SPIRITS 101
DISCOVERING
DISTILLED SPIRITS
Learning Objectives
§ Brief history of distilled spirits
§ Foods used in distillation
§ Types of stills
§ Distillation procedures
BRIEF HISTORY:
§ Distilled spirits actually began with wine and beer
§ Upon discovering that “rotten” (fermented) grapes rendered a pleasantly intoxicating beverage, wine was born; fermenting grains released an equally pleasing beverage - beer
§ The Chinese, Egyptians, and Mesopotamians distilled alcohol for medicines and perfumes long before the Common Era (CE).
§ This eventually led to “What happens if we distill these liquids, like we do for medicines?”
§ In the 13
thcentury, a Majorcan chemist and philosopher, Raymond Lully, described the process of distillation
§ With the exploration of new worlds, distillation quickly spread and new lands were colonized
§ Spirits were:
o Often safer to drink than water o Easy to produce
o A great way to use excess crops
o Resistant to spoilage
PROHIBITION in the UNITED STATES
§ 18
thAmendment passed in 1919, ushered in Prohibition in January of 1920.
§ 21
stAmendment repealed Prohibition after 13 long years in 1933
§ The consumption of alcohol was illegal with two exceptions:
o Individuals were allowed to produce 200 gallons of wine for personal consumption
o Wines were allowed to be produced for sacramental proposes;
this kept some wineries from going under.
§ Repeal of Prohibition led to new rules for governing alcoholic beverages. The U.S. Standard of Identities oversees the
definitions for specific alcoholic beverages.
§ It took many years for the wine industry to recover.
GRAINS
§ Scotch Whisky
Oats
§ Sake, Japanese Whiskey
Rice
§ Whiskey
Rye
§ Scotch Whisky
Wheat
FRUITS/VEGETABLES
§ Tequila
Agave
§ Apple Jack, Brandy
Apples
§ Brandy, Eau de vie, Grappa
Grapes
§ Brandy, Cordials, Liqueurs
Other fruits
§ Vodka
Potatoes
SWEETNERS
§ Rum, Aguardiente, Cachaça
Sugar cane, Molasses
§ Cordials, Liqueurs
Honey
§ Gin, Cordials, Liqueurs
HERBS/SEEDS
FOODS USED IN
DISTILLATION
Clear Spirits Dark spirits
§ Tequila
§ Vodka
§ Irish Whiskey
§ Scotch Whisky
Beverages distilled from grains (exception is brandy which is from wine.)
Dark spirits get their color from barrel aging and coloring agents
All spirits begin clear
TYPES OF SPIRITS
§ Gin
§ Rum
§ Sake
§ Brandy
§ Whiskey
§ Bourbon/Tennessee Whiskey
§ Canadian Whisky
LET’S TALK DISTILLATION
5 Steps to arrive at a distilled spirit:
1 . Choose the base material
§ Carbohydrate-rich foods (except milk)
o Any grain – barley, corn, rice, rye or wheat o Starchy foods – potatoes, agave, sugar cane o Fruits – grapes for brandy
o Unfermented fruits, nuts, herbs and seeds are great flavoring agents 2. Fermentation of the base material
§ Milling and mashing, followed by fermentation creates the wort 3. Distillation
§ Modern distillers generally work with two types of stills 4. Maturation
5. Packaging/shipping the finished product
Steps 1, 2, 3 and 5 apply to all spirits. Not all spirits are aged/matured
Must first be converted to a sugar that the yeast can convert to alcohol
UNDERSTANDING DISTILLER’S TALK
§ ABV – alcohol by volume
o Term used to measure the concentration of alcohol in a bottle of beer, wine or spirits
§ Batch
o Alcohol distilled in one limited run through the still o Describes selecting barrels for special products
§ Congeners
o Flavoring agents and alcohols generated by reactions and procedures in making spirits
§ Ethanol, ethyl alcohol
o Alcohol used in foods and beverages
§ Fermentation
o Process of converting sugar to alcohol and gas through the action of yeast
§ Milling
o Procedure to strip away the outer cover of grains
§ Mashing
o Soupy mass of fermenting food from which spirits are distilled
§ Mash bill
o Recipe and types of foods used in the mash
§ Neutral spirits
o Ethanol collected and condensed during distillation at or above 190 proof
§ Proof
o Measurement term used to describe the
concentration of alcohol in a bottle of beer, wine or spirits
§ Still
o Container in which the alcohol/water liquid from fermented food is distilled
§ Still master
o Person who determines the “recipe” for a
distilled spirit and who watches over its creation
§ Wort
o Soup of milled and soaked ingredients mixed with water
§ Simple design:
o Copper pot with rounded bottom
o Elongated spout (swan’s neck) on top that traditionally ends in a twisted coil called the worm
§ Typical batch process: usually requires 2 to 3 distillations to achieve desired alcohol level
POT STILL: aka Alembic Still – first used by the Arabs
Distiller pours his mash into the pot still
Vessel is heated over an open fire or with steam
Alcoholic vapors are sent into the swan’s neck
Vapors pass through the condenser or jacket that is filled with cool water
Vapors are condensed back into a liquid and collected in a waiting container
The liquid that comes off the first distillation is known as low wine and contains a substantial amount of congeners. Primary congeners are:
§ Aromatic esters:
o Aroma compounds formed by chemical reactions between alcohol and acids
§ Aldehydes:
o Flavor and aroma compounds formed by chemical reactions between alcohol and oxygen
§ Fusel oils:
o Highly flavored alcohols distilled at less than 190 proof
Low wine goes through a second
distillation and comes off the still known as distillate.
The distillate comes off the second distillation in three distinct phases:
It is the distiller’s job to decide when the “heart” of the run begins and ends.
Phase 1:
• Foreshots or heads of the batch are low-boiling
compounds that are non-potable
Phase 2:
Heart (potable spirit) is the distiller’s main focus; the alcohol you can consume
Phase 3:
Feints or tails of the batch are
unpleasant
compounds that taste and smell bad, non-potable
POT STILL DISTILLATION
COLUMN STILL
§ Invented in the 19
thcentury by Robert Stein
§ Still produces three phases like the pot still
§ Has 2-3 columns made of copper or stainless steel, each holding a series of perforated plates.
§ Advantages:
o Greater capacity
o Doesn’t require cleaning at the end of the distillation run, thus the continuous still
§ Coffey’s Still:
o Aneas Coffey improved Stein’s still and patented the design.
o Also known as the patent still
§ How the still works:
o Batch is pumped into the columns. It rises, passing through the heated plates, with the top plates being cooler than the bottom. As the vapors cool, they return to a liquid with the alcohol being at a higher level.
o If a second (or third) column is used, the liquid passes on the second column, vapors again rise and condense.
o Stills with 3 columns may label the finished product as triple distilled, however, the more distillations, the less flavor
AGING SPIRITS:
§ All spirits exit the still colorless, but they can still possess a lot of flavor (sometimes unpleasant)
§ Aging in wooden barrels or casks are a legal requirement for dark spirits such as whiskey or rum
§ A little aging softens the original bite without adding additional flavor, aroma or color
CLASSIC OAK BARRELS
§ Choice of oak affects the final product
§ Porosity also has an affect on the spirit, allowing oxygen in while some alcohol and water evaporate – “The Angel’s Share”
§ American oak (US):
o Flexible, strong, resilient, bendable, porous to allow oxygen flow
o Laws dictate that American whiskey be aged in new, charred oak barrels o Scotland ages its whisky is used bourbon barrels
§ Spanish oak (Sherry casks):
o Scotland also uses barrels that once held Sherry, which imparts a unique flavor profile
§ Limousin oak (France):
o Contains same qualities as the American oak, but has a tighter grain, not as porous
Charring an oak barrel
EXTRACTION:
§ Untreated wood limits the spirit’s ability to extract congeners
§ Exposing the wood to heat alters its composition making extraction easier as the liquid soaks into the wood
§ Toasting or burning and charring the wood changes the chemical composition of the hemicellulose, lignin, and tannins.
§ Hemicellulose forms a caramelized layer of sugars just below the charred surface called the red layer, which imparts sweet flavors like chocolate and butterscotch
EVAPORATION:
§ Some of the liquid will evaporate through the pores of the wood
§ Approximately 3% annual loss depending on heat and humidity in the storage area (angel’s share)
§ High humidity – alcohol evaporates faster, resulting in a lower concentration
OXIDATION:
§ The semi-porous nature of the oak allows oxygen to seep through the wood
§ The oxygen dissolves in the spirit causing oxidation
§ Additional esters are formed, aldehydes
§ and acids increase
The 6 processes of oak aging all take place simultaneously but are discussed one at a time.
OAK AGING
CONCENTRATION:
§ Evaporation of the alcohol and water reduces the total volume of spirit remaining in the barrel
§ The unchanged, original components are concentrated in the resulting liquid along with extracted and oxidized constituents.
FILTRATION:
§ When the inside of the barrel is charred, a layer of charcoal is produced.
§ The charcoal acts as a filter for the spirit
COLORATION:
§ The charring process degrades the tannins giving the spirit a reddish color that deepens as the spirit ages
§ Oxidation is also taking place which imparts a brownish color. The longer a spirit ages, the more color it takes on
§ Spirits that only age a short time will be much lighter in natural color