Vodka
Vodka is a distilled spirit with a high alcohol content that can be produced from a number of different materials and possesses different characteristics depending on the creator. Most vodka produced these days is made from a grain, though some is still made from potatoes. The exact history of vodka is unknown, though it most likely originated somewhere in the region of Russia or Poland between the 14th and 16th centuries. The word is thought to derive from Russian, meaning roughly “little water”.
The majority of vodkas produced today for consumption in the United States and Western Europe are made from either wheat or rye and are heavily filtered. By law, in many of these regions, vodka cannot have a distinctive color, smell, or flavor. It is, in many ways, an essential spirit, which is one reason it is so popular in mixed drinks and as a base alcohol for flavored spirits.
Traditionally, vodka may be made from virtually anything; vodkas can be found made from grapes, soy, beets, potatoes, and corn, in addition to the more common wheat and rye varieties. In many Eastern European countries, vodka is not heavily filtered as it is in the west, and so the flavors, smells, and colors from the source materials still shine through.
Vodka has also traditionally been flavored in many countries, either for pure enjoyment or for health reasons. Pepper vodka is perhaps the most widely known flavoring, favored in Russia, but fruit vodkas and vodkas flavored with spices such as cinnamon or vanilla are also not uncommon. Many nations also have a tradition of infusing vodka with healing herbs, such as chamomile or St. John’s Wort. The advent of flavored vodkas in the United States has been a relatively new trend. This also has followed the increasing popularity of flavored martinis.
The alcohol content of vodka varies widely, as it may be distilled to any level of alcohol. In most cases, vodka which contains 40% alcohol (80 Proof) is the most common, for a number of reasons. Historically, Alexander III of Russia set certain standards for vodka production in his country, one of which was a required alcohol level of 40%. This level continues to be the most popular, in part because the United States and many European countries set their tax levels of spirits based on the alcohol content, and 40% spirits have a reasonable amount of taxation. Vodka that contains 50% vodka (100 Proof) is also fairly common in the United States and Europe, as is watered down vodka of 20% (40 Proof). Some varieties of vodka, such as the Everclear brand, may contain as much as 95% alcohol (190 Proof).
Although drunk straight in most of the countries where vodka has a long history, in the United States and Western Europe, a great deal of its popularity can be attributed to its use in mixed drinks – a practice many Eastern Europeans consider bad form. Since vodka has a high alcohol content and little to no taste, color, or smell, it is ideal as a vessel to carry other liquids and alcohols. This is because of vodka's ability to pair well with almost anything. Vodka is the perfect base for anything from a simple mix of soda to an elaborate mix of other alcohols, juices and flavorings.
Whiskey
Whiskeys have to start with Scotch. As the name suggests, Scotch was originally produced in Scotland by Friar John Cor. After distillation was introduced by Scottish monks in 1494, fine scotch became a popular drink. To the dismay of Scotch and other whiskey drinkers, whiskey was first taxed in 1644. This caused a rise in the number of what we would today call "bootleggers" who made and sold Scotch whiskey illegally. Later in 1823, the Scottish Parliament made it easier for one to own a licensed distillery and harder for illegal whiskey stills to stay in business. This began the modern production of Scotch whiskey.
Today, fine scotch whiskey production is much more technologically advanced: It has to be in order to keep up with the demand for this popular drink. However, you won't find fine Scotch made here in the U.S, in order to carry the name "Scotch" the whiskey must be distilled and matured in Scotland.
Taking Scotch Whisky to America:
As new Irish and Scottish immigrants tried to settle on the American continent they brought with them the distilling methods of scotch whiskey. Finding the new raw materials different that what they were accustomed to, they lead the way for an evolution of new scotch now known merely as whiskey. Today if you can find a similarity between Irish and Scottish whiskey, and its now American cousin you would be further ahead than the experts and connoisseurs.
The stronger, fuller and sweeter taste found in the American whiskey if a result of the lack of smoke in the drying process of grains and/or corns. The six different categories that American whiskey is divided into is a direct result of the different aging times and adjusted amounts of grains used in each batch of whiskey.
The seven different North American brews are as follows:
Bourbon
Bourbon Is believed to be produced solely in Kentucky, which is a myth it has been produced in many states. Stipulations for bourbon are very simple. It must be made in the United States, should only be made from fifty-one percent corn, and can only be stored in charred oak barrels for a term no shorter than two years. The spirit in its raw form may not exceed eighty percent alcohol by volume.
Tennessee
There are a few differences between Tennessee and Bourbon. They are very closely related. Tennessee must always be filtered through sugar maple charcoal, and can only be produced in the state of Tennessee, hence its name. Currently there are only two brands of Tennessee whiskey available; George Dickel and Jack Daniels.
Rye and Wheat whiskey
Generally rye whiskey is blended with other products to create other types of whiskeys. Only a very small portion of this whiskey is actually bottled. It must be made of at least fifty-one percent rye in order to be deemed rye whiskey. The distilling and storing conditions meet the same requirements as in Bourbon. Mostly made in the states of Indiana and Kentucky it is quite uncommon it has a slightly bitter and more powerful taste.
Corn
Due to the overwhelming surplus of corn, this was an obvious choice and is the predecessor of Bourbon. As assumed corn is the main ingredient with about eighty percent. The difference between corn and Bourbon is that corn does not have to be stored in wood. If it is to be aged it must be done in previous Bourbon barrels or barrels that have been uncharred
Blended American Whiskey
You should not be confused by the differences in Scottish whiskey and American blended whiskey. American whiskey only contains approximately twenty percent of rye and bourbon whiskey, a mass product industrial spirit, makes up the other eighty percent. This makes the product very cheap and much lighter than it's American cousins.
Canadian Whiskey
By law, and similar to many other countries, Canadian Whiskey must be aged in wooden barrels for a minimum of three years.
Canadian Whiskies are typically lighter than other whiskies and known as smooth drinks (and drinks that don't like to get involved in any kind of war). Those produced are usually blended whiskies made with a variety of grains and often called "Rye Whiskey" in Canada. By American standards, however, the term "Rye Whiskey" might not apply: rye is used in Canadian Whiskey, but its use does not have to adhere to any laws or standards.
Rum
An early alcoholic drink, rum has been around since ancient times. Nothing if not old, it is practically forced to walk with a (sugar) cane. Though it wasn't first distilled in plantations until the 17th century, rum is believed to have existed thousands of years prior in the form of brum, a drink made by the Malay people. In the 14th century, Marco Polo (the explorer, not the swimming pool game) wrote about a wine made of sugar, giving further credence to the belief that rum was around before the 1600's.
When the first distillation of rum began, it began in the Caribbean when plantation slaves realized the molasses, left over from sugar refinement, could be turned into alcohol. This alcohol, however, was not well received...at least not at first. Like the beginning of most things, the beginning of rum was a little shaky and the spirit was dispirited to learn that it was initially thought to be a terrible tasting liquor. Once the Caribbean set the rum ball in motion, it quickly spread to the American Colonies. In 1664, the first distillery for rum was set up in what is now Staten Island; a distillery in Boston quickly followed. New Englanders had a special penchant for making rum; not only was the rum industry their most profitable industry, but the rum they produced was considered to be of higher quality than all others.
An alcoholic drink determined to have a place in history - even the dark parts of history - rum was involved in the slave trade, as slaves, molasses, and rum were part of the triangular trade. When this trade was interrupted because of the 1764 Sugar Act, another straw was thrown on the American Colonists back. Thus, bottles of rum can often be overhead bragging to bottles of wine and bottles of whiskey that they were the reason for the American Revolution.
More than any other alcoholic drink, rum was associated with pirates (yo ho ho and a bottle of rum, anyone?). This initially started when English privateers began trading it. As some of these men eventually became pirates (aim high, kids), they carried with them their liking of rum. Pieces of literature that coupled rum and piracy perpetuated this notion. Rum was also associated with the British Royal Navy, an association that began in 1655 when Jamaica was captured by British sailors. Once ashore, rum was so available that the seamen began drinking it instead of the brandy to which they were accustomed.
The refinement of rum began in the place it all started: the Caribbean. Prior to the late 1800's, rums were dark and heavy. The Spanish Royal Development Board set out to make rum more appealing to the general public and offered a reward for anyone who could improve its quality. And so enter Don Facundo Bacardi Masso. After moving to Cuba from Spain in 1843, Masso began to refine his rumming techniques. He improved distillation, filtering, and aging in casks made of American oak.
Tequila
Tequila is undoubtedly the national drink of Mexico. The history of the beginnings of tequila is a symbol of a rich heritage that dates back 900 years. The ancient Aztecs used a variation of tequila that was consumed during religious ceremonies and celebrations. Further variations of tequila have been produced in central Mexico over hundreds of years.
The source of tequila is the agave plant. It is a member of the lily family and has long spiky leaves and a pineapple like center (often referred to as the piña). The pulp from the center is used in the production of various fermented spirits. Aztecs made a sweet beverage from the center of the agave plant that made a libation that they called Pulpe (named from the pulp made from the agave plant). This drink is believed to be the first fermented drink in North America. Archeologist s and historians have found evidence that the agave plant was used by ancient peoples, and had been cultivated in Mexico for thousands of years.
Tequila was initially produced sometime in the 16th century in central Mexico. When the Spanish arrived in 1521, and ran out of their brandy, they utilized the agave and distilled the first agave plant drink. This laid the foundation for modern tequila making.
Modern day tequila was first mass-produced in the 1800's in Guadalajara, Mexico.
1800 Tequila is promoted these days in celebration of the year that aged tequila was produced.
In 1873, the first load of tequila was imported to the United States to El Paso, Texas. One hundred years later, case sales topped one million in the U.S. alone. Today, studies by Research International find that revenue from U.S. tequila sales last year rose by 11% to $1.06 billion, according to figures from the Distilled Spirits Council. More tellingly, while overall sales by volume were up by 20.6% for the last two years, sales of high-end premium brands have grown by a whopping 51% in the same period.
Tequila aficionados are buying and collecting premium brand tequilas in the same way people buy and collect single malt scotches. The Tequila connoisseurs of today will spend upwards of 100 dollars U.S. for a single bottle of tequila. America's perception of tequila is changing as the popularity of this spirit continues to grow. No longer is tequila relegated to drunken nights or Mexican restaurants. The demand for premium tequila will continue to grow as consumers become more educated about this historic beverage that was the first spirit made in North America.
Gin
Gin is a juniper berry-flavored grain spirit . The origins of Gin are rather murky. In the late 1580s a juniper-flavored spirit of some sort was found in Holland by British troops who were fighting against the Spanish in the Dutch War of Independence. A clearer beginning was a few decades later in the 1600s when a Dr. Franciscus de la Boë in the university town of Leiden created a juniper and spice-flavored medicinal spirit that he promoted as a diuretic. Genever soon found favor across the English Channel; first as a medicine (Samuel Pepys wrote in 1660 of curing a case of "colic" with a dose of "strong water made with juniper") and then as a beverage.
By the 1720s it was estimated that a quarter of the households in London were used for the production or sale of Gin. Mass drunkenness became a serious problem. The cartoonist Hogarth's famous depiction of such behavior in "Gin Lane" shows a sign above a Gin shop that states, "Drunk for a penny/Dead drunk for twopence/Clean straw for Nothing." Panicky attempts by the government to prohibit Gin production, such as the Gin Act of 1736, resulted in massive illicit distilling and the cynical marketing of "medicinal" spirits with such fanciful names as Cuckold's Comfort and My Lady's Eye Water.
Starting in the 18th century the British Empire began its worldwide growth; and wherever the Union Jack went, English-style gins followed. In British North American colonies such celebrated Americans as Paul Revere and George Washington were notably fond of Gin, and the Quakers were well-known for their habit of drinking Gin toddies after funerals.
The arrival of the Victorian era in England in the mid-19th century ushered in a low-key rehabilitation of Gin's reputation. The harsh, sweetened "Old Tom" styles of Gin of the early 1700s slowly gave way to a new cleaner style called Dry Gin. This style of Gin became identified with the city of London to the extent that the term "London Dry" Gin became a generic term for the style, regardless of where it was actually produced. Genteel middle-class ladies sipped their sloe Gin (Gin flavored with sloe berries) while consulting Mrs. Beeton's Book of Household Management (a wildly popular Victorian cross between the Joy of Cooking and Martha Stewart lifestyle books) for Gin-based mixed drink recipes. The best known of these cocktails, the Gin and Tonic, was created as a way for Englishmen in tropical colonies to take their daily dose of quinine, a very bitter medicine used to ward off malaria. Modern tonic water still contains quinine, though as a flavoring rather than a medicine.
Gin production in the United States dates back to colonial times, but the great boost to Gin production was the advent of National Prohibition in 1920. Moonshining quickly moved in to fill the gap left by the shutdown of commercial distilleries, but the furtive nature of illicit distilling worked against the production of the then-dominant whiskies, all of which required some aging in oak casks. Bootleggers were not in a position to store and age illegal whisky, and the caramel-colored, prune-juice-dosed grain alcohol substitutes were generally considered to be vile. Repeal of Prohibition at the end of 1933 ended the production of bootleg Gin, but Gin remained a part of the American beverage scene. It was the dominant white spirit in the United States until the rise of Vodka in the 1960s. It still remains popular, helped along recently by the revived popularity of the Martini.