10 Alcohols And The Interesting Stories On How They Are Made

The next time you need to stop a friend from getting drunk at a party try this trick – tell them what their drink is made of. It serves two purposes – it will stop them from drinking (probably because they’ll want you to shut up and let them drink in peace) and it will make you look intelligent (read as a know-it-all).

But either way, you’ll get your point across, that you know what the drink you’re holding in your hands is made of and you know what is it that is getting you intoxicated for the night and putting you in the party mood.

1. Vodka – traditionally made from potatoes

Vodka is traditionally made from potatoes or sorghum fermented and/or cereal grains, bur basically anything that has high quantity of starch. It is one of the most loved and used alcoholic drink either neat or as cocktails like Martini, Cosmopolitan and Bloody Mary.

 

2. Whiskey – aged in charred wood from White Oak

Generally made from fermented grain mash including barley, corn (maize), rye, and wheat, whiskey is fermented/aged in charred white oak wood, that gives it the distinctive taste. Whiskey can only be aged in the casks and once bottled, aging process is stopped. A good whiskey should and may contain upto 40% alcohol by volume.

 

3. Brandy – is actually a type of wine

The making of brandy is similar to wine, except it is made from early grapes to achieve higher acidity. Brandy contains 35-60% alcohol by volume and is generalyy consumed as an after-dinner drink. Although brandy can be made from any fruit, traditional brandy is always made using grapes. Brandies unlike whiskeys are aged either in wooden barrels or through caramel coloring.

 

4. Cognac – can be made using only special grapes called Ugni Blanc

Although Cognac is technically a type of brandy, it deserves a special mention because it can only be made if certain requirements are met. For instance, for a brandy to be recognized as Cognac it must be made using special Ugni Blanc grapes, must be twice distilled in copper pot stills, and should be aged for at least two years in French oak barrels from the French districts of Limousin and Tronçais. Wow!

 

5. Vermouth – also a type of wine with Brandy in it

Vermouth is technically a type of wine that has sugar, spice and everything nice in it. I’m joking, but Vermouth is actually an aromatized wine that has been infused with roots, barks, flowers, seeds, herbs, spices and is fortified by adding brandy to it.
Vermouth is traditionally of 2 types – sweet (less acidity) and dry (more acidity) and is most famous for being an ingredient in the much loved Martini.

 

6. Beer – made from barley, yeast, water and hops

Beer making requires 4 main ingredients – barley, water, hops and yeast. The sugars from the barley are extracted only to be converted to alcohol by the yeast. Although traditionally barley is used in making beer, other grains such as rye, maize, rice, and wheat have also been experimented with. And when it comes to experimentation with the flavours – the sky is the limit.

 

7. Port Wine – is actually sweet in taste

Port wine is a type of fortified wine that is produced traditionally in Portugal (maybe that’s why the name port wine) and it’s most special feature is that it’s sweet. It is a dessert wine and is made using mostly Tinta Barroca, Tinta Cão, Tinta Roriz (Tempranillo), Touriga Francesa, and Touriga Nacional varieties of grapes

 

8. Rum – is made from sugarcanes. WTF?

Rum, one of the most loved distilled beverage is made using sugarcane byproducts or sugarcane juice directly and is then distilled. The liquid obtained is then aged in barrels. It’s weird how sugarcane can taste like Old Monk, right?

 

9. Absinthe – alcohol made from medicinal herbs

Absinthe is one of the most mysterious alcohols around. It is traditionally an anise-flavoured spirit derived from botanicals, including the flowers and leaves of the ‘grand wormwood’ plant and together with green anise, sweet fennel, and other medicinal and culinary herbs they give it the slightly green (sometimes clear color). Absinthe is an absolutely powerful alcohol, with an alcohol by volume content of 45 – 74% and can be flavoured with many other herbs or flavours.
Absinthe is traditionally drunk with a spoon on top of the glass. A sugar cube is placed on top of the glass and cold water is added to the cube to both sweeten and dilute the alcohol. The process of burning the sugar cube came later.

 

10. Gin – gets its name from Juniper berries

Gin can be prepared using juniper, coriander, citrus peel, cinnamon, almond or liquorice, with neutral grain alcohol. Gin gets its name for being made from Juniper berries traditionally and is similar to vodka, except all the flavouring in the gin is all natural.

So are you ready for some potato vodka shots tonight? ? ?

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