Liquor Dictionary

Much of the enjoyment of social drinking comes from a knowledge of the different types of alcoholic beverages available. This section was prepared to help you understand some of the, ofttimes subtle, differences between one type of liquor and another.

First here are a few common terms frequently misunderstood:

Alcohol (C2H5OH) the common ingredient of all liquor. There are many types of alcohol, but for beverages only ethyl alcohol is used. Of the several types of ethyl alcohol, those spirits distilled from grain, grapefruit and cane are the most common.

Proof-a measurement of alcoholic strength or content. One de gree of proof equale one-half  of 1 per cent of alcohol. An 80 proof product contains 40 per cent alcohol; a 90 proof product, 45 per cent alcohol, etc.

For centuries Scotch, British Gin and Canadian Whisky sold in England, Scotland Canada and most of the rest of the world has been sold at mild 80 proof. America has only begun to appreciate the tasteful qualities of the more moderate lower proofs.

In recent years, a trend has developed in this country toward 80 proof blended and straight whiskeys, dry gin., Scotch and Canadian whiskies. Practically all of the Rum sold in America is now 80 proof. Vodka at 80 proof and now nearly all American made Brandy is 80 proof.

AGE-often believed to be the only indication of quality; a whiskey, rum, or brandy can be aged too long as well as not long enough. Other factors affecting quality include variables in the distilling process itself, the types of grain used, the degree of skill used in determining product maturity. Aging may make good whiskey better, but no amount of aging can make good whiskey out of bad.

GRAIN NEUTRAL SPIRITS – a practically tasteless., colorless alcohol distilled from grain (like whiskey) but at 190 proof or above, whereas whiskey must be distilled at less than 190 proof. Used in blended whiskeys, in making gin and vodka, and in many other liquor.

WINE- produced principally from the fermented juice of grapes. If any other fruit is used, the name of the fruit must appear on the label. The alcoholic content of wine ranges from less than 14 per cent to 21 per cent.

BEER - the name for five types of fermented malt beverages: Lager Beer (about 3.6 per cent alcohol), the most popular type of light, dry beer; Ale, having a more pronounced flavor and aroma of hops, is heavier and more bitter than lager beer; Bock Beer, porter and stout (about 6 per cent alcohol), which are progres-sively heavier, darker, richer and sweeter then either lager beer or ale.

Brandy

Brandy so distilled from a fermented mash of grapes or other fruit. These brandies, aged in oak casks, are usually bottled at either 80 or 84 proof. Long enjoyed as an after-dinner drink, brandy is also widely used in cooking.

COGNAC – this fine brandy, known for its smoothness and heady dry aroma, is produced only in the Cognac region of France (All Cognoc so brandy, but not all brandy is Cognac, nor is all French brandy Cognac)

ARMAGNAC – is much like Cognac but has a drier taste. It is produced only in the Armagnac region of France.

AMERICAN BRANDY – all of which so distilled in California, has its own excellent characteristics of taste. Unlike European brandies (whose farmer-distillers sell their brandies to blender-shippers who control the brand names), California brandies are usually produced by individual firms that grow the grapes, own brand names.

APPLE BRANDY, APPLEJACK or CALVADOS – is 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.

FRUTT-FLAVORED BRANDIES – are brandy-based liqueurs produced from Blackberries, Peaches, Apeocots, Cherries and Ginger. They are usually bottled at 70 or 80 proof.

 CORDIALS

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.

Here are brief descriptions of the cordials and flavorings mentioned most frequently in the recipes in this book;

ABSINTHE – anise seed (licorice), flavors; contains wormwood; illegal in the United States

ABSINTHE SUBSTITUTES –Abisantee, Abson, Anisette, Herbsaint, Mistra, Ojen, Oxygene. Pernod

AMER PICON – bitter, orange-flavored French cordial made from quinine and spices

ANISETTE – anise seed, licorice flavor

BENEDICTINE – secret herb formula first produced by Benedictine monks

BITTERS – (see page 125)

CHARTREUSE – yellow and green herb liqueurs developed by Car-thusian monks

CRÈME(S)-so-called because high sugar content results in cream like consistency

CRÈME DE CACAO – from cacao and vanilla beans

CRÈME DE CASSIS – from black currants

CRÈME DE MENTHE – from mint

CRÈME DE YVETTE – from violets

GURACAO-orange-flavored, made of dried orange peel, from Dutch West Indies

DUBONNET – French aperitif wine made from aromatics, has slight quinine taste

GRENADINE – made from pomegranates, used for flavoring

KUMMEL – caraway and anise seeds and other herb flavors

MARASCHINO – liqueur made from cherries grown in Dalmatian, Yugoslavia

PASSION FRUTT (PASSIONOLA) – a nonalcoholic mix made from the Passion Flower

PEPPERMINT SCHNAPPS – a light-bodied crème de menthe

PERNOD – a French anise-flavored liqueur and absinthe substitute

ROCK AND RYE – fruit juice, rock candy and rye whiskey, bottled with fruit slices

SLOE GIN – a liqueur made from sloe berries (blackthorn bush)

SWEDISH PUNCH – Scandinavian liqueur made from Batavia Arak rum, tea, lemon and other spices. Also known as Arrack Punsch and Caloric Punsch (the latter because it gives off heat)

TEQUILA – a colorless Mexican liquor made from the mescal plant. Not to be confused with Pulque, made from the same plant, but with a heavy sout milk flavor.

TRIPLE SEC – colorless Curacao, but less sweet. 

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. 

DRY GIN – merely signifies that the gin lacks sweetness.

VACUUM-DISTILLED DRY GIN – is distilled in a glass-lined vacuum still at a low 90° Fahrenheit temperature (instead of at the usual 212°), capturing only the light, volatile flavors and aromas without the bitterness found in some gins.

LONDON DRY GIN – originated in England and is now considered a generic term and may appear on American-made gins as well. Dry gins from England are inclined to be a little heavier-bodied.

GOLDEN GIN – is a dry gin which, due to aging in wood, has acquired a golden color.

HOLLAND, GENEVA OR SCHIEDAM GINS – are imported from Holland, where gin originated, are highly flavored and rich in aromatic oils; they do not mix well with other ingredients in cocktails.

OLD TOM GIN – is an English gin that has been sweetened with sugar syrup.

FLAVORED GIN – is a sweet gin usually flavored with orange, lemon or mint.

SLOE GIN – is not a gin at all but a liqueur. 

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. There are two main types of rum;

LIGHT-BODIED RUMS – are dry with only a very slight molasses flavor. Available in two varieties, white and Gold Label (or Light and Dark), the Gold or Dark is usually a bit sweeter with a more pronounced taste. Among these rums are included rums from ate also produced in the Dominican Republic, Haiti, Venezuela, Mexico, Hawaii and the Philippines.

HEAVY-BODIED RUMS – are darker, sweeter and have a pungent bouquet, body and flavor. These are distilled by a different and slower fermentation process, which allows more time for a fuller, richer molasses like body to develop and include rums from Jamaica, Drmerara (British Guiana), Martinique, Trinidad, Barbados and New England. 

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. In Russia and the Baltic countries, vodka is always taken straight and ice-cold from small glasses, at one swallow, along with food, In America, vodka is usually mixed with fruit juices, carbonated beverages and other ingredients where vodka’s softness and palatability does not interfere with the taste of the main ingredient

FLAVORED VODKA – an American-originated product. Excellent straight or in mixed drinks, it has been sweetened and flavored, usually with orange, lemon lime, mint or grape. It is usually bottled at 70 proof.

ZUBROVKA – vodka in which a bit of special ‘buffalo’ grass is steeped. This European grass gives the vodka a light yellowish color and a slight aromatic bouquet. It can be made at home by buying ‘buffalo’ grass from an herb company and steeping it in vodka. Zubrovka is used like vodka. 

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. Special grain characteristics recipes and distillation processes make the whiskey of each country distinct from that of the others. 

AMERICAN WHISKEY – Although American whiskeys fall into two major categories, straight whiskey and blended whiskey, the United States Government acknowledge thirty-three distinct types of whiskey. Only the major types (98 Per cent of the nation’s consumption) are covered here.

Straight Whiskey is distilled from corn, rye barley or wheat (not blended with neutral grain spirits or any other whiskey) and aged in charred oak barrels for a minimum of two years. There are four major types of straight whiskey.

1   Bourbon Whiskey 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, Pennsyl-vania, Tennessee and Missouri,

2   Rye Whiskey is distilled from a mash of grain containing not less than 51 per cent rye and is much like bourbon in color, but is different in taste and heavier in flavor.

3   Corn Whiskey is distilled form a mash of grain containing not less than 80 per cent corn. Corn whiskey is commonly aged in re-used charred oak barrels.

4   Bottled-in-Bond Whiskey is straight whiskey, usually bourbon or rye, which is produced under United States Government supervision. Though the government does not guarantee the quality of bonded whiskey, it does require that the whiskey be at least four years old, that it be bottled at 100 proof that it be stored and bottled at a bonded warehouse under government supervision.

Blended Whiskey – A blend of one or more straight whiskeys and neutral grain spirits containing at least 20 per cent or more straight whiskey bottled at not less than 80 proof.

1   Kentucky Whiskey – A Blend is a blended whiskey in which all the straight whiskeys are distilled in Kentucky.

2   A Blend of straight Whiskeys occurs when two or more straight whiskeys are blended together, to the exclusion of neutral grain spirits.

CANADIAN WHISKY – Canadian whiskies are blended whiskies usually distilled from rye, corn and barley. Produced only in Canada, under government supervision, most of the Canadian whisky sold in this country is at least four years old. Canadian whisky, usually lighter bodied than American whiskey, is sold in Canada, and in most of the world, except the United Stated, at 80 proof. 

SCOTCH WHISKY – 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. 

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.