Different kinds of spirits and liquers

Different kinds of spirits and liquers

December 20,2010

Spirits are drinks which have been produced by concentrating the alcohol present in a fermented liquid by distillation. They are normally sold at between 37%-43% alcohol (by volume), compared to around 12% for most table wines. A liqueur is a spirit which has been both sweetened and flavored. Originally used as medicines, most liqueurs are now used in cocktails.

Any sugar-based liquid can be fermented, so the base for spirits can be fruit, grain or vegetable. With grain spirits, the initial fermentation may only take place after the starch that is naturally present is converted into sugar. Some spirits can only be made from one particular material; brandy, for example, can only be made from grapes. Others, such as vodka, can be made from a range of raw materials: grain in western Europe, sugar-cane in the West Indies and potatoes in Eastern Europe.

Cognac
The Cognac region lies just north of Bordeaux and is the third largest vineyard area in France. The vines are cultivated by a number of small growers who sell their produce to the distilling firms. The ideal wine for distillation should be high in acidity, so the dominant grapes grown in the area tend to produce wines that, by themselves, would not be agreeable to drink. There are eight varieties permitted, but the three most important are Ugni Blanc, which is considered the most suitable and known locally as Saint Emilion, Folle Blanche and Colombard.

The Cognac region is divided into six districts: Grande Champagne, Petite Champagne, Borderies, Fins Bois, Bons Bois and Bois Ordinaires(sometimes called Bois Communs). Chalky soils are particularly important, the chalkier the soil the more suitable the wine for brandy production. After distillation, the spirit is aged for a minimum of two years, usually much longer, in oak casks. During ageing, the individual Cognacs are regularly blended so as to achieve the continuity required for the big brands. The color may also be adjusted by adding a small amount of caramel.

Armagnac
The second grape spirit of France is Armagnac and is produced to the south-east of Bordeaux. Armagnac claims to be older than Cognac; first having been produced by the Moors in the 12th Century. The Armagnac vineyards are split into three areas. The finest is the Bas Armagnac where wines are low in alcohol and high in acidity, give the best spirit and are often bottled and sold under single domain names with a vintage. The area of Tenareze has a more chalky soil, which gives wines that make full-flavored brandies. Finally there is the Haut-Armagnac with its chalky soil which produces poorer quality wines for distillation.

The grape varieties used are Ugni Blanc, Picpoule (Folle Blanche), Colombard, Blanquette and Baco Blanc 22A (known locally as Piquepouls de Pays). The latter is the only hybrid vine permitted in the AC structure of France. Armagnac has been described as a more “rustic” spirit than Cognac. Because of the nature of is distillation and the casks in which it is aged, it tends to be much softer and rounder, particularly with age, and has a fuller flavor.

Other Grape Spirits
There are a number of other grape spirits produced:
French Grape Brandy is produced in a number of small, government-controlled distilleries. The grapes do not always come from France and, although labeled in the same way as Cognac or Armagnac, have little resemblance to either.
Marc, the residue of skins and stalks from the wine press, is distilled in a number of French regions, particularly Champagne and Burgundy where it is used to produce Eau-de-vie-de-marc.
Spain has two regions with controlled brandy production: Jerez and Penedes.
Italy produces a great deal of brandy, often from the Trebbiano (Ugni Blanc) grape. It is generally lighter in style than Cognac and Armagnac.
More famous is Grappa, the local Italian spirit made from Marc.
In South America, Piscos is widely produced. Made from the Quebranta grape, Peru is reputed to make the best.
The world’s biggest selling brandy brand, Presidente, is produced in Mexico.

Calvados
Calvados is the best known of the apple spirits (generically described as applejack in North America). It comes from Normandy and Brittany and, in total, there are 11 different regional Calvados appellations. The best comes from the Vallee d’Auge, just east of Caen, where it is distilled twice in copper stills and aged for at least two years.

Fruit Eau-de-Vie
Fruit Eau-de-Vie are the result of distilling fermented fruit, which is then aged, generally in glass. The spirits have generally no color and are usually served very cold to accentuate the fruit flavor. Such spirits are made widely in Europe, the finest of which are considered to come from Alsace in France and the Black Forest in Germany. Examples of the most popular are: Slivovitz (from Bosnia), Poire William (from pears) and Zwetschgen (from blue plums).

Scotch Whisky
By far the most important grain spirit is whisky (also spelt whiskey) which was probably first distilled by Irish monks in the 15th Century. The main difference between Scotch and other whiskies is that whilst the majority of whiskies are the product of a single distillery, Scotch whisky has generally been the result of blending the product of a number of distilleries together. There are two types of whiskies used in the blend: malt whiskies and grain whiskies.

Single malt scotch whisky is the original scotch whisky, produced from barley and distilled in a pot still. There are four types, depending on the location of the distillery:
Highland – this accounts for the majority of distilleries. Producing the most delicately flavored malts, the finest area is Speyside, with some of the best distilleries adding Glenlivet to their name. More individual malt whiskies come from the islands, particularly Orkney.
Islay – the distilleries on this island off the west coast produce the most fully flavored and peaty malts, often with hints of iodine and tar.
Campbeltown – traditionally smoky in style, there are few distilleries left here now.
Lowlands – south of the Greenock/Dundee line, are the lightest of all malts and largely used in blends.

Grain whisky is made in a patent rather than pot still. The raw material used is mainly maize, which is ground to form a flour and then cooked under steam pressure to release the starch. Grain whisky is distilled to a higher degree of purity than malt whisky and the resultant spirit is generally less-flavored and matures more rapidly.

As well as Scotland, other countries also produce whisky including: Irish Whiskey, with the majority of production taking place in County Cork, Bourbon Whiskey from the US (originally from Bourdon County, Kentucky, although they may be produced anywhere in the US now), and Rye Whiskeys from the US (although they may also be made in Canada).

Vodka
Vodka is a neutral spirit that originates from the Baltic countries. It can be distilled from a variety of raw materials and is mainly consumed as an alcoholic vehicle for whatever it is mixed with. In Russia and Poland, however, vodkas flavored with herbs and spices are popular.

Rum
Rum is one of the most widely distilled spirits in the world, for it is produced wherever sugar cane is grown. It can be made either from the fermented juice of the sugar-cane, or from fermented molasses. Both pot and patent stills are used; as a result, a wide variety of flavors are available, ranging from the neutral white rums of Puerto Rico and Cuba, to the full-bodied Wedderburn rums of Jamaica.

Tequila
Tequila is distilled from the sap of the agave, a cactus which grows in Mexico.

Gin
Gin differs from the spirits mentioned above as it is compounded rather than distilled. This means that a base neutral spirit is taken and then redistilled, with a number of flavoring agents (known as botanicals) added. The most important of these is Juniper. However, coriander, angelica, orange and lemon peel are also common.

Schnapps
Schnapps is the national drink of many north European countries. It can be distilled from grain or potatoes and is then flavored with caraway or aniseed. Akvavit is the Scandinavian form of the drink.

Liqueurs
A liqueur is a spirit that has been both sweetened and flavored and falls into four categories:
Fruit liqueurs: Blackcurrant (Creme de Cassis), Sloe (Sloe Gin), Apricot (Apricot Brandy); Orange (Curacao, Cointreau, Grand Marnier), Peach (Southern Comfort)

Herb liqueurs: Multi-herb (Galliano, Benedictine, Chartreuse, Drambuie), Mint (Creme de Menthe), Seed (Kimmel)

Bean or kernel liqueurs: Coffee (Tia Maria, Kahlua), Chocolate (Creme de Cacao), Nuts (Amaretto, Malibu)

Dairy liqueurs: Egg (Advocaat), Cream (Bailey’s Irish Cream).

Source: http://www.wine-searcher.com/spirits-and-liqueurs.lml

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Getting to this fine dining restaurant of Angeles City Clark Freeport Zone Pampanga Philippines
How to get to this fine-dining restaurant in Clark Philippines? Once you get to Clark Freeport, go straight until you hit Mimosa. After you enter Mimosa, stay on the left on Mimosa Drive, go past the Holiday Inn and Yats Restaurant (green top, independent 1-storey structure) is on your left. Just past the Yats Restaurant is the London Pub.

Generally regarded by food and wine lovers in Manila to be one of the best restaurants outside of Manila, Yats Restaurant also offers a comfortable and stylish wine bar called the Magnum Room. This allows guests of this fine dining restaurant to stay after dinner to enjoy a glass of Cognac, Armagnac, Port, Sauternes or Scotch. This is one of the best restaurants in Pampanga to drink wine. Other selections of wine in this fine dining restaurant in Clark Pampanga include fine wines from Bordeaux, Burgundy, Rhone, Napa Valley, South Africa, Australia, Germany, Spain and Italy. Some of the popular choices of wine for guests of the good restaurants in Pampanga include Chianti, Chablis, Meursault, Vosne-Romanee, Corton and Vintage Port. . Next time you travel north to Pampanga, don’t forget to wine and dine at this famous Clark restaurant which is located in Mimosa Leisure Estate of Clark Air Base.