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In the
meantime, you might find this interesting:
1. What are the differences between beer, wine, spirits, and liqueurs?
A. Most alcoholic beverages are made from the fermentation of plant material. Beer is typically produced by the fermentation of starches, such as malted barley, wheat and other cereal grains. Wine is primarily made from fermented grapes, though wine can also be made of other types of fruit. Beer is normally fermented for weeks to months, where the fermentation process of wine will take months or years. Spirits are produced by distilling fermented plant material in order to concentrate the alcohol and eliminate impurities. If spirits are bottled with added sugar and flavorings they are called liqueurs.
To generalize the alcohol content of the three major types: Beer typically has 4% to 6% ABV (alcohol by volume), wine has more with 9% to 16% ABV. Spirits have the most alcoholic content—over 20% and usually a lot more.
2. What are various spirits made of?
Brandy—Made from distilled wine, primarily wine made from grapes but can also include wine made from other fruits.
Gin—Distilled Gin is typically grain alcohol flavored with juniper berries and other botanicals. The grain is usually wheat or rye.
Grappa—this spirit is also sometimes called pomace brandy as it is based on a wine made from the grape skins, stems and seeds leftover from wine making. Some grappa is also made from wine made with the entire grape.
Rum—most rum is made by distilling molasses and other by-products of sugar cane.
Tequila and Mezcal—both of these spirits are made from agave plants; tequila is made from the Blue Agave and Mezcal is made from other agave plants. One common misconception is that the agave is a cactus; it is actually more closely related the lily and amaryllis families.
Vodka—Vodka can be made from a wide range starches including cereal grains, potatoes, sugar beets and other pale vegetal matter. It is typically distilled several times and is not aged for any length of time
Whisky/Whiskey—there are several alcoholic beverages made from fermented grain mash and then aged in wooden casks. Note that the spelling of whisky/whiskey varies depending on the country of origin.
Scotch
whisky—most Scotch whiskies are made from barley malt that is dried over peat fires; the peat smoke adds that distinctive smokiness to Scotch. It is also aged in oak casks for a minimum of 3 years. It must be produced in Scotland.
Canadian Whisky—a lighter, smoother whisky made from malted rye.
Irish Whiskey—Like Scotch, Irish whiskey must be aged for at least 3 years, more often it is aged three to four times longer. It is also typically distilled three times and made from malted barley—though it is not dried over peat fires.
American Whiskey—there are several types of American whiskey made from corn, rye and other grains. Bourbon whiskey must be made from 51% corn mash and Corn Whiskey must be made from 80% corn. Not surprising, Rye Whiskey must be made from 51% rye. Straight Whiskey can be made up of several types of grain, but must be aged in charred oak containers—corn is an exception to this rule.
3. What is the difference between Red, White, and Dessert Wines?
A. While the color of the grapes has some impact on the color of wine, it has more to do with what parts of the grape are fermented. In white wines, after the grapes are pressed, the skins, stems, and seeds are removed before fermenting. In red wines, all of the parts of the grape are left in during fermenting. This extra “material” helps the red wines age and gives it a more complex and full-bodied flavor. White wine is not aged as long as red and would not benefit from the extra material. Rose, as expected are wines made with red grapes, but the skin and other material has been removed after the pressing. Dessert wines are wines that have been fortified with spirits to increase the amount of alcohol in the wine.
4. What is the difference between ale and lager beer?
A. In general, ale beers are fermented with top-fermenting yeast and made at a higher temperature—between 64 and 70 degrees. Lagers typically ferment between 52 and 58 degrees and use bottom fermenting yeast. Ales are described as having a sweeter, fruity, more complex flavor where the lagers are described as having a crisp and clean flavor. Dark beers are typically ales made from roasted malts and barley, but there are also dark lagers.
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