content results in
cream-like consistency
   Creme de Cacao - from cacao and vanilla beans
   Creme de Cassis - from black currants
   Creme de Menthe - from mint
   Creme de Noyaux - from almonds

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Curacao - orange-flavored, made from dried orange peel, from
Dutch West Indies.  May be blue or orange in color

Forbidden Fruit - a domestic liqueur produced by blending
shaddock fruit (a type of grapefruit) and imported cognac

Kummel - caraway and anise seeds and other herb flavors

Mandarine Napoleon - cognac-based mandarine orange flavor

Maraschino - liqueur made from cherries grown in Dalmatia, Yugoslavia

Rock and Rye - sweetened rye whiskey sometimes bottled with rock
candy or fruit slices

Schnapps - light bodied liqueur, now available in a wide variety
of flavors

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Sloe Gin - a liqueur made from sloe berries (blackthorn bush)

Strega - Italian liqueur

Swedish Punch - Scandanavian liqueur made from Batavia Arak rum,
tea, lemon, and other spices.  Also known as Arrack Punsch and
Caloric Punch (the latter because it gives off heat)

Triple Sec - colorless Curacao, but less sweet.  Orange flavor









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Gin

Gin was originally sold in apothecary shops as a medicine to
cleanse the body of disease.  Whether or not it accomplished that
purpose became irrelevant - people felt better, so in the 17th
century the English took the Dutch medicine back to their country
and drank it liberally with or without toasting anyone's health.

Gins are little more than neutral spirits distilled from grain.
But they are reprocessed and redistilled with a flavorist's
grab-bag of assorted herbs and spices with the main ingredient
being juniper berries.  Each "secret formula"  creates a
distinctively flavored gin.

English gins are 94 proof; American gins are 80 to 94 proof.
Either way the two drinks are equally dry, which means
unsweetened.  Most gins are not aged.

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Rum

Rum is made from sugar cane boiled down to a rich residue called
molasses which is then fermented and distilled.

Light rum is lighter in color and flavor.  Dry, light rums are
traditionally produced in Spanish-speaking islands like Puerto Rico.

Dark rum results from the addition of caramel coloring or aging.
It has a heavier flavor and comes from the tropics:  Jamaica,
Haiti, or Martinique.

Rums are aged from three to ten years (though some of the very
light rums leave the cask in two years).

Besides being the favorite drink of pirates and the punch in
Planter's Punch, rum can be substituted in most cocktails calling
for gin or vodka.  (The lighter the rum the better.)   151 proof
rums are excellent in desserts that call for flaming.
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Whiskey

Whiskies are distilled from a fermented mash of grain (usually
corn, rye, barley, or wheat), and then aged in oak barrels.  In
this country, whiskey must be distilled at less than 190 proof
(although whiskey with a special designation such as bourbon,
rye, etc., cannot be distilled above 160 proof) and must be
bottled at no less than 80 proof.

Whiskey, when placed in barrels to age, is a clear liquid.  It is
during the aging period that whiskey obtains its characteristic
amber color, flavor, and aroma.

The major whiskey producing countries are the United States,
Canada, Scotland, and Ireland.  Special grain characteristics,
recipes, and distillation processes make the whiskey of each
country distinct from that of the others.

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American whiskey - Although American whiskies fall into three
major categories, straight whiskey, light whiskey, and blended
whiskey, the United States government acknowledges thirty-three
distinct types of whiskey.  Only the major types (98 percent of
the nation's consumption) are covered here.

Straight Whiskey is distilled from corn, rye, barley or wheat
(not blended with neutral grain spirits or any other whiskey) and
aged in charred oak barrels for a minimum of two years.  There
are four major types of straight whiskey:

1. Bourbon Whiskey is distilled from a mash of grain containing
    not less than 51 percent corn and is normally aged four years
    in new charred oak barrels.  Bourbon is amber in color and
    full-bodied in flavor.  When distilled in Kentucky it is
    usually referred to as Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey.
    Bourbon is named for Bourbon County in Kentucky where this
    type of whiskey originated.  Bourbon is also produced in
    Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, and Missouri.
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2.  Rye Whiskey is distilled from a mash of grain containing not
    less than 51 percent rye and is much like bourbon in color,
    but is different in taste and heavier in flavor.

3.  Corn Whiskey is distilled from a mash of grain containing not
    less than 80 percent corn.  Corn whiskey is commonly aged in
    re-used charred oak barrels.

4.  Bottled-in-Bond Whiskey is straight whiskey, usually bourbon
    or rye, which is produced under United States government
    supervision.  Though the government does not guarantee the
    quality of of bonded whiskey, it does not require that the
    whiskey be at least four years old, that it be bottled at 100
    proof, that it be produced in one distillery by the same
    distiller, and that it be stored and bottled at a bonded
    warehouse under government supervision.


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Blended Whiskey is a blend of one or more straight whiskies and
neutral spirits containing at least 20 percent or more straight
whiskey bottled at not less than 80 proof.

A blend of straight whiskies occurs when two or more straight
whiskies are blended together, to the exclusion of neutral grain
spirits.

Canadian Whisky - Canadian whiskies are blended whiskies, usually
distilled from rye, corn, and barley.  Produced only in Canada,
under government supervision, most of the Canadian whisky sold in
this country is at least four years old.  Canadian whisky,
usually lighter-bodied than American whisky, is usually sold at
80 proof.





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Scotch Whisky - Produced only in Scotland, Scotch whiskies are
blended whiskies deriving their individual personalities from
native barley grain and traditional pot stills.  All Scotch
blends contain malt whisky and grain whisky (similar to American
grain neutral spirits).  Scotch's distinctive smokey flavor comes
from drying malted barley over peat fires.  All the Scotch
imported in this country is at least four years old and is
usually 80 or 86 proof.  Scotch sold in the rest of the world is
almost always 80 proof.

Irish Whisky - Produced only in Ireland, Irish whisky, like
Scotch, is a blended whisky containing both barley malt whiskies
and grain whiskies.  Unlike Scotch, however, the malt is dried in
coal-fired kilns and the aroma of the fires does not reach the
malt.  Irish whisky is heavier and more full-bodied than Scotch
and is usually 86 proof.


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Age is often believed to be the only indication of quality, but a
whiskey, rum, or brandy can be aged to long as well as not long
enough.  Other factors affecting quality include variables in the
distilling process itself, the types of grain used, the
warehousing techniques employed, the rate of aging, and the
degree of skill used in determining product maturity.  Aging may
make good whiskey better, but no amount of aging can make good
whiskey out of bad.

Grain Neutral Spirits is a practically tasteless, colorless
alcohol distilled from grain (like whiskey) but at 190 proof or
above, whereas whiskey must be distilled at less than 190 proof.
Used in blended whiskies, in making gin and vodka, and in many
other liquors.




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Vodka

Vodka has humility.  Colorless, tasteless, odorless it will
graciously assume the characteristics of whatever it is mixed with.

The higher the proof the less flavor, and vodka is also filtered
through charcoal to remove any remaining hint of flavor.  There
are vodkas that are specially flavored with lemon, lime, mint,
and even one flavored with buffalo grass.

Vodka is made from pure grain neutral spirits distilled from
fermented corn, rye, or wheat.  Russian vodka used to be made
from potato mash in the days of the Czars.  Today it's made with
grain.

Taken straight, vodka makes a fine aperitif with smoked salmon or
hot sausage.

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