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GLOSSARY
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SPIRITS
Vodka
Tequila
Gin
SPIRITS are classified by the fermented material that they are distilled from. Whiskies, Vodka, Gin and most types of Schnapps are
made by distilling a kind of beer made from grain. Brandy is made from fermented grape juice, and Fruit Brandy is made from other
fruits. Rum and Cane SPIRITS derive from fermented sugar cane juice or molasses. Tequila and Mezcal come from the fermented pulp
of the agave plant. Fortified wines are hybrid beverages in that they are a blend of fermented wine and distilled SPIRITS
(usually Brandy).
Whatever the process, everyone has their preferred spirit to drink. To help you understand more about and enjoy SPIRITS, we
feature new cocktail ideas each month so you can keep exploring to find the right styles for your tastes.
VODKA
Vodka - one of the most popular drinks in the United States today makes up 25% of the demand for spirituous liquors.
Vodka was in the past and still is made and mixed with a variety of ingredients. This clear spirit was primarily made from rye,
wheat, barley and oats until the end of the 18th century when potatoes were introduced as a practical way of distilling vodka.
Vodka has also been made with base ingredients such as sugar beets, rutabagas and plums. Other additions to develop the aroma
and taste include the seeds of grasses, herbs, shrubs and trees as well as roots, shoots, flowers and fruits.
Vodka is essentially considered an unaged, odorless, colorless spirit known for its smooth taste. Although within recent years
variations on the spirit have been made like the introduction of Blavod, a black vodka colored by the use of a Burmese coloring
herb. However, even with recent additions to this otherwise constant liquor vodka is primarily considered clear and in the U.S.
perfect for mixing cocktails.
 FUN FACT
California made the first ever vodka cocktail in the United States! Vodka had practically no popularity in the United States
until 1946, when a bartender at the Cock 'n Bull in California mixed Vodka with ginger beer to create the first Moscow Mule.
Featured Cocktail of the Moment:
Moscow Mule
1 1/2 oz Vodka
1/2 oz Lime Juice
4 oz Ginger Beer
Fill Mug with ice and add ingredients. Stir through ice.
TEQUILA
The first commercial Tequila began with Jose Cuervo who first got the rights from the Spanish government to cultivate the Blue
Agave and to produce 100% agave Tequila. BUT Cenobio Sauza was the first to import it to the U.S. Tequila is made primarily
from the agave plant.
This plant can be used in different percentages that effect the quality and classification of this spirit.
To produce 100 percent agave tequila the distiller must gain permission from the Mexico federal office controlling tequila
production. The tequila is produced without sugar added during fermentation or anytime throughout the distillation process.
This type of tequila is the rarest and most expensive type of tequila produced.
In addition to strict government regulation during the distilling process 100 percent agave must be bottled in Mexico.
Certain myths exist regarding tequila, one is that mezcal and tequila are the same thing - they are not. The comparison can be
made with scotch and rye; both have similar components and characteristic, but are quite different. Tequila is made only from
the blue variety agave plant (which is a succulent not a cactus) and mezcal can be made from five different varieties of agave.
Types of Tequila:
The color of tequila depends on how long the spirit was aged.
Silver Tequila is aged in wax-lined vats and produces a milder taste for the palate than white tequila, but remains colorless.
Aged Tequila must be aged for a minimum of one year in government sealed barrels.
Gold Tequila has no Mexican government regulations regarding aging this product, but producers claim it is aged in white
oak casks for anywhere from two to four years.
Here's what to look for on the tequila bottle:
Silver (Plato or Blanco) is not aged & bottled within 60 days.
Dorado (Gold) usually just refers to it's caramel coloring and claims it has been aged 2-4 years.
Resposado (Rested) is aged for two months to one year.
Anejo (Aged) is aged at least one year, but no more than five years. (Tequila has no advantage to longer aging.)
FUN FACT
There is no such thing as a worm! It started out as a marketing ploy that took off around the world with tequila drinkers
everywhere searching for the worm. If you ever find one at the bottom of the bottle, it is nothing more than a small piece of
pickled protein.
Featured Cocktail of the Moment:
Brave Bull
1 1/4 oz Tequila and 3/4 oz Kahlua
Pour over ice in a rocks glass and garnish with a twist of lemon
GIN
Derived from the French word for juniper, genievre, Gin, like many other SPIRITS is distilled primarily from grain. The flavor
is derived from botanicals, the dominant extract being juniper. Other common additions are anise, bitter almonds, cardamon,
caraway, cassia bark, calamus, cocoa nibs, lemon peel, licorice, orange peel, cinnamon, cubeb berries, angelica and grains
of paradise. Although the specific mixtures are carefully guarded secrets of individual producers a fine gin generally contains
a mixture of six to ten botanicals
Gin is ready to bottle almost straight from the still; unlike other SPIRITS, such as whiskey, it doesn't require any
maturation time.
FUN FACT
Gin was created by a Dutch chemist, Dr. Sylvius in mid 1600s. His intention was to invent a medicine that would clean blood for
kidney disorders
Featured Cocktail of the Moment:
Gibson Martini
1/2 shot of Martini & Rossi extra dry Vermouth
2 1/2 shots of Tanqueray Gin
Stir vermouth and orange bitters with ice in a mixing glass, strain and discard to leave only a coating on the ice.
Pour gin into mixing glass with coated ice and stir. Finally, strain into martini glass and garnish with two cocktail onions.
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