| Product Information |
PRODUCT INFORMATION
Brandy
Cognac
Cordial and Liqueurs
Gin
Rum
Scotch
Tequila
Vodka
Whiskey
Brandy
A strong alcoholic liquor distilled from wine. The name is also given to spirit distilled from other liquors, and in the United States to that distilled from cider and peaches. Long enjoyed as an after-dinner drink, brandy is also widely used in cooking.
Apple Brandy, Applejack or Calvados
Distilled from a cider made from apples. Calvados is produced only in Normandy, France. AppleJack may be bottled-in-bond under the same regulations that apply to whiskey.
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Fruit-Flavored Brandies
These are brandy-based liqueurs produced from Blackberries, Peaches, Apriocots, Cherries and Ginger. They are usually bottled at 70 or 80 proof.
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Cognac
Superb brandy of France, made only from grapes grown in the Cognac region of France.
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Cordials and Liqueurs
The words Cordial and Liqueur are synonymous, describing liquors made by mixing or redistilling neutral spirits with fruits, flowers, herbs, seeds, roots, plants or juices to which sweetening has been added. Practically all cordials are sweet and colorful, with highly concentrated, dessertlike flavor.
Cordials 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.
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Gin
Gin, which is distilled from grain, receives its flavor and aroma from juniper berries and other botanicals. (Every gin producer has his own special recipe)
Most gin is colorless, though some brands may be golden or straw-yellow because of aging in barrels. Even though a distiller ages his gin. He cannot, by law, make age claims for his product. Gin sold around the world at 80 proof is bottled in this country at proofs varying from 80 to 94.
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Rum
Rum is distilled from the fermented juice of sugar cane, cane syrup and molasses at less than 190 proof (160 proof for New England rum) and bottled at not less then 80 proof. It is aged in uncharred barrels where it picks up very little coloring; dark rums often have caramel added to them for color
Most rums are blends of several aged rums, ranging from heavy, pungent types to light, brandy like varieties selected for special aroma, flavor and color.
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Scotch
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 smoky flavor comes from drying malted barley over peat fires. All the Scotch imported into 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.
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Tequila
Tequila, and its country cousin Mezcal, are made by distilling the fermented juice of agave plants in Mexico. The agave is a spiky-leafed member of the lily family (it is not a cactus) and is related to the century plant. By Mexican law the agave spirit called Tequila can be made only from one particular type of agave, the blue agave (Agave Tequiliana Weber), and can be produced only in specifically designated geographic areas, primarily the state of Jalisco in west-central Mexico.
Mezcal is made from the fermented juice of other species of agave. It is produced throughout most of Mexico.
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Vodka
Vodka, most versatile of all alcoholic beverages, is a highly refined and filtered liquor distilled from any material at or above 190 proof, bottled at not less than 80 or more than 110 proof. It was originally made in Russia, from potatoes; but in the United States, vodka is usually distilled from grain, primarily corn and wheat. The subtle differences between various vodkas results from the types of grain used and the distilling and filtering processes employed. Most American vodkas are filtered through activated charcoal.
Vodka is not aged; it is colorless and virtually tasteless and odorless.
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Whiskey
Whiskeys 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 specific 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 water-colored 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.
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Canadian Whiskey
A blended whiskey, which is distilled from rye, corn, and barley. Produced only in Canada under government control. The Canadian whiskey sold in the U.S. is at least four years old. Lighter than American whiskey, it is sold at 80 proof.
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Bourbon Whiskey
Bourbon is distilled from a mash of grain containing not less than 51 per cent 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, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee and Missouri.
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Irish Whiskey
Produced only in Ireland, Irish whiskey, like Scotch is a blended whiskey containing both barley malt whiskey and grain whiskeys. Unlike Scotch however, the malt is dried in coal-fired kilns and the aroma of the fires does not reach the malt. Irish whiskey is heavier and more full-bodied than Scotch and is usually 80 proof.
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Bibliography
Information gathered from the following sources:
"Knowing and Understanding Distilled Spirits"; Stateways Magazine
E-commkitchen.com
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