Stage 5
Spirits & Liquors
Rum, Tequila, Vodka and Gin
Rum
Rum is distilled from fermented sugar cane products such as molasses but sometimes sugar cane juice. In the 19th century Puerto Rico was the first country to commercially produce rum and it is now the worlds largest producer.
Sugar cane is a type of grass. It is harvested by hand and the green shoots are removed and the central stem is cut up and crushed to extract the sweet sap. The juice is boiled to extract the various grades of sugar products until all that remains is the molasses. The molasses is diluted and yeast is added. After fermentation the wash will be about 10% alcohol. The rum is distilled twice in a pot still for a full flavoured and full bodied rum or in a continuous still for a lighter flavoured, stronger and comparatively neutral spirit.
Rum is water white when it comes from the still and can be coloured using caramel, which will not alter the flavour. It is aged in American oak barrels.
Tequila
Tequila comes from Mexico and is made from the Blue Agave, which is a plant that is part of the lily family. It takes at least 8 years to grow before it can be harvested. The long spiky leaves are stripped away leaving the heart, which contains starch. In order to convert the starch into fermentable sugar the heart is cooked in a pressure cooker for 2 days then shredded and the sugary juice extracted. Yeast is added and the juice ferments following which it is distilled.
Vodka
Vodka originates from the Baltic countries. It can be distilled from a variety of raw materials including grain, molasses, rice, sugar beet and potatoes. But for the western market it is usually high-strength neutral spirit produced from grains. Vodka is an ideal spirit for adding mixers to such as tonic water, tomato juice, lime etc. In Russia and other countries it is available with added herbs, fruit and spices. It is also used as a base spirit for a number of pre-mixed drinks.
Gin
Gin is a neutral spirit made from grains, molasses or sugar beet. It is distilled in a continuous still to 94% alcohol and then re-distilled in a pot still with botanicals, which include Juniper, coriander seeds, citrus peel, cardamom and cinnamon.
Gin originates from Holland where the Dutch made a coarse spirit and flavoured it with Juniper berries. The Dutch word for juniper is Geneva. During the 30 years war British commanders gave their troops this spirit to bolster them, which is how the term ‘Dutch courage’ came about. The word Geneva was Anglicised to gin.
Other Flavoured Spirits
Pastis, Absinthe and Ouzo are all flavoured with herbs and spices and predominantly, with the sweet, spicy flavours of liquorice and/or aniseed.
Bitters are spirits flavoured with bitter herbs and spices such as bitter orange peel.