The Wine Emporium

WineBeerLiquorMiscGift



 

        Whiskies

 

 

 Whiskey is a spirit, aged in wood, obtained from the distillation of a fermented mash of grain. Whiskey is produced in four countries: the United States, Canada, Scotland, and Ireland. Scotch whisky is a distinctive product of Scotland, made in compliance with the laws of Great Britain. There are two types of Scotch whiskies sold in the United States. The first type is blends of malt and grain whisky. These are the most popular because they are made in large quantities and the least expensive. The second type is single malt. A single malt Scotch comes from one distillery and made from only one malted barley. Single malt Scotches are expensive because they are made in limited quantities.

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        Brandy & Cognac

It is important to understand that all cognac is brandy, but not all brandy is cognac. Brandy is a potable spirit, distilled from a fermented mash of grapes or other fruit. Most brandy is distilled from wine. Brandies are produced wherever grapes are grown. Cognac comes from France, and Metaxa is from Greece. Cognac should be mentioned more specifically because it is the most famous of all the brandies. In many parts of Europe, brandy is made from fruit. Kirsch, from Germany, is cherry flavored, and Mirabelle, from France, has a plum flavor. The labels on fruit brandies must indicate the kind of fruit used, such as apricot brandy, cherry brandy, peach brandy, or blackberry brandy, etc.

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        Gin

Gin is distilled from grain and receives its unique flavor and aroma from juniper berries and other botanicals. Every gin producer has his own special recipe, which is under strict quality control. The flavor of gin will vary with the distiller. Virtually all gins in the United States use the word "dry." You will see it on brand labels that may read, "Dry Gin," "Extra Dry Gin," "London Dry Gin," or "English Dry Gin," but they all mean the same thing lacking in sweetness. Originally, "London Dry" meant gin produced in London, but the name "London" is considered to be generic, and therefore it is often used to describe gins produced in the United States.

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        Rum

Rum is produced wherever sugar cane grows. Many coun­tries, such as the United States, South Africa, and even Russia, produce rum, but it is only the Caribbean Islands that produce rum in quantities sufficient for worldwide export. By definition, rum is any alcoholic distillate made from the fermented juice of sugar cane, sugar cane syrup, sugar cane molasses, or other sugar cane by-products, distilled at less than 190 proof, that also possesses the taste, aroma, and characteristics generally attributed to rum. Rums can be broken down into various classifications. The light-bodied ones are dry and have only a very light molasses taste. Another classification is heavy-bodied rums that are much darker and sweeter.

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        Vodka

Like whiskey, vodka is distilled from a fermented mash of grain, but they differ in the methods of distillation. Whiskey is distilled at a low proof to retain flavor. Vodka, however, is distilled at a high proof, 190 or above, and then processed even further to remove all flavor. Most American distillers filter their vodkas through activated charcoal. Also, whiskey is aged, and vodka is not. A few vodkas are made from potatoes. Most vodka is not.  Almost all vodka is made from grain, the most common being corn, rye, and wheat.  There are many countries that claim they invented vodka, among them Poland and Russia. Some historians claim the Poles were producing it as early as the 8th century AD, for use as medicine. It wasn't until the 15th century AD, that both the Poles and the Russians were drinking it every day.

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        Liqueurs

The words liqueurs and cordials are used interchangeably. Liqueurs were first developed by the Christian monks of the middle ages. They were developed to help the sick. The monks added secret combinations of honey, seeds, herbs, spices, roots, and bark to distilled-base spirits and offered them as remedies.

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        Tequila

Tequila, the primary spirit of Mexico, has its own special flavor that is almost tart and leaves the tongue clean and tingling. In the 1970s, tequila became the fastest growing spirit in sales, as vodka did in the 1960s.  Tequila is obtained from the distillation of the fermented juice (sap) of the mescal plant, called pulque. The only source for Tequila is the mescal plant, which is a species of the agave plant. It is a cactus that takes between twelve and thirteen years to mature.

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