The Origin
Why don’t you familiarize yourself with the Latin name of beer “bibere,” which means to drink? You might impress the girl next to you with your knowledge. The old tale of brewing started during the 6th millennium. In the ancient period brewing was popular in Egypt and Mesopotamia. Why don’t you check the earliest record of brewing? It is depicted in the Samarian tablet, where a group of people are drinking from a communal bowl using reed straws.
Before the Industrial revolution beer was produced and sold on domestic scale. By the end of the 19th century beer was produced in industries in large scale. The Egyptians passed on the knowledge of brewing to Greeks. The Greeks then taught the processing to Romans. Soon enough, brewing became popular in other countries, which varied according to the place, tradition and ingredients used.
Beer Making
Don’t just gulp the beer, drink it and also be familiar with its process of making. Beer is mainly produced from fermentation of sugars derived from starch products like malted barley, wheat, corn or rice. The necessary stages of brewing are mashing, sparging, boiling and fermentation. The mash (starch source) is soaked in water with certain enzymes (alpha & beta amylase). The fermentable liquid from the mash known as wort is collected and flavored with herbs and fruits to balance the aroma and to get you drunk. Wort is boiled to sterilize and increase the content of sugar. Finally yeast is added to cause fermentation, which produces alcohol and other waste products from anaerobic respiration of the sugars. Beer contains a maximum alcohol content of about 15% by volume.
Types
Through ages culture and knowledge of brewing is being distributed across the globe. You may name it according to its local tradition of brewing. Usually, the yeast used in fermentation categorizes beer.
- Ale- it is brewed with top fermenting yeast. The fermentation temperature is kept between 15 & 24 °C. Ales are sweeter.
- Lager- It contains a bottom fermenting yeast and fermented at primary stage between 7-12 °C and then in secondary phase between 0-4 °C.
- Lambic- It is a Belgian beer, which uses wild yeasts for fermentation.
- Pale and Dark beer- Beer made from dry malt with coke is called as Pale Beer having a pale amber color. Dark beer is brewed from pale malt base along with a small quantity of dark malt used for coloration.
History of Wine
The Origin
We have to owe it to the Egyptians for making quality wine. During 3000 B.C. wine was introduced in Egypt, and soon after it spread through Mediterranean region and Europe. Egyptians stomped and fermented the grapes in large vats to produce white wine. Century’s later wine making grew popularity under Catholic Church for sacramental purpose. Christian monks of northern Italy and France kept records of their winemaking process and grape cultivation. It was Columbus and other explorers who transported throughout the world the secret of grape cultivation. At present wine is produced in almost all of the inhabited countries.
Wine making
Be a connoisseur of wine. You know wine making is termed as Enology/Oenology. Wine is fermented from grape juice. Vitis Vinifera is the only species of grape used for wine making in the world. Wine is also made from plum, fermented apple cider, cherry, pears, and from various berries. Fruits contain 12% alcohol and are increased to about 20% when fortified with brandy.
Wine making is very easy that you can actually make it at home. You basically need to identify the various steps involved in it which is crushing, juice separation, fermentation, clarification, aging and bottling. Till date quality of wine has undergone diversity due to the soil texture, climate and typography.
Types
Before offering wine check what type of wine is served in the bar. Usually, wine is classified according to the technique of production like- table wine, fortified wine and sparkling wine.
- Table Wine- It is also known as natural wine made from grape juice. The juice is fermented with some amount of sugar and yeast. It comes in three basic colors - white, red or pink. It has a sweet taste containing alcohol content of 7-15% by volume.
- Fortified Wine- Wine is fortified with brandy to get an increased volume of alcohol. The color comes in white, amber, or red. The alcohol content ranges from 14-23% by volume.
- Sparkling Wine- Sparking wine is fermented twice. The second process of fermentation is carried out in bottles by adding sugar and yeast, which produces carbon dioxide gas to create a pressure inside the bottle. It is usually white, red or rose in color. Champagne is one of the best sparkling wine.
History of Brandy
The origin
The word brandy is derived from the Dutch “brandewijn” meaning burnt wine. Brandy is a classic distilled wine which dates back to 12th century during ancient Greece and Rome period. It is a concentrated spirit of wine used both as antiseptic and anesthetic. After 100 years, now it has made its presence in each part of the globe.
Brandy was discovered quite accidentally by the merchants. Earlier wine was distilled as a preservation method to make it easier for merchants to transport in European regions. The distilled water was removed from the wine while trading which was then added back again before selling. It was discovered that wine after being stored in wooden casks, resulted in an improved distilled spirits, brandy.
Brandy making
Take an account of brandy distillation. Brandy making has undergone various refinement since ages. Usually brandy is made from grape wine or from fermented fruit juice. It is a distilled wine containing 40-60% ethyl alcohol by volume. It is normally consumed after dinner.
Types
Obsessed with the variety of brandy? Then visit a brandy making industry. You will be surprised to know that brandy is classified into various categories depending on the fruit distilled and its place of origin. Basically there are three major types of brandy namely grape brandy, Pomace brandy and fruit brandy.
• Grape Brandy- It is distilled from fermented grape juice. The best-known ones are French Armagnac and Cognac.
• Pomace Brandy- It is distilled from the left over parts of crushed grape juice such as grape pulp, seeds and stems. Examples are French Marc and Italian Grappa.
• Fruit Brandy- It is distilled from different fruits apart from grapes such as cherry, plum, raspberry and peach. Examples are Denmark Cherry Herring and French Calvados.
Brandy is a traditional drink often served with cigar. It is bottled at 40% alcohol by volume. It contains different levels of sweetness, bitterness and smoothness. Depending on the type and aging, brandy has a unique rating system
History of Rum
The Origin
Have you ever thought that rum originated in the islands of West Indies during17th century and was usually consumed by pirates and buccaneers? The plantation slaves of Caribbean Island had accidentally fermented sugarcane molasses into alcohol. The rules for rum distillation and fermentation have changed in different ways. Check out the olden days of distillation when it was fermented from sugarcane molasses and juice. Later, the by-products of sugarcane were fermented in a better way and removed impurities producing good rums. Visit Mount Gay Distillery in Barbados to gulp the taste of one of the oldest manufacturers of rum.
Rum Making
Most of the rum is produced from sugarcane molasses. The steps involved in making rum are fermentation, distillation and ageing. Initially for fermentation yeast and water are added to the base ingredients. For aging and blending bourbon casks are used.
Types
There are two types of rum- light rum and dark rum.
- Light Rum- It is also known as white rum. It is aged in charred oak barrels for not more than 6 months. It is produced in Southern Caribbean Islands. It is served in cocktails.
- Dark Rum- Also known as black rum. Dark rum is the oldest rum, stored for a longer time in charred oak barrels. Being an aged long beer in oak it turns into golden amber color. It has a sweeter taste with a great flavor of caramel, spices, molasses and vanilla. Dark rum contains a much strong flavor than light or gold rum. It is served as a substance mixed in rum drinks. It is produced in the Tropical Islands like Jamaica and Haiti. Apart from mixed drinks, it is also used for cooking purposes.
History of Tequila 
The Origin
Before you take a tequila shot, try to solve its mystical origin shrouded throughout ages. The word is said to be an ancient Nahuatl term, which means, “the place of harvesting plants”. Tequila was introduced during the pre-Hispanic period among the Aztec peoples of Mexico. It all started after the invasion of Spanish Conquistadors, the Mexican people fermented sap from the agaves to produce a nutrient-rich drink called pulque. Pulque was not a distilled drink so Conquistadors found it difficult to export. Tequila is produced from Blue Agave Plant. It was only after a few years the drink was distilled into a much stronger spirit called mescal wine, presently known as tequila.
The first tequila was distilled in 1600 and in 1608 the first tax was imposed on it. The first licensed manufacturer was Jose Antonio Cuervo, presently the world’s largest manufacturer of tequila. Tequila distillation doesn’t require any aging like spirits.
Tequila Making
Don’t pretend to be a cultured drunk, drink it to your mind also. Tequila is produced from the fruit of blue agave plant, known as la pina. The fruit is cleaned and steamed for 1-2 days. It is then crushed and squashed, after which a sweet sap is released, known as pulque. This light sparking juice extracted is naturally fermented to get an alcoholic content.
Types
The oak barrels store the secret of different types of tequila. It is categorized under the ageing period in oak barrels.
- Tequila Blanco- Also called as White Tequila. After being distilled it is immediately bottled. It is not left to mature. For flavoring caramel coloring, oak tree extracts, sugar syrup or glycerin is added.
- Tequila Joven- Generally known as Gold Tequila. It is not aged for more than 30 days. The presence of sugarcane and caramel gives it a golden color.
- Tequila Anejo- It is fermented in aged long oak barrels. It has a more dark color, having a complex flavor.
- Tequila Reposado- It is produced from 100% blue agave in small batches. It is aged in oak/white barrels for not more than 2 months.
- Flavored Tequila- It has the same content of alcohol as other tequila but flavored with different fruits.
Tequila is the fastest growing industry in Mexico and U.S. Now, next time when you purchase tequila read the label first. It should tell the type of tequila, name of the distiller and the place of production, as well as NUM.
Myths
- Tequila is produced from cactus juice. No, its made from the sap of blue agave plant, a species of lilly.
- A worm in the bottle. No there aren’t added. Only some special mescal contains a caterpillar, which is eatable.
- Tequila is hallucinogenic. No it isn’t.
History of Gin
Wondering about the catchiest phrase “Dutch Courage”? It was used to call out drunkards who show their courage after consuming gin. A Dutch physician named Franciscus Sylius first introduced gin in 1650. Gin takes its name from the French word “Geniever”, meaning juniper. It soon became a popular alcoholic drink among the British soldiers serving in Holland to warm their bodies and heart before a war.
Gin Making
Gin is colorless. Gin is distilled either from grains or molasses and flavored with juniper berries or botanicals, including coriander, lemon peel, nutmeg, cinnamon, orange peel, cardamom and angelica.
Types
We cringe every time when people order this colorless alcohol just for the sake of drinking. Uncover different types of gin and boost in front of your friends. The different types of gin are- dry gin, golden gin, London dry, old tom and flavored.
- London Dry Gin- It is popular English speaking drink. It is well served a mixed drink. It is a dominant drink in United States and Spain.
- Dry Gin- Also termed as Plymouth gin. It is colorless and dry with an intense aroma. It was originally introduced in Plymouth, England in 1793 from where it inherited its name.
- Old Tom Gin- It was introduced in England in 1700s. The name comes from the vending machine kept in pubs, a wooden plaque shaped like a black cat. The bartender inside the pub would pour gin if a thirsty passerby would drop a penny in the cat’s mouth.
History of Scotch
The Origin
People call it as “Scotch” in United States but clever people know the original name is Scotch whiskey. The intellectual Irish monks in Scotland had first discovered the distillation of scotch in the fourth and fifth centuries. Through ages it has been distilled in two categories single malt and blended scotch. You should be thankful to John Dewar, father of whiskey, to let you taste various types of blended scotch since 1840s.
The good old, tasty and refreshing scotch whiskey has withstood the test and intertwined the culture and history of Scotland. In 1644 the first tax was imposed on scotch. In 1823, the Scotland Parliament eased restrictions on licensed distilleries with excise act. Two further developments labeled scotch whiskey as a worldwide spirit. After surviving lot of ups and downs in Prohibition, economic depressions and recessions, wars and revolutions, today scotch is marked as an international spirit.
Scotch Making
So scotch is an obvious ingredient for unsteadiness, debauchery, embarrassing behavior, and bad decisions. How about the ingredients for scotch itself? Scotch whiskey is made from three ingredients namely malted barley, water and yeast. It involves five different stages- malting, mashing, fermentation, distillation and maturation. Scotch is age long liquor stored in ask sherry or bourbon casks for three year.
Types
Scotch whiskey is mainly categorized as- single malt, vatted malt, and blended and single grain.
- Single Malt- It is distilled only from malted barley. It contains only malt whiskies from a single distillery. It is strictly distilled in copper pots stills. Malt whiskey is classified under the area of its origin. It is well known in Scotland.
- Single Grain- It is produced from unmalted barley like wheat, corn and barley. It is produced from a single distillery. Nearly all grain whisky are used for the production of blend whisky.
- Blended Whiskey- It is made from the blends of different grain whisky and malt whisky. In a blend there would be nearly 80% grain and 20% malt. Blended scotch whiskey accounts for the majority of scotch consumed.
History of Vodka 
The Origin
Alcohol lovers don’t get messed up with Vodka cause it makes a poor cocktail but cures hangovers. In the beginning Russian entitled it “Voda” meaning water. Vodka is the best selling neutral liquor in the market. Vodka’s origin still remains in darkness, but Poland and Russia claim to be the mother country of Vodka. Vodka originally was produced in Russia in 16th century. Initially it was fermented from rye for medicinal purposes then became a popular drink to be served at religious events. Families or communities produced this rye-based liquor, but today Vodka is produced on a large scale from potatoes, grain, wheat, or barley.
Only until 1930’s when Smirnoff Company came in the limelight, Vodkas demand grew immensely worldwide. Today vodka covers 20% of the liquor industry in the United States, and almost the entire market in Russia and Eastern Europe.
Vodka Making
Vodka is produced from wheat, rye, corn, sorghum, potatoes and molasses. It can be distilled from starchy or sugary plants. All vodkas tend to have a neutral taste because they are distilled with charcoal or other substance to make it free of color, aroma, taste or character. Vodka has an alcohol content of 35% to 45% by volume. It is clear liquid containing water, ethanol and different flavorings.
Check out some of the best cocktails of vodka in our cocktail section.
|