Spirits

Gin is a white spirit that is flavored with juniper berries and so-called botanicals (a varied assortment of herbs and spices). The spirit base of Gin is primarily grain (usually wheat or rye), which results in a light-bodied spirit. Additional botanicals can include anise, angelica root, cinnamon, orange peel, coriander, and cassia bark. Most Gin is initially distilled in efficient column stills. The resulting spirit is high-proof, light-bodied, and clean with a minimal amount of congeners (flavor compounds) and flavoring agents. Low-quality gins are made by simply mixing the base spirit with juniper and botanical extracts. Mass-market gins are produced by soaking juniper berries and botanicals in the base spirit and then redistilling the mixture. Top-quality gins are flavored in a unique manner. After one or more distillations the base spirit is redistilled one last time. During the final distillation the alcohol vapor wafts through a chamber in which the dried juniper berries and botanicals are suspended. The vapor gently extracts aromatic and flavoring oils and compounds from the berries and spices as it travels through the chamber on its way to the condenser. The resulting flavored spirit has a noticeable degree of complexity.  

Tequila is made by distilling the fermented juice of agave plants in Mexico. By Mexican law the agave spirit called Tequila can be made only from one particular type of agave, the blue agave, and can be produced only in specifically designated geographic areas, primarily the state of Jalisco. To make Tequila, the agave is cultivated on plantations for eight to 10 years, depending on the type of agave. When the plant reaches maturity it starts to grow a flower stalk. The agave farmer, or campesino, cuts off the stalk just as it is starting to grow. This redirects the plant growth into the central stalk, swelling it into a large bulbous shape that contains a sweet juicy pulp. When the swelling is completed, the campesino cuts the plant from its roots and removes the long sword-shaped leaves, using a razor-sharp pike-like tool called a coa. The remaining piña (so-called because the cross-thatched denuded bulb resembles a giant green and white pineapple) weighs anywhere from 25 to 100 pounds. At the distillery the piñas are cut into quarters. They are then slowly baked in steam ovens until all of the starch has been converted to sugars. They are then crushed (traditionally with a stone wheel drawn around a circular trough by a mule) and shredded to extract the sweet juice, called aguamiel (honey water). The fermentation stage determines whether the final product will be 100 percent agave or mixed (“mixto”). The highest-quality Tequila is made from fermenting and then distilling only agave juice mixed with some water. Mixto is made by fermenting and then distilling a mix of agave juice and other sugars, usually cane sugar with water. Mixtos made and bottled in Mexico can contain up to 40% alcohol derived from other sugars. Mixtos that have been shipped in bulk to other countries for bottling (primarily the United States) may have the agave content further reduced to 51% by the foreign bottler.  By Mexican law all 100% agave or aged Tequila must be bottled in Mexico. If Tequila is 100 percent agave it will always say so on the bottle label. If it doesn’t say 100% it is a mixto, although that term is seldom used on bottle labels. Traditionally Tequila has been distilled in pot stills to 110 proof (55% ABV).  The resulting spirit is clear, but contains a significant   amount   of   congeners   and other flavor elements.  Color in Tequila and Mezcal comes mostly from the addition of caramel, although   barrel   aging   is   a factor in some high-quality brands. There are four main categories of tequila: Silver or Blanco/White Tequilas are clear, with little or no aging. They can be either 100% agave or mixto.  Silver Tequilas are used primarily for mixing and blend particularly well into fruit-based drinks. Gold Tequila is unaged silver Tequila that has been colored and flavored with caramel. It is usually a mixto. Reposado  (“rested”)  Tequila  is aged in wooden tanks or casks for a legal minimum  period  of  at  least  two  months, with the better-quality brands spending  three  to  nine  months  in  wood. It can be either 100% agave or mixto. Reposado Tequilas are the best-selling Tequilas in Mexico. Añejo (“aged”) Tequila is aged in wooden barrels (usually old Bourbon barrels) for a minimum of 12 months. The best-quality Añejo are aged 18 months to three years for Mixtos, and up to four years for 100% agaves. 

North  American  whiskies  are  all-grain spirits that have been produced from  a  mash  bill  that usually mixes together corn, rye, wheat, barley and other  grains  in  different  proportions,  and  then  generally  aged for an extended  period of time in wooden barrels.  These barrels may be new or used, charred or uncharred on the inside. Most North American whiskies are made in column stills. The United States government requires that all whiskies:

• Be made from a grain mash.
• Be distilled at 90% ABV or less.
• Be reduced to no more than 62.5% ABV (125 proof) before being aged in oak barrels (except for Corn whiskey, which does not have to be aged in wood).
• Have the aroma, taste, and characteristics that are generally attributed to whiskey.
• Be bottled at no less that 40% ABV (80 proof).

North American whiskies are essentially classified by the type or variety of grains in the mash bill, the percentage or proof of alcohol at which they are distilled, and the length and manner of their ageing.

• Bourbon Whiskey must contain a minimum of 51% corn, be produced in the United States, be distilled at less than 80% ABV (160 proof) and be aged for a minimum of two years in new charred barrels. Small Batch Bourbons are bourbons that are bottled from a small group of specially selected barrels that are blended together. It should be noted though that each distiller has his or her own interpretation of what constitutes a “small batch.”  Single Barrel Bourbon is Bourbon from one specifically chosen cask.
• Tennessee Whiskey must contain a minimum of 51% corn, be produced in Tennessee,  be distilled at less than 80% ABV (160 proof), filtered through a  bed  of  sugar maple charcoal, and be aged for a minimum of two years in new charred barrels.
• Rye  Whiskey  must contain a minimum of 51% rye grain, be distilled at less than 80% ABV (160 proof) and be aged for a minimum of two years in new charred  barrels.
• Moonshine Whiskey is distilled from a varied mix of corn and sugar and is aged in Mason jars and jugs for the length of time that it takes the customers to get home, or the Dukes of Hazzard to make a delivery in the General Lee.
• Canadian  Whisky  is  made  primarily  from  corn  or  wheat,  with  a supplement of rye, barley, or barley malt. There are no Canadian government requirements when it comes to the percentages of grains used in the mash bill.  Unlike Bourbons, they are aged, primarily in used oak barrels. The minimum age for Canadian Whisky is three years, with most brands being aged four to six years. Virtually all Canadian whiskeys are blended from different grain whiskies of different ages.

The  basis  of  Scotch  whisky  is the heather-flavored ales made from barley  malt  that  the  Picts  and  their  prehistoric  ancestors  brewed. Archaeologists have found evidence of such brewing dating back to at least 2000 BC. This ale (which is still produced today by at least one Scottish microbrewer) was low in alcohol and not very stable. Starting in the ninth century, Irish monks arrived in Scotland to Christianize their Celtic brethren. Along with the word of the Lord they brought the first primitive stills, which they had picked up during their proselytizing visits to mainland Europe during the Dark Ages. The local Picts soon found that they could create a stable alcoholic beverage by distilling their heather ale. Simple stills came to be found in most rural homesteads, and homemade whisky became an integral part of Gaelic culture. Some of the first licensed distillers in rural locations were threatened by their illicit peers, but in the end production efficiencies and the rule of law won out. The whisky that came from these distilleries was made primarily from malted barley that had been kiln-dried over peat fires. The smoke from these peat fires gave the malt a distinctive tang that made the Scottish product instantly identifiable by whisky drinkers all over the world. The 19th century brought a rush of changes to the Scotch whisky industry.  The  introduction of column stills early in the 1830s led to the creation  of  grain  whisky,  a  bland  spirit made primarily from unmalted grains  such  as  corn. Grain whisky in turn led to the creation of blended Scotch whisky in the late 1860s. The smooth blandness of the grain whisky toned down the assertive smoky character of the malt whiskies. Today, all Scotch malt whiskies are double or triple distilled in pot stills, whereas Scotch grain whiskies are made in column stills. Single Malt Scotch Whisky is malt whisky that has been produced at one distillery. It may be a mix of malt whiskies from different years (in which case the age statement on the bottle label gives the age of the youngest spirit in the mix). The barley malt for Scotch whisky is first dried over fires that have been stoked with dried peat (a form of compacted grass and heather compost that is harvested from the moors). The peat smoke adds a distinctive smoky tang to the taste of the malt whisky. Vatted Malt Scotch Whisky is a blend of malt whiskies from different Scottish distilleries. Scotch Grain Whisky (which is rarely bottled  as  such)  is  made  primarily  from  wheat  or  corn with a small percentage  of barley and barley malt (the latter not being dried over peat fires). Blended Scotch whisky is a blend of grain whisky and malt whisky. There are several distinct Scotch whisky regions. The Highlands consist of the portion of Scotland north of a line from Dundee  on  the North Sea coast in the east to Greenock on the Irish Sea in the  west,  including all of the islands off the mainland except for Islay. Highland malt whiskies cover a broad spectrum of styles. They are generally aromatic, smooth and medium bodied, with palates that range from lushly complex to floral delicacy.  The sub regions of the Highlands include Speyside; the North, East and West Highlands; the Orkney Isles; and the Western Islands (Arran, Jura, Mull, and Skye). The Lowlands encompass the entire Scottish mainland south of the Highlands except the Kintyre Peninsula where Campbeltown is located. Lowland malt whiskies are light bodied, relatively sweet, and delicate. Islay is an island off the West Coast. Traditional Islay malt whiskies are intensely smoky and pungent in character with a distinctive iodine or medicinal tang that is said to come from sea salt permeating the local peat that is used to dry the barley malt. Campbeltown is a port located on the tip of the Kintyre Peninsula on the southwest coast that has its own distinctive spicy and salt-tinged malt whiskies.

Vodka is the dominant spirit of Eastern Europe.  It is made by fermenting and then distilling the simple sugars from a mash of pale grain or vegetal matter. Vodka is produced from grain, potatoes, molasses, grapes, beets, and  a  variety  of  other plants. Rye and wheat are the classic grains for Vodka, with most of the best Russian Vodkas being made from wheat while in Poland they are mostly made from a rye mash. Swedish and Baltic distillers are partial to wheat mashes.  Potatoes are  looked  down on by Russian distillers,   but  are  held  in  high  esteem  by  some  of  their  Polish counterparts.  Molasses, a sticky, sweet residue from sugar production, is widely used for inexpensive, mass-produced brands of Vodka. American distillers use the full range of base ingredients, as usual. The choice of pot or column still has a fundamental effect on the final character of Vodka.  All Vodka comes out of the still as a clear, colorless spirit, but Vodka from a pot still (the same sort used for Cognac and Scotch whisky) will contain some of the delicate aromatics, congeners, and flavor elements of the crop from which it was produced. Pot stills are relatively   “inefficient,”   and  the  resulting  spirit  from  the  first distillation  is  usually  redistilled to increase the proof of the  spirit. Vodka  from  a more “efficient” column still is usually a neutral, characterless spirit. Except for a few styles, Vodka is not put in wooden casks or aged for an extensive period of time. It can, however, be flavored or colored with a wide variety of fruits, herbs, and spices. There are no uniform classifications of Vodka. In Poland, Vodkas are graded according to their degree of purity: standard, premium and deluxe. In  the  United States, domestic Vodkas are defined by U.S. government regulation   as  “neutral  spirits,  so  distilled,  or  so  treated  after distillation with charcoal or other materials, as to be without distinctive character,  aroma,  taste  or  color.”  Because American Vodka is, by law, neutral in taste, there are only very subtle distinctions between brands. Many drinkers feel that the only real way of differentiating between them is by alcohol content, smoothness and price.

Rum is made by distilling fermented sugar and water. This sugar comes from the sugar cane and is fermented from cane juice, concentrated cane juice, or molasses. Molasses is the sweet, sticky residue that remains after sugar cane juice is boiled and the crystallized sugar is extracted. Most Rum is made from molasses. Molasses is over 50% sugar, but it also  contains  significant  amounts  of minerals and other trace elements, which  can  contribute  to  the  final  flavor.  Rums made from cane juice, primarily on Haiti and Martinique, have a naturally smooth palate. Depending on the recipe, the “wash” (the cane juice, or molasses and water) is fermented, using either cultured yeast or airborne wild yeasts, for a period ranging from 24 hours for light Rums up to several weeks for heavy, full varieties. Rum is distilled in pot stills, like most other spirits. The choice of stills has a profound effect on the final character of Rum.  All Rums come out of the still as clear, colorless spirits.  Barrel aging and the use of added caramel determine their final color. Since caramel is burnt sugar, it can be truthfully said that only natural coloring agents are used. Lighter  Rums  are  highly  rectified  (purified  and blended) and are produced  in  column  or  continuous  stills,  after which they are usually charcoal-filtered  and  sometimes aged in old oak casks for a few months to add a degree of smoothness. Most light Rums have minimal flavors and aroma, and are very similar to Vodka, particularly those brands that have been charcoal-filtered.  Heavier Rums are usually distilled in pot stills; similar to those used to produce Cognacs and Scotch whiskies. Pot stills are less “efficient” than column stills and some congeners are carried over with the alcohol. Some brands of Rum are made by blending pot and column distilled Rums in a manner similar to Armagnac production. White Rums are generally light-bodied. They are usually clear and have a very subtle flavor profile. If they are aged in oak casks to create a smooth palate they are then usually filtered to remove any color. White Rums are primarily used as mixers and blend particularly well with fruit flavors. Golden Rums, also known as Amber Rums, are generally medium-bodied. Most have spent several years aging in oak casks, which give them smooth, mellow palates. Dark Rums are traditionally full-bodied, rich, caramel-dominated Rums. The best are produced mostly from pot stills and frequently aged in oak casks for extended periods. The richest of these Rums are consumed straight up. Spiced Rums can be white, golden, or dark Rums. They are infused with spices or fruit flavors. Rum punches (such as planter’s punch) are blends of Rum and fruit juices that are very popular in the Caribbean. Añejo and Age-Dated Rums are aged Rums from different vintages or batches that are mixed together to insure a continuity of flavor in brands of Rum from year to year. Some aged Rums will give age statements stating the youngest Rum in the blend (e.g., 10-year-old Rum contains a blend of Rums that are at least 10 years old). A small number of French island Rums are Vintage Dated. There are quite a few rum regions of the world. The Caribbean is the epicenter of world Rum production. Virtually every major island group produces its own distinct Rum style.

• Barbados produces light, sweetish Rums from both pot and column stills. Rum distillation began here and the Mount Gay Distillery, dating from 1663, is probably the oldest operating Rum producer in the world.
• Cuba produces light-bodied, crisp, clean Rums from column stills. It is currently illegal to ship Cuban Rums into the United States.
• The Dominican Republic is notable for its full-bodied, aged Rums from column stills.
• Guyana is justly famous for its rich, heavy Demerara Rums, named for a local river, which are produced from both pot and column stills. Demerara Rums can be aged for extended periods (25-year-old varieties are on the market)  and  are frequently used for blending with lighter Rums from other regions.  Neighboring Surinam and French Guyana produce similar full-bodied Rums.
• Haiti   follows   the   French   tradition   of   heavier   Rums  that  are double-distilled  in  pot  stills  and  aged in oak casks for three or more years  to  produce full-flavored, exceptionally smooth- tasting Rums. Haitialso still has an extensive underground moonshine industry that supplies the voodoo religious ritual trade.
• Jamaica  is  well  known  for  its  rich,  aromatic Rums, most of which are produced  in  pot  stills.  Jamaica  has  official  classifications of Rum, ranging  from  light  to  very full-flavored. Jamaican Rums are extensively used for blending.
• Martinique is a French island with the largest number of distilleries in the Eastern Caribbean.  Both pot and column stills are used. As on other French islands such as Guadeloupe, both rhum agricole (made from sugar cane juice) and rhum industriel (made from molasses) are produced. These Rums are frequently aged in used French brandy casks for a minimum of three years.  Rhum vieux (aged Rum) is frequently compared to high-quality French brandies.
• Puerto Rico is known primarily for light, very dry Rums from column stills. All white Puerto Rican Rums must, by law, be aged a minimum of one year while dark Rums must be aged three years. 
• Trinidad produces mainly light Rums from column stills and has an extensive export trade.
• The  Virgin  Islands,  which  are  divided between the United States Virgin Islands  and  the  British  Virgin Islands, both produce light, mixing Rums from  column stills. These Rums, and those of nearby Grenada, also serve as the base for bay Rum, a classic aftershave lotion.
• Guatemala and Nicaragua are noteworthy in Central America where a variety of primarily medium-bodied Rums from column stills that lends themselves well to aging. They have recently begun to gain international recognition
• Brazil  produces  vast  quantities  of mostly light Rums from column stills with unaged cane spirit called Cachaça (ca·sha·sa) the best-known example.
• Venezuela makes a number of well-respected barrel-aged golden and dark Rums.
• The United States has a handful of Rum distilleries in the south, producing a range of light and medium-bodied Rums that are generally marketed with Caribbean-themed names.
• Canada’s 300-year-old tradition of trading Rum for dried cod fish continues in the Atlantic Maritime provinces of Newfoundland and Nova Scotia where golden Rums from Antigua, Barbados, and Jamaica are imported and aged for five years. The resulting hearty Rum is known locally as Screech.
• Europe is primarily a blender of imported Rums. Both the United Kingdom and France import Rums from their former colonies in the Caribbean for aging and bottling. Heavy, dark Jamaican Rums are imported into Germany and mixed with neutral spirit at a 1:19 ratio to produce Rum verschnitt. A similar product in Austria is called Inlander Rum.
• Australia produces a substantial amount of white and golden Rums in a double- distillation method utilizing both column and pot stills. Rum is the second most popular alcoholic beverage in the country after beer. 

Liqueurs, Schnapps, Anise, and Bitters are terms that cover a wide variety of types of spirits. What they all share in common is that they are flavored spirits. Liqueurs (also known as Cordials) are sweet, infused spirits that are categorized according to the flavoring agent (i.e., fruits, nuts, herbal and spice blends, creams and such). Artificial flavorings are strictly regulated in most countries, and where allowed, must be prominently labeled as such. Top-quality liqueurs are produced by distillation of either the fermented flavor materials or the spirit in which they have been infused. Many liqueurs use finished spirits such as Cognac, Rum or Whisky as their base. Others macerate fruit or other flavorings in a neutral spirit. Crèmes (crème de menthe, crème de cacao, etc.) are liqueurs with a primary flavor (a single, dominant flavor rather than a mix), while cream liqueurs combine dairy cream and alcohol in a homogenized, shelf-stable blend. All liqueurs are blends, even those with a primary flavor. A touch of vanilla is added to crème de cacao in order to emphasize the chocolate. Citrus flavor notes sharpen the presentation of anise. Herbal liqueurs may contain dozens of different flavor elements that a master blender manipulates to achieve the desired flavor profile. Liqueurs  are  not usually aged for any great length of time (although their  base  spirit  may  be),  but may undergo resting stages during their production  in  order  to  allow  the  various  flavors  to  “marry” into a harmonious blend. Liqueurs can be hard to classify, but regardless of flavor they can be broadly divided into two categories. Generics are liqueurs of a particular type (Crème de Cacao or Curaçao, for example) that can be made by any producer. Proprietaries are liqueurs with trademarked names that are made according to a specific formula.  Examples of such liqueurs include Kahlúa, Grand Marnier, and Southern Comfort. Schnapps  is  a  general  term used for an assortment of white and flavored spirits  that  have  originated  in  northern  countries or regions such as Germany or Scandinavia.  Schnapps can be made from grain, potatoes, or molasses and be flavored with virtually anything (Watermelon and Root Beer Schnapps from the United States being proof of that). The dividing line between Schnapps and flavored vodka is vague and is more cultural than stylistic, although European Schnapps tend to be drier than their American counterparts and liqueurs. Anise-Flavored Spirits can vary widely in style depending on the country of origin.  They can be dry or very sweet, low or high proof, distilled from fermented aniseed or macerated in neutral spirit. In France, Anis (as produced by Pernod) is produced by distilling anise and a variety of other botanicals together. Pastis is macerated, rather than distilled, and contains fewer botanicals than Anis. In Italy, Sambucca is distilled from anise and botanicals, but is then heavily sweetened to make it a liqueur. Oil of fennel (also known as green anise) is frequently added to boost the aroma of the spirit. Greece has a drier, grappa-like liqueur called Ouzo, which is stylistically close to pastis. Bitters are the modern-day descendants of medieval medical potions and are marketed as having at least some vaguely therapeutic value as stomach settlers or hangover cures. They tend to be flavored with herbs, roots, and botanicals, contain lower quantities of fruit and sugar than liqueurs, and have astringent notes in the palate.