the art of distilling, revised and expanded:an enthusiast’s guide to the artisan distilling...

THEARTOFDISTILLINGREVISED&UPDATED

ANENTHUSIAST’SGUIDETOTHEARTISANDISTILLINGOFWHISKEY,VODKA,GIN,ANDOTHERPOTENTPOTABLES

EditedbyBillOwens,AlanDikty,andAndrewFaulknerofthe

CONTENTSFOREWORDbyFritzMaytag

INTRODUCTIONTOTHESECONDEDITIONbyBillOwens

Chapter1ABRIEFHISTORYOFDISTILLING

Chapter2THEDISTILLINGPROCESS

Chapter3WHISKEY

Chapter4VODKA

Chapter5GIN

Chapter6BRANDYANDEAUDEVIE

Chapter7RUM

Chapter8TEQUILAANDAGAVESPIRITS

Chapter9INFUSEDSPIRITS:Liqueurs,Schnapps,Anise,andBitters

Chapter10DISTILLINGRESOURCES

ABOUTTHECONTRIBUTORS

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

ABOUTTHEAUTHORS

INDEX

FOREWORDbyFritzMaytag

THESECONDWhiskeyRebellionishappeningintheUnitedStates,anditisalreadyspreadingaroundtheworld.Inthismarvelousbook,BillOwens,AlanDikty,AndrewFaulknerandtheircontributors—likeintrepidwarcorrespondents—takeyoutothefrontlines.Youwillfindhereanup-to-the-minutereportontheexcitement,creativity,andbrashenthusiasmoftheUnitedStates’craftdistillers.

FritzMaytag(right)talkingwithBillOwens,in2009.

IhaveknownBillOwenssincehisearlyinvolvementintheU.S.’smicrobrewingrenaissance:Hewasoneofthemovement’smostferventinnovators.Hisownachievementsaremany,andhisenthusiasmforthewholewildexplosionofbrewingcreativityisevidencedinhisobviousenjoymentofthesuccessesofhisbrewingcolleagues.

Thecraft-brewingrenaissance,ofcourse,beganinthe1960s.Bytheearly’90s,itwasinevitablethatitwouldevolveintoacraft-distillingrenaissance.Andso,Billandhiscohortsareatitagain,nowcelebratingasmall-distilleryrevolutionandthevarietyandcreativitythatisspringingupeverywhere.Yes,wenowhave“craft”whiskeydistillers,experimentingwithallfacetsofgraindistilling.And,aswiththebrewingrevolution,theconsumerreapstherewards.Weareenteringagoldenageforthespiritslover,andTheArtofDistillingWhiskeyandOtherSpirits:AnEnthusiast’sGuidetotheArtisanDistillingofPotentPotablesisanindispensableguidebooktoitsbeginnings.

Detailofthefermentingprocessofmakingbourbon,WoodfordReserveDistillery.

CharringoakbarrelsatBluegrassCooperage.

Wheredidthecraft-distillingphenomenonoriginate?Youcouldsaythatitcamedownfromthemountains,wherepot-distilledwhiskeysmadebyhand—insecretfolds—haveneverentirelydisappeared.Oryoucouldsaythatitcameupfromthevineyardsandorchards,whereformanyyearstherehasbeenatinycraft-distillingsegmentofsuperb,hand-craftedfruitbrandiesandeaux-de-vie.JustknowthatasecondWhiskeyRebellionisuponusandthatitishappeningrightnowinalittlebuildingnearyou.Andifyouhavepickedupthisbook

alreadyknowingaboutthegreatfoodawakeningandhopingforaguidetodistilling,youhavefoundit!

Whatparticularlyfascinatesmeaboutthedistillationofalcoholistheenduringmysterysurroundingitsorigins.Distillationitselfisaphysicalartwithalong—andcolorful—history.Andthedistillingofallsortsofmaterialsformyriadpurposesisanancientprocess.Butwhendidtheproductionofdistilledspiritsasabeveragebegin?Youarewelcometoyouropinion,andgoodluckfindinganyonetoagreewithyou!Nomatterwhatyouthink,Iencourageyoutosavortheeternalenigmathatisembodiedinadistilledspirit.Itisaformofmagictotakefruitorgrain,fermentit,putitinapot,heatitandmakeitdisappearentirely,andthenwatchitreappear,dropbydrop,asaclear,volatile,almostetherealliquid.Anditisadangerousliquid—donotkidyourself.Itcancatchfire,itcanexplode,andabusingitcanruinlives.Itispowerful,mysteriousstuff,surelyonereasonthatitcapturestheimaginationoftheproducersandconsumersswirlingandswillingaroundthecurrentawakening.

SodrinkdeepofBill,Alan,andAndrew’sguide,getontheroadwiththem,goexploringandlearning,andenjoybeinganearlyparticipantinthemovement.Andtakemywordforit,asadistillerofwhiskeysincethesecondWhiskeyRebellion’sfirstshot:“Headswewin,tailswewin!”

FritzMaytag,AnchorDistilling,SanFrancisco,April2009

INTRODUCTIONTOTHESECONDEDITION

byBillOwens

ASAYOUNGMANinthe1970s,Ihadlonghair,aVolkswagenBeetle,ahipwife,andacareerasanewspaperphotographer.Ialsopublishedfourphotographymonographs,includingtheclassicSuburbia(stillinprint),andIreceivedaGuggenheimFellowshipinphotographyandthreeNationalEndowmentfortheArtsgrants.MydreamwastoworkforLifemagazineorNationalGeographic,andIendedupstringingfortheAssociatedPressandcoveredtheHell’sAngelsbeatingpeoplewithpoolcuesatAltamont.Whileallthiswashappening,Iwashomebrewinginthegarage.

Bythe1980s,whenIreachedmiddleage,Ihadaflattop,soldtheVWandcameras,andlostawonderfulwife.In1982,IopenedthefirstbrewpubintheUnitedStates:BuffaloBill’sBreweryinHayward,California.Thebeerwasgood.Mypumpkinaleisstillbeingbrewedbymanybreweries.Mypublicimagewas“colorful,”andthenewsmedialovedme.Istartedbelievingmyownpressclips.Iopenedtwomorebrewpubsandlaunchedapublicstockofferingtofundthebuildingofalarge-scaleproductionbrewery.Itallseemedlikeagoodideaatthetime.Itwas,afterall,“MorninginAmerica,”ReaganwasintheWhiteHouse,andtheoperativephraseforthetimeswas“Greedisgood.”

Iwantedsuccess,money.Ihadthreebrewpubs.Igrossedamilliondollarsthatyear,butIhadtopaysixtyemployeesandendedupwithnoprofit.Thingsdon’talwaysworkoutasyoudream.Thestockofferingnevergotofftheground,andonebyone,thebrewpubsweresoldoff,withBuffaloBill’sbeingthelasttogo.ButI’llalwayshaveAlimonyAle(“ThebitterestbeerinAmerica!”).

Bythe1990s,Ihadgrayhairandanewwife,andIwaspublishingtwomagazines:AmericanBrewerandBeer:TheMagazine.Onceagain,mytimingwasgoodandAmericanBrewerrodethefirstgreatwaveofcraftbrewing.Thingswerelookinggreat,butfinancially,thetwomagazinesturnedouttobenotsuchagreatidea.IsoonstoppedpublishingBeerandsoldAmericanBrewer.

Soonafter,theAARPmailingsstartedshowingup,andIopenedanantiquestore.Thatventurelasted6months.ThenmyliteraryagentsoldsomeSuburbia

photographstoEltonJohn,givingmeenoughmoneyfora(used)Lexusandthecashfora3-monthtripacrossAmerica,soIranawayfromhome.Onthistrip,Idecidedtovisitsomecraftdistilleries.Iwasintrigued,andthecreativejuicesstartedtoflowagain.WhenIreturnedtoCalifornia,IfoundedtheAmericanDistillingInstitute(ADI).In2003,IheldthefirstADIdistillingconferenceatSt.George/Hangar1Distillery,andeightypeopleshowedup.

ResearchonTheArtofDistillingWhiskeyandOtherSpiritsstartedin2006.

In2007,IdecidedtomakeanothertripacrossAmerica.Again,thetripwasfundedbysellingphotographstomuseums,anassortmentofartgalleriesand

fundedbysellingphotographstomuseums,anassortmentofartgalleriesandfriendsintheUnitedStatesandinEurope.Thissecondtrip(21,000miles)took4months,andfromfifty-threeDVDsofimages,weselected100orsoforthefirsteditionofthisbook.DoesanybodyrememberDVDs?

Tenyearsago,theoriginaleditionofTheArtofDistillingWhiskeyandOtherSpiritswaspublished,and500peopleattendedtheAmericanDistillingInstitute(ADI)conferenceatSt.GeorgedistilleryinAlameda,CA.The2018conferencehad2,000attendeesfromsevendifferentcountries.

That’sjustthebeginningofthechangesthathaveoccurredinthelast10years.Asthegrowthofcraftdistillinghasbeenaround30%ayear,craftdistillingisnotabouttoslowdownorpeakanytimesoon.TheU.S.government’sAlcoholandTobaccoTaxandTradeBureaulicensesapproximatelytwonewdistilledspiritsplantsforeachworkingday.CraftdistilleriesarepoppingupintheUK,Europe,Australia,SouthAfrica,andmanyothercountries.ThereisevenacraftdistilleryonSt.HelenaintheSouthAtlantic,oneofthemostremoteislandsintheworld.

Vodkaisnolongerthedarlingofcraftdistilling.Now,itiswhiskeyandgin.Asofearly2018,thereareover1,500licensedcraftdistilleriesintheUSA,andatleast700ferment,distillandbottletheirownspirits.Asignificantnumberofthemgrowtheirowncorn,rye,andbarley.Whiskeyistheflavoroftheweek,month,andyearfornowandfortheforeseeablefuture.Thelatestgenerationofcraftdistillersisusingabeer-stylewashtoproducewhiskey.Icanassureyouthemarriageofbrewery-distilleryisgoingtohappen.

Nexttowhiskey,ginhasseentremendousgrowth.Youcansayithascaughtoninabigway.Therearenowdozensofdistillersbarrel-aginggin,aprocessthatsetsyouapartfromstandardginsandgivesyouflavorandromance.Thenewgenerationofginsiswonderful,andtherearemorethan500ginproducers.

Spiritspunditspredictbrandywillcomeback.Theproblemwithbrandyisthatonlyafewstateshavewineriesabletoproducegrapessuitableforbrandy.However,applebrandy,broughttoyoubyJohnnyAppleseed,isfollowingon

However,applebrandy,broughttoyoubyJohnnyAppleseed,isfollowingonthetailsofappleciderasthenextresurgingcategory.WithWashington,NewYork,Michigan,andPennsylvanialeadingthecharge,Americanapplejackhasapatrioticringtoitthatfewdistillerscanresist.

With400craftdistillersmakingrum,itisnotfarbehindginandwhiskey.ManydistillersareusingsugarcanejuiceandmolassesproducedbyAmericansugarcanefarmers.Theresultingspiritsarewonderful.Istillhaveafootinbothcamps,photographyanddistillation.ButifIhadtochoose,it’dbedistilling,becauseit’sawayoflife,andthecraft-distillingindustryisreallyaboutlifestyle.Peopletakegreatprideinproducingspirits.Thisbookisalookatcraftdistillersandtherestofthewhiskey,rum,vodkaandginindustry.

SpecialthankstoAlanDikty,thecoauthorandeditorofthisbook,andapersonalfriend.Alanhasbeenwithmeasafriendandwriterforsome40years.Alanknowsspirits.

Andfinally,abigthank-youtoAndrewFaulkner.Healsostartedwithmethroughphotographyand,afteradecadeandahalfwithADI,isnoweditorandpublisherofDistillermagazine.

BillOwens,Hayward,California,March2009

AUTHOR’SNOTEONSPELLINGForreasonsthathaveyettobeadequatelyexplained,AmericanandIrishdistillersspellthewordwhiskeywithane,whiletheirScotch,Canadian,Japanese,andNewZealandpeersspellwhiskywithoutit.

Chapter1

ABRIEFHISTORYOFDISTILLING

SINCEtheearliestknownuseofdistillationabout5,000yearsago,practiceofthearthasgrownandspreadaroundtheworldinseveralwaves,thespeedandextentofeachbeingdictatedbygeography,traderoutesandculturalandreligiousinfluences.Eachsuccessivewavegaverisetosignificanttechnicaladvancesindistillation,makingitlessexpensive,moreefficient,andmorecontrollable.

PossiblytheearliestwrittenrecordofdistillationisintheEpicofGilgamesh,whichdescribesaformofessentialoildistillationpracticedinBabylonasfarbackas3000BC.Herbswereplacedinalargeheatedcauldronofboilingwater,andthecauldron’sopeningwascoveredwithasheepskin,fleecesidedown.Periodicallythesheepskinwaschanged,andthecondensatesoakingthefleecewaswrungoutintoasmalljar.Essentialoilsfloatedtothesurfaceofthewatercollectedinthejarandwereskimmedoff.Medievaltextsandwoodcutsshowthesameprinciplebeingusedtoconcentratealcoholicvaporsfromboilingwine.(Incidentally,thisissimilarinprincipletoamethodthatthePhoeniciansusedforconsumingcannabis.)

VeryFineWhiskeybottle,circathe1920s:Thisvintagebottlewasacquiredemptyatafleamarket.

DISTILLINGMIGRATESEASTANDWEST

By500BC,alcoholdistillationwasanestablishedindustryintheancientIndianareaknownasTaxila(inmodernnorthwestPakistan),wherearchaeologistsdiscoveredaperfectlypreservedterra-cottadistillationsystem.Inthisprocess,steamrisingfromapotofboilingwaterpassedthroughabedoffermentedgrains,pickingupalcoholandflavorsfromthegrains.Thevaporsthenstruckthebottomofasecondpotfilledwithcoldwater,wheretheycondensedanddrippedintoacollectiontube.

FromTaxila,knowledgespreadtotheEastandtheWest,andby350BC,knowledgeofthedistillingprocessappearedinthewritingofAristotleinGreeceandSinedriusinLibya.ThefirstarrivalofdistillationtechnologyinChinaismisty,butbyAD25,bronzestillsofsimilardesignwerebeingproducedandusedthere.

BytheendofthefirstmillenniumAD,thepracticeofdistillationhadspreadthroughoutnorthernAfricaandtheMiddleEast.Theprocesshadadvancedsignificantlyoverthis1000-yearperiod,andthematerialbeingdistilledwasnowboileddirectlyinalargesealedpot,whichhadalongtubeleadingfromitsapextoasmallcollectionjar.WhentheMoorsinvadedSpain,theybroughtthistechnologywiththem,andsoonthegenie(orspirit)wasoutofthebottle.ThetechnologyspreadfromSpaintoItalyinAD1100,andwasrecordedinIrelandby1200,Germanyby1250,andFranceby1300.England,Scotland,Poland,Russia,andSwedenjoinedtheclubby1400.

ThesewoodcutsfromTheArtofDistillationbyJonathanFrench(1651)showasmallpartofthewidevarietyofformsdistillingequipmenthadtakenbytheseventeenthcentury.Twokey

improvementsareshown:multipledistillationsinonesetup(onestillfeedingintothenext),below,andanimprovedvaporcondenser(acoiloftubingknownasa“worm”inabarrelofcoldwater),

left.

DISTILLINGTECHNOLOGYEVOLVESEuropeanexplorationandconquestspreadrapidlyaroundtheworld,carryingthetechnologyofdistillationwithit.ThefirststillsintheAmericasappearednotlongaftertheconquistadores,andthePortuguesebroughtthetechnologytoJapanby1500.

Thistechnologywaslargelycontrolledbymonasteriesandalchemists,whocontinuouslyexperimentedandimprovedontheequipment.Bythemid-1600s,severaltextshadbeenpublishedonthesubjectofdistillation,asampleofwhichincludedthewoodcutsonthisspread,fromTheArtofDistillationbyJonathanFrench(1651).Asthisinformationspreadbeyondclericalandscientificcircles,wealthyindividualsbegantoestablishstillhousesontheirestates.

AsknowledgeblossomedthroughouttheRenaissance,distillationcontinuedtodeveloprapidly.Distillationwasremovedfromtheexclusiveprovinceofscientists,monks,andprofessionalsandbecameacommonhouseholdart.Recipebooksabounded.

Bythe1700s,thecomplexityandsophisticationofcommercial-scaledistillingequipmenthadadvancedrapidly.Advancesintheunderstandingofhowdistillationactuallyworkedledtonewstilldesignsthatcouldmakebetterqualityspiritsmoreeasilyandfasterthaninthepast.Distillingbecamemoreaccessibletothemasses,andthemonopolyheldbythechurchandtheeliteclasseswasthreatened.Thesecentersofpowersoonenactedrestrictions,atfirsttoprotectthatmonopoly,andlaterpurelyforrevenue.

REGULATIONANDREBELLIONSince1700,theregulationandcontrolofdistillationhasbeenmostlyastoryoflostfreedomsandrights.Afewraysofsunshinehavesincepokedthroughtheclouds.TheeliteandgovernmentsofEuropetriedrepeatedlytoexploitandcontroldistillation.InEngland,forexample,thefirsttaxationofcommercialdistillationappearedin1690topayforawarwithFrance.Privatedistillationwasexemptedfromthistax,anditremainedfreefrominterferenceastaxesandregulationswereraised,lowered,abolished,andresurrectedoverthenextcentury.PrivatedistillationinEnglandflourishedandgrewsignificantlyduringthistime(andperhapsnotalittleofthisproductfounditswayintocommercialchannelsviathebackdoor),untilitwasoutlawedin1781toenhancethecollectionofrevenue.ThemassiveGinCrazeofearlyeighteenth-centuryGreatBritainhaditsroots,inpart,inthisunfetteredspreadofdistillation.

TheUnitedStatesgovernment’sfirstattempttotaxdistillationresultedintheWhiskeyRebellionof1791,whichwasputdownbyfederaltroopsledbyGeorgeWashington(whowasservingaspresidentatthetime).

TheWhiskeyRebellioninwesternPennsylvania.

FederalexcisetaxeswereabolishedaftertheendoftheWarof1812,onlytobeimposedduringtheCivilWarinthe1860s(andcontinuetothisday).

NapoleonintroducedregulationinFrance.Thelawsvariedwidelyoverthenextcentury,butstabilizedin1914,whentherightwasgrantedtoanyonewithavineyardororchardtodistillupto20litersofspiritsfromtheirfruitiftheyagreedtopayatax.Thisrightwasoriginallyinheritable,butthatwasrevokedinthe1950s.Thissystemledtothedevelopmentoftravelingstills,knownasbouilleursdecru,whichwereonceverycommonsightsintheFrenchcountryside.Becausethenumberofpermittedindividualshasshrunkwitheverypassingyear,veryfewofthesemobiledistilleriesremain.

Australianslosttheirrighttohome-distilltheirownbeveragesintheaftermathofWorldWarI,againasarevenuemeasure.

“THEREISMOREREFRESHMENTANDSTIMULATIONINANAP,EVENOFTHEBRIEFEST,THANINALLTHEALCOHOLEVERDISTILLED.”Ovid(ancientRomanclassicalpoetandnotoriouswetblanketatbacchanals,43–17BCE)

ManyAfrican,LatinAmerican,andsouthernEuropeannationshavecontinuedtoallowprivatedistillationunderawidevarietyofrules,rangingfromnone,

throughinspectionofstills,toonerousregulationsandhightaxation.Ingeneral,traditionalalcoholicbeveragesaremadeinmostfarmhousesusingtraditionalequipment(mostlypotstillsofvariousforms),withoutanyadverseeffectsonsociety.

Onecountertrendtothismarchofincreasedgovernmentregulationwasthelegalizationofprivate,noncommercialdistillingbyNewZealandin1996.TheNewZealandgovernmentfoundthattheexpenseofenforcingthebanonprivatedistillationfaroutweighedtherevenuecomingfromfines,sothelawwasabolished.Thischangeledtowidespreadadoptionofsmall-scaledistillingasahobby,and,ashobbyistsalwayswill,theyexperimentedwithequipmentandtechniquescontinuously.ThisboominhomedistillinginNewZealanddidnotgounnoticed,andstartingaroundtheturnofthe21stcentury,anewgenerationoflicensedcommercialcraftdistilleriesstartedtoopeninNorthAmerica,theUnitedKingdom,andpartsofEurope.

FUTURETRENDSJustastheappearanceofmicrobreweriesfollowedtherenaissanceofhomebrewing,increasingthechoicesandlevelofqualityforallbeerdrinkers,craftdistilleriesarestartingtothrivearoundtheworld,usingnewequipmentandmethods.Manyofthesemodernsmalldistilleriesareexperimentingwithnewtypesandcategoriesofspirits,creatingnovelandsometimesuniquelylocalspirits.

Thefirstmoderncraftdistilleries,suchasSt.GeorgeSpirits,Germain-Robin,JepsonVineyards,andClearCreekDistillerywereestablishedinthe1980s,closelyfollowingthegrowthcurvesoffamilywineriesafterProhibitionandthegrowthofcraftbreweriesfollowingFritzMaytag’spurchaseofAnchorBrewing.Sincearound2000,exponentialgrowthhasfollowedthepatternofaclassicindustryresurgenceandisexpectedtocontinueforyearstocome.

TheU.S.movementhasgarneredsomuchexcitementthatithasinspiredsimilarproliferationofdistilleriesandbrandsinCanada,Ireland,Scotland,England,France,Australia,India,SouthAfrica,andmanyothercountriesaroundtheglobe.

GEORGEWASHINGTONANDGERRYMANDERINGItiswellknownthatGeorgeWashingtonwasadistiller.Whatislesswellknownisthatthelawshecraftedsetthedistinctionbetweentheheavilytaxedsmalldistillersandthelightlytaxedlargedistillers,thelinebeingdrawnjustbelowthesizeofhisdistillery.Politicsworkedinmuchthesamewaythenasitdoestoday.

MOONSHINE

Theculturalstereotypeof“cornlikker”moonshinebeingmadebyhillbilliesdeepinthewoodsinSouthernstateswasneverquitethefinalwordonmoonshineproductionintheUnitedStates.Anywherefruitorgrainisgrown,illicitspiritsweredistilledforhomeuseandinformalcommercialsale.Theheydayoflarge-scalemoonshineproductionwasduringU.S.Prohibitionofthe1920sand1930s,whenalloftheUnitedStatesandpartsofCanadawereofficiallydry.Butillegalmoonshineproductionstillcontinuesonareducedscaletothisday.Someofitisproducedbyincreasinglysophisticatedhomedistillers,andyes,therearestillbackwoodsmoonshiners,evenifsomeofthoseseemtoexistprimarilytoappearoncablenetworktelevisionshows.

Alas,times(andmoonshine)arenotwhattheyusedtobe.Modernmoonshinerstendtoskipthegrainmashingandgodirectlytofermentationbydissolvingregularsugarinwarmwater,fermentingthesugarwaterwithbaker’syeastandthendistillingofftheresultingalcohol.Theresultsarespiritsmuchinferiortoadistilledgrainspirit,andultimatelyanarrestedmoonshiner.TheAlcoholandTobaccoTaxandTradeBureau(TTB,alsoknownas“theFeds”)keepstrackofthesaleoflargequantitiesofbulksugar,particularlyinruralareaswithapasthistoryofmoonshining,althoughasurprisingamountofthis“sugarshine”ismade,oratleastproducedforsaleinwhataresometimesdelicatelyreferredtoasurbanethnicmarkets,particularlyinthemid-Atlanticstates.

Youhavebeenwarned.

AtombstonethatwasusedduringProhibitionforstashingmoonshinenearMorgantown,WestVirginia

DIRTTRACKDISTILLING

StudentsofAmericanpopularcultureknowthatmoonshinewhiskeyandNASCARgotogetherlikeactorBurtReynoldsandmusclecars.Startingin1973withthemovieWhiteLightning,ReynoldsmadeacareerofportrayingSoutherngoodol’boysdeliveringmoonshineinfastcars,whileoutrunningthelocalsheriff.

Thereal-lifeinspirationforsuchcinemacharacterswasRobertGlenJohnsonJr.(bornin1931inWilkesCounty,NorthCarolina),betterknownasJuniorJohnson.JohnsonwasamoonshinerintheruralSouthwhobecameoneoftheearlysuperstarsofNASCARinthe1950sand’60s.

Johnsongrewuponafarmanddevelopedhisdrivingskillsrunningmoonshineasayoungman.Heconsistentlyoutranandoutwittedlocalpoliceandfederalagentsinautochases,andhewasnevercaughtwhiledeliveringmoonshinetocustomers.

APOScardadvertisingJuniorJohnson’sMidnightMoonbyPiedmontDistillers

JohnsonbecamesomethingofalegendintheruralSouth,wherehisdrivingexpertiseand“outlaw”imageweremuchadmired.Johnsoniscreditedwithinventingthe“bootlegturn,”inwhichadriverescapesapursuerbysharplyputtinghisspeedingcarintoa180-degreeturnonthehighway,thenspeedingoffintheoppositedirectionbeforehispursuercanturnaround.Johnsonwasalsoknowntousepolicelightsandsirenstofoolpoliceroadblocksintothinkingthathewasafellowpoliceman;uponhearinghisapproach,thepolicewouldquicklyremovetheroadblocks,allowingJohnsontoescapewithhismoonshine.

removetheroadblocks,allowingJohnsontoescapewithhismoonshine.

In1955,Johnsondecidedtogiveupdeliveringmoonshineforthemorelucrative(andlegal)careerofbeingaNASCARdriver.Unfortunately,the“Revenuers”hadnotforgottenJunior.In1956,federalagentsfoundJohnsonworkingathisfather’smoonshinestillandarrestedhim.Johnsonwasconvictedofmoonshiningandwassenttofederalprison,whereheserved11monthsofa2-yearsentence.HereturnedtotheNASCARscenein1958andpickedupwhereheleftoff.HewentontowinfiftyNASCARracesinhiscareerbeforeretiringin1966.

SpeciallyCraftedCatdaddyCarolinaMoonshinebyPiedmontDistillers,Madison,NC.

In1965,writerTomWolfewroteanarticleaboutJohnsoninEsquiremagazine.Thearticle,originallytitled“GreatBallsofFire,”turnedJohnsonintoanationalcelebrityandledtofamebeyondhiscircleofNASCARfans.Inturn,thearticle

wasmadeintoa1973moviebasedonJohnson’scareerasadriverandmoonshinertitledTheLastAmericanHero.JeffBridgesstarredasthesomewhatfictionalizedversionofJohnson,andJohnsonhimselfservedastechnicaladvisorforthefilm.

Morerecently,Johnson’sfamilyhaslicensedtheJuniorJohnsonnameforuseinpromotingalegaldistilledproduct:JuniorJohnson’sMidnightMoonfromPiedmontDistillersinMadison,NorthCarolina.

DON’TTRYTHISATHOME(NUDGE,NUDGE,WINK,WINK,SAYNOMORE)SoonafternationalProhibitionbeganinthe1920s,apersoncouldwalkintovirtuallyanygrocerystoreintheUnitedStatesandfindforsalebrick-sizeblocksofcompressedraisinsboundtogetherwithcondensedgrapejuice.Attachedtotheblockwasasmallcontainerofdriedyeast.Thewrappingcontainedthefollowingtext:

“WARNING:Donotdissolvethisfruitbrickinwarmwaterandthenaddthecontentsoftheyeastpacket,asthiswillresultinfermentationandthecreationofalcohol,theproductionofwhichisillegal.”

Needlesstosay,thelocalA&PsoldalotoffruitbrickswhileProhibitionwasinforce.

Traditionalmoonshinestartsoutwiththeproductionandfermentationofwhatisbasicallyasimplebeer.Traditionalistswouldcreateamashofgroundcorn,hotwater,andenoughmaltedbarleytoprovidesufficientenzymestoconvertthestarchinthegrainsintosimplesugars.Oncethestarchconversionwascomplete,yeastwasaddedtothemash,withtheresultingfermentationturningthesugarsintoalcohol.Thefermentedmashwouldthenbeboiledinthepotstilltodistilloffthealcohol.

MODERN“MOONSHINERS”Thecurrentinterestamonghobbyistdistillersincreatingfirst-rateliquors,andthegeneralwholesomequalityoftheirproducts,tracksprimarilytoseveralconvergenttrends:

VirginiaLightningCornWhiskeybyBelmontFarm.

“WHISKEYISWHATBEERWANTSTOBEWHENITGROWSUP.”

VirginiaLightningMoonshinebyBelmontFarm,Culpeper,VA.

CRAFTBREWERS

Craftbrewersarenotsimplythefirstonestostudyhowtomakeoutstandingsmall-batchspirits;theyarealsogoingtoshapethefaceofmicro-andpersonaldistilling.Brewershavealreadymasteredthreekeyskills:howtocollaborate,howtoorganize,andhowtodrivelegislation.

Thecurrentinterestindistillingamongbrewersissowidespreadthatitisvirtuallyimpossibletotalktocraftbrewerswhoaren’talreadydistillingonthesly,workingonpermits,orknowsomeonewhois.Oneerstwhilebrewerframedhistransitionfrombeertoliquorwiththisaphorism:Whiskeyiswhatbeerwantstobewhenitgrowsup.

Makingbeerathomehasbeenlegalonafederallevelsince1978.Foradecadeorsoafteritwaspermitted,homebrewers(intheUnitedStates)exploredallkindsofbeerandalestylestheycouldnotpurchasethroughtheirlocalstores.Theyperfectedtheirtechniques,competedagainsteachotherinregionalandnationalcontests,publishedtheirpersonalrecipes,gaveoutawardstotheirpeers,andlaterputthatknowledgetousebyopeningbrewpubsandcraftbreweries.

Homebrewsupplyshopseverywhereweresellinghops,malts,specialtygrains,carboys,esotericscientificequipment,andlab-culturedyeaststotensofthousandsofhomebrewerstrying,goodnaturedly,tobesteachotherinroundsofMyBeerIsBetterThanYours.

Bythe1990s,somebrewerswerepushingthelimitsoftheirequipmentandingredients,becomingessentiallynovicedistillers.Theirhomemaderigslookedprettymuchthesameasbrewingequipment.Theingredientswerethesame.Theywerelearningonpotstillsbecause,forhundredsofyears,variationsonthatmodelhadbeenthechoiceoffolkdistilling.Mostofwhatacasualresearcherfoundinpopularculturereferenceswerethebig,copper,pumpkin-shapedboilersofastylethatwouldhavebeenfamiliartoeighteenth-centuryfarmers.

Asbrewers,theyalreadyknewaboutgrains,malt,yeast,enzymes,idealfermentationtemperatures,filtrationsystems,andthewaterprofilesthatleadtogreat-tastingbeverages.Somehadcometobelievethattheonlythingstoppingthemfromhavingwhiskeywastoomuchwater.Becausetheyhaddevelopedwidespreadnetworksforsharinginformationalready—books,magazines,contests,clubs,festivals,newsletters,andrudimentaryonlinenewsgroups—questionsbegantocirculateabouthowbesttoremovethatexcesswater.Sharing,critiquing,andjudgingwereanentrenchedpartoftheculturethatwasstartingtotakeupwhathadlongbeenasecretpractice.Anonymousonlineforumswereidealtoolsforvettinghome-distillingquestions.UnliketheoldAppalachianmoonshiners,modernhobbydistillerswithhomebrewingbackgroundswerealreadyusedtotalkingtoeachotheronlineandinperson.

backgroundswerealreadyusedtotalkingtoeachotheronlineandinperson.

ChuckMillerstandsinfrontofhispotstillatBelmontFarmDistillery(seehere),oneofadozendistilleriesintheUnitedStatedproducingalegalmoonshineproduct.

TwogenerationsofBeamsattheLimestoneBranchDistillery,Lebanon,KY.Righttoleft,SteveBeam,hisfather,Jimmy,andhisbrother,Paul.

NEWZEALAND

Becausefewofthetwentieth-centurybooksonmoonshiningheldmuchpracticalinformationontechniquesforbuildingandoperatingstills,amateurdistillerswithoutafamilyhistoryinsuchmatterslearnedbytrialanderror.Then,in1996,NewZealandlawmakersscrappedlegislationforbiddinghomedistillation,resultinginanexplosionofinterestandinnovation,specificallyaroundthedesignofhome-sizestills.

TheseinnovativeKiwihomedistillerswentonlineand,becausetheirhobbywaslegal,startedtalkingtoeachotheropenly.Brewerswhoweregettingintodistilling,withtheiralreadyestablishednetworksandcultureofopenness,noticed.TheyseizedonawealthofnewverifiableinformationcomingoutoftheSouthernHemisphereandaddedtheirownexperiences,especiallyinonlineforums.

Sincethen,asreliableinformationhasbeenvettedonlineabouthowbesttobuildandoperatesmall-scalestills,homecolumnorreflux,stillshaveevolved,becomingmorecompactandefficient,andabletoputoutasclosetopurealcoholasispossibleoutsidealaboratory(inshort,verycleanstuff).Mostrecently,aspecificstyleofdistillinghasevolvedthat’sallaboutpurity,efficiency,andmakinglotsofneutralspiritsinverycompactcolumnstills.

ApplePieMoonshinebyBaldwinDistillingCo.,MitchellACT2911,Australia.

MOONSHINEDEFINEDTheoriginaldefinitionofmoonshineisanyliquormadefromunregisteredstillsbyunlicenseddistillers.ThisdefinitioncoversaKentuckyfarmermakingtheliquorhisfatherdid,aNewYorkimbiberwresting10ounces(296ml)ofginfromacaseofBudweiser,aswellasaSanFranciscocheftweakinghergrandmother’skümmeltocarryonthetradition.

Morerecently,thegrowthofthelicensedcraft-distillingindustryhasresultedintheanomalyoflegal,brandedmoonshine,labeledassuch,oras“whitewhiskey”or“whitedog.”Suchunagedwhitespiritscanbepackagedandsoldquickly,whichhelpsthecashflowofnewstart-updistilleries.

Homedistillingdoescontinue,however,andnowfallsintothreeloosecategories—economic,technical,andartisanalproducers.

VirginiaSweetwaterMoonshinebyVirginiaSweetwaterDistillery,Marion,VA.

MilkCanMoonshinebyBackwardsDistillingCo.,Mills,WY.

MaydayMoonshinebyDurangoCraftSpirits,Durango,CO.

AvarietyofproductsbyMBRolandDistillery,Pembroke,KY.

ECONOMICDISTILLERS

Economicdistillersmakeliquorbecausehomemadeischeaperthanstorebought.Anytypeofstillmightbeused,fromaninheritedcopperpotstill,tomodernrefluxmodelsorevenanaquariumheaterinaplasticbucket.Theyareapttodistillsugarspirits,butalsograinsandfruitswhentheymaybehadinexpensively.Althoughtheirproductsarepronetobeofquestionablequality,theyarenotnecessarilybadliquor—thinkofmarcandgrappamadefrompomacethatmightotherwisebethrownaway.

TECHNICALDISTILLERS

Technicaldistillersarearmchair(orevenprofessional)engineersandchemists,gearheadswhostrivetomakethemostefficientdistillerysetuptheycan,forevertweakingandadjustingtheirrigs,creatingtechnologicalwonders.Theyrunandrerunabatchofspiritstocreatethepurestspirittheycan,takingmeticulous

rerunabatchofspiritstocreatethepurestspirittheycan,takingmeticulousnotesofeverytemperaturefluctuation,proofvariation,andyield.Technicaldistillerstendtohaveaninordinateamountofvodkaonhandbecausetheendresultoftheirfrequentexperimentsisoftenahigh-proof,nearlypurespirittheycansupplementwithextractsandessencesfortheexactflavortheywant.

ASPIRINGANDACCOMPLISHEDARTISANS

Aspiringandaccomplishedartisanscomprisethethirdgroup,whosegoalistomakeauthenticandgreat-tastingspirits.Whiletechnicaldistillersconsiderunwantedchemicalcompoundsobstaclestopureliquor,artisansrightfullyregardtasteandaromaasthebackbonethatdefinestheirownpersonalstyleofdistilling.Theytendtouseless-efficient,old-schoolpotstills—theymightimmediatelyrecognizethekindthatafarmerusedin1740.Someusecolumnstills,butwithoutthecolumnsatmaximumefficiency,thuspreservingtasteandaromabynotdistillingtothehighestproofpossible.

DIAGRAMOFACOLUMNDISTILLER

Thisflowchartillustrateshowthewashistransformedintospirits.Thebottomofthestillstripsoutthewater,whiletherectifyingsection(topofthestill)distillstheliquortoincreaseitsalcohol

percentage.

DIMENSIONSOFATYPICALSPIRITSSTILL

Apotiswiderthantall,allowingvaporstoescapefromthewash.Atallswanneckallowsforseparationofthecomponentsofthemixture.Theshapeofthestillaffectstheflavorcomponentsofthespirits.Everypotstillisunique,asdistillerswantdistinctiveflavorprofilesintheirfinished

spirits.

ANATOMYOFAPOTSTILL

Asillustratedhere,awhiskeystillhasfourparts:pot,swanneck,lynearmandcondenser.Theshapeofeachaffectsrectificationandtheflavorofthespirit.

POT:Thepotcanbyanyshape:round,onionorconical.Theshapeofthepotaffectshowthewashisheated(alwaysto172°F[78°C]).Itcanbeheatedbydirectfire,steam,gas,orwood.Mostpotshaveasightglasssothedistillercancheckforfoamingduringthedistillationprocess.

SWANNECK:Theswannecksitsontopofthepot.Itcanbetall,short,straight,ortapered.Often,theswanneckisconnectedtothepotviaanogee,abubble-shapedchamber.Theogeeallowsthedistillatetoexpand,condenseandfallbackintothepotduringdistillation.Mostpotstillshaveataperedswanneck,

expand,condenseandfallbackintothepotduringdistillation.Mostpotstillshaveataperedswanneck,allowingforbetterseparationandbetterenrichingofthespiritsduringdistilling.

LYNEARM:Thelynearmsitsontopoftheswanneck.Itcanbetiltedupordown,anditcanbetaperedorstraight.Oftenpotstillsarefittedwithadephlegmatororpurifier.Itsmainpurposeistheenrichmentofspiritsbeforethey’resentontothecondenser.

INTERNALSTEAMCOIL:Theinternalsteamcoilheatsthewashto173°F(78°C),wherethealcoholseparatesfromthewash.

CONDENSER:Thecondenser,orworm,isusedforcoolingthespiritsandprovidingasmallstreamtoacollectiontankorpail.

ECONOMICALINGREDIENTSFORDISTILLINGConsideraglutofplumsforbackyardslivovitzoraskidofdriedfruitatbargainpricingthatcanbeturnedintoArabiansiddiqui.However,ersatzwhiskeysmadefrombreakfastcerealsarenotunheardof,socaveatemptoristherule.

AfruiteaudeviefermentationatStringer’sOrchardWildPlumWinery&Distillery

Chapter2

THEDISTILLINGPROCESS

INTHEMOSTliteralsenseoftheword,distillationmeanstheconcentrationoftheessenceofasubstancebyseparatingitfromanyothersubstancesthatitismixedwith.Inthecaseofdistillingalcohol,thismeansboilingafermentedliquidinastillandcondensingthevaporbackintoaliquidtoseparatetheethanolfromthesolids,water,andotherchemicalcompoundsinthefermentedsolution.Butjustasthedevilisinthedetails,theartofdistillingisinhowthedistillerachievesthatseparationandhowprecisethatseparationis.

Thewiderangeofstillsdescribedinthischaptereachoriginallyevolvedtomeettherequirementsofproducingaparticulartypeofspirit.Dependingonthetypeofspiritbeingmade,precisionisnotnecessarilythegoalofthedistiller.Thousandsofchemicalcompoundsarecreatedbyfermentationanddistillation,allofwhichcanhave,forbetterorworse,aneffectontheultimatetasteorcharacterofadistilledspirit.Thedistiller’sprimaryjobistoretainthedesiredflavorelements,whilediscardingthosethatarenot.Thisisnotassimpleasitsounds.Anddespiteallofthehigh-techcontrolsinamoderndistillery,thestillmasterneverthelesshasthefinalcall.“GLASSOFBRANDYANDWATER!THATISTHECURRENTBUTNOTTHEAPPROPRIATENAME:ASKFORAGLASSOFLIQUIDFIREANDDISTILLEDDAMNATION.”RobertHall,nineteenth-centurytemperancecrusaderwhowasneverthelifeoftheparty.

HOWDISTILLATIONWORKS

Distillationisaphysicalprocessinwhichcompoundsareseparatedbyvirtueoftheirdifferentboilingpoints.Twocompoundswiththesameboilingpointoccurringtogetherwouldnotbeseparablebydistillation.Fortunately,suchoccurrenceswiththeingredientsinliquorandspiritsarerare.

Theseparationindistillationoccurswhenamixtureofcompoundsinthestillisbroughttoaboil.Compoundswithlowerboilingpointsvaporizeatlowertemperaturesthancompoundswithhigherboilingpoints.Thismeansthatthevapor,orsteam,risingofftheboilingmixtureisricherinthelower-boiling-pointcompoundsthaninthehigher-boiling-pointones.Next,thisvaporiscollectedandcooledtocondenseitbackintoaliquid.Theresultingliquid,calledthedistillate,containsaconsiderablyhigherconcentrationofthelower-boiling-pointcompoundsthanofthehigher-boiling-pointones.

Inasimplifiedexample,let’sconsideramixtureof90percentwaterand10percentethanol.Waterhasaboilingpointof212°F(100°C),andethanolhasaboilingpointof173.1°F(78.4°C).Theethanolwillboilandvaporizewellbeforethewater,sowhenthevaporsarecollectedandcondensed,theresultingdistillatewillhaveahighconcentrationofethanolandcomparativelylittlewater.Thedistillatewillnotbepureethanolbecausesomewaterwillvaporizeattheboilingpointofethanol,evenifthewateritselfisnotatitsboilingpoint.Tailsstartat203°F(95°C)andcontainahighpercentageoffuselalcohols,knowntodistillersaswetdogbouquet.Alittlebitisactuallyneededinsometypesofwhiskey,butonlyalittlebit.ThinkIslayScotchWhisky.

Becauseallthecompoundsinastillwillvaporizetoagreaterorlesserextentduringboiling,theseparationofthecompoundswillnotbeperfect,somoreelaboratestillshavebeendevelopedtointensifytheseparationofthevaporsoncetheyhaveleftthekettle.Inmodernhigh-separationstills,thisisdonebyemployingarefluxcolumntomanagethevaporsaftertheyleavethekettleandbeforetheyarecondensedanddrawnfromthestill.

Spiritsdancingononeoftheplatesofarectificationcolumn.

WHATADIFFERENCEADEGREEMAKESBetween174°F(78.8°C)and175°F(79.4°C)averitablewitch’sbrewofnastychemicalcompounds(knowncollectivelyasheads)arecutandremovedbyproperdistilling.Theseincludeacetone,aldehydes,andmethanol.Lazymoonshinerstendtoleavethemin,resultinginrotgutandaserioushead-bangingheadachethenextmorningasyoulieinbedandprayfortheAngelofDeathtocomeandfinishthejob.

ASTILL’SBLUEPRINTThewhiskeystillhasfourparts:pot,swanneck,lynearmandcondenser.Theshapeofeachsectionaffectsrectification(redistillation)andthetasteofthespirits.Thereisnoperfectdesign;eachmanufacturersaysitspotstillmakesthebest-tastingwhiskey.

Atthispoint,distillingisan“art.”Tomakegoodwhiskey,youneedtohavegoodingredients(cleanwash)andagoodpalate(noseandtongue),andyouneedtoknowwhentostartandstop(makingheadsandtailscuts).Whenitcomestowhiskeydistilling,theprocessiscontrolledbyadistillernotacomputeroramanual.Thepotcanbeanyshape:round,onion,orconical.Theshapeofthepotaffectshowthewashisheated(to172°F[77.8°C]).Itcanbeheatedbydirectfire,steam,gas,orwood.Allsystemshaveadvantagesanddisadvantages.Thereisnorightwaytoheatwash.Mostmanufacturers,however,preferadouble-jacketedsteam-watersystemthatprovidesagentleheattothewash.Mainly,youdon’twanttoburnthewash.Mostpotshaveasightglasssothedistillercancheckforfoamingduringthedistillationprocess.

Theswannecksitsontopofthepot.Itcanbetall,short,straightortapered.Oftentheswanneckisconnectedtothepotviaanogee,sometimescalleda“lampglass,”whichisabubble-shapedchamber.Theogeeallowsthedistillatetoexpand,condense,andfallbackintothepotduringdistillation.Mostpotstillshaveataperedswanneck,allowingforbetterseparationandbetterenrichingofthespiritsduringdistilling.

Thelynearmsitsontopoftheswanneck.Itcanbetiltedupordown,anditcanbetaperedorstraight.Mostarmsaretapereddown.OftenpotstillsarefittedwithadephlegmatororwhatScottishdistillerscallapurifier.Thedephlegmatorisfittedwithbafflesthatusewaterplatesortubestocoolthedistillate,sendingmostofitbackintothepot.Itsmainpurposeistheenrichmentofthespiritsbeforethey’resentontothecondenser.

Thecondenser,orworm,isusedforcondensingthevaporbacktoaliquidandentrainingasmallstreamtoacollectionreceiver.

THESPIRITS

Evenamodernhigh-separationstillcannotproducepureethanol.Thisisbecausewaterformsanazeotropewithethanol.Anazeotropeisamixtureoftwoliquidcompoundswhosemoleculesbecomelooselybondedsuchthattheyhaveacommonboilingpointthatisdifferentfromeitherconstituent’s.Inthecaseofethanolandwater,theazeotropeoccursatamixtureof96.5percentethanoland3.5percentwater,andithasaboilingpointof172.67°F(78.15°C).Thisis0.45°F(0.17°C)lowerthanthe173.12°F(78.4°C)boilingpointofpureethanol.Indistillation,thisazeotropeisasinglecompoundwithaboilingpointof172.67°F(78.15°C),andthestillproceedstoseparateitonthatbasis.Theethanolthatispurifiedbyafractionatingcolumnisnot,therefore,pure100percentethanolbutpure96.5percentethanol,withthe“impurity”beingpurewater.Noamountofredistillationundertheconditionsdiscussedherewillinfluencethispercentage;96.5percentalcoholbyvolume(ABV)isthetheoreticalmaximumpuritythatcanbederivedbythisprocess.

Thetemperaturesstatedaboveareatstandardatmosphericpressure.Inacolumnstill,duetoincreasedpressureatthebottomresultingfromthepressuredropovertheplates,thetemperatureswouldbequiteabithigherthanstated.Forexample,thespentwash,whichwouldhaveaboilingpointofabout212°F(100°C)atstandardpressure,wouldhaveaboilingpointofabout220°F(104.4°C)duetotheincreasedpressure.

Asmallpotstill,similartomanymoonshinestills,isinoperationfortouriststoseeattheGlenmorangieDistillery,Scotland.

WHISKEYSTILLSINDETAIL

Thereareseveraldifferentdesignsofstillsusedformakingwhiskey.Theseincludethemoonshinestill,gooseneckstill,continuous-runcolumnstill,FrenchCharentaisalembicstill,andhybridpotstill.(ThetraditionalEnglishspellingofthisFrenchwordisalembic.)

Inthebasicmoonshinestill,vaporsfromtheheatedwashriseintothecap.Afterhittingtheflattopofthestill,vaporsexitviathelynearmintothecondenser,wheretheycondenseandbecome

spirits.

MOONSHINESTILLThemostbasicandrudimentarydesignisacrudepotstill,ormoonshinestill,whichisaclosedpot,likeapressurecooker,withapipeleadingfromthelidintoacondensercoil.Thecondensercoilcaneitherbelongenoughtoair-coolthevapors,oritcanbeshorterandimmersedinawaterjacket.Suchastillaffordsminimumseparationofthevaporsbecausethereisalmostnoseparationoncetheyleavethekettle.Althoughthisdesignofstillisnotsuitableforproducingbeveragealcoholbymodernstandards,itwillstillconcentratean8or10percentABV(alcoholbyvolume)washto60percentinafairlyfastrun.

Therearemanyhomedistillersandillicitcommercialmoonshinersusingthistypeofstilltoday.And,becausethistypeofstillistypicallyheatedonastovetoporonagasburner,itisnecessarytoremoveallsuspendedsolidsfromthewashbeforeplacingitinthepot.Todootherwisewouldriskburningsolidsonthebottomofthepot.

CROSS-SECTIONOFASTILL’SCOLUMNSHOWINGTHEBUBBLECAPTRAYS

Thebubblecapssitonatrayovervaportubesinthecolumn.Thecapsprovidecontactbetweentherisingvaporsanddescendingreflux,creatingadistillingcycleandenrichingthealcohol.Arrowsindicatevaporsrisingfromthewashandhittingthebubblecaps.Apercentageofpure

vaporscontinuestoriseandthe“lesspure”fallbackintothestillforredistillation.

GOOSENECKSTILLThegooseneckpotstillisthemostcommondesignofstillusedtoproduceScottishmaltwhisky.SomeIrishwhiskeysandanumberofAmericanandCanadianwhiskeysarealsodistilledinthistypeofstill.Thisstyleofpotstillhasbeeninuseforcenturiesforcommercialwhiskeyproduction,anditisevenmorepopulartodayinmodernwhiskeydistilleriesthanever.

Thegooseneckstillhasalargeroundkettleandisfunctionallyverysimilartothecrudepotstill,exceptithasalong,broadneckrisingfromthekettlethatallowsenoughseparationtoholdbackmostofthefuselalcoholsfromthedistillatewhileretainingthedesiredflavorsinthefinishedspirit.Theneckbendsatthetopandconnectstoapipecalledalynearmthatleadstoacondensercoilimmersedinwater.Thelynearmusuallyanglesdownwardslightlytowardthecondenser,butinsomedistilleriesittiltsupward.

Thelevelofseparationinagooseneckpotstillisaffectedbytheamountofcondensationthattakesplaceintheneckandlynearmthatfallsbackintothekettle.Thiscondensationiscalledreflux,andthemorereflux,thehigherthelevelofseparation.Ifthelynearmisangleddownward,thenanyvaporinthelynearmthatcondenseswillfallforwardtowardthecondenserandbecomepartofthedistillatepassingtothereceiver.However,ifthelynearmisangledupward,condensationfallsbacktothekettleandwillcreateadditionalrefluxand,therefore,additionalseparation.

AgooseneckstillclearlyshowingthelynearmatWoodfordReserveDistillery.

BEVERAGESPRODUCEDINGOOSENECKSTILLS

Becausethelong,broadneckprovidesalargesurfacearea,whichresultsinalargerproportionofrefluxthancrudepotstills,gooseneckstillsaremoresuitablefordistillingbeveragealcohol.Thegooseneckstillsaresuitedtotheproductionofwhiskey,brandy,rum,schnapps,andothernon-neutralspirits,forwhichtheyarewidelyusedcommercially.However,theyarenotsuitableforthe

whichtheyarewidelyusedcommercially.However,theyarenotsuitablefortheproductionofvodka,gin,orotherspiritsderivedfromneutralalcohol,whichrequiresahigh-separationstillcapableofproducingpureazeotropeethanol.

Thewashdistilledingooseneckstillsistypicallyseparatedfromthesuspendedsolids,muchlikethemaltwashesusedformakingScottishmaltwhisky.Somegooseneckstillsareheatedbyanopenfireunderthekettle,whichwouldresultintheburningofsuspendedsolidsiftheywereinthewash.However,mostcontemporarystillsareheatedwithsteamjackets.This,combinedwitharummager,canenablethesestillstoboilfullmasheswithallthegraininthekettlewithoutburningthesolidsonthebottomofthepot.

Arummagerisanagitatingdevicethatslowlyturnsaroundinsidethestillpot,dragginganetofcopperchainsalongthebottomofthekettletopreventsolidsfromcakingupandburningduringdistilling.

ANATOMYOFACRAFTWHISKEYSTILL

Notallcraftwhiskeystillsarealike,butmostsharethesamebasicconstruction.

ModelofagooseneckForsythswhiskystill.

CONTINUOUS-RUNCOLUMNSTILLThistypeofstillisusedforproducingenormousvolumesofspiritinacontinuousoperationthatrunsconstantlyforuptoelevenmonthsstraightbeforeitisshutdownforcleaningandoverhauling.Theycommonlyhaveafractionatingcolumnthatstandsabout100feet(30.5m)high(similartothatofanoilrefinery)andaseriesofbubble-captraysspacedeverycoupleoffeet(0.8m)upthecolumn.Thetraysarefartherapartnearthebottomandgetclosertogethertowardthetop.Ithasnopotorkettle,perse,anditisheatedbyblastingsteamupwardfromthebottomofthecolumnwhilethewashiscontinuouslyfedintoatrayatthemiddleofthecolumn.

Asthewashrunsdownthroughthetraysofthecolumn,itencountersthehotsteam,whichvaporizesthecompoundsinthewashandcarriesthemupthecolumn.Thelower-boilingcompoundscontinuetoriseupthecolumnwhilethehigher-boilingonescondenseandarecarrieddownthecolumn.Thecolumnhasanexitvalveateverytraywherevaporcanbedrawnoffandledtoacondenser.Thisenablestheoperatorstoconfigurethesystemsocertaintraysleadtoacondenserthatgoestotheheadsreceiver,anothersetoftrayscanbesenttotheheartsreceiver,andothertrayscanbesenttothetailsreceiver.Whatflowstothebottomofthecolumnisresiduethatissenttothedrain.Apossibleconfigurationforbourbonwouldhavethetoptwotraysconfiguredforheads,thenthenextfourconfiguredforhearts,thenextfivefortails,andtherestofthetrayswouldrefluxwithnodrawoffandwhatreachedthebottomwouldbediscardedasresidue.

Thedraw-offrateswouldbesetuptomaintainaheartsfractionwith,say,aconstant65percentABV.Bourbonthat’sdistilledinacontinuous-runcolumnstillisusuallydoneintwodistillations,bothwiththeheartsdrawnoffatabout65percentABV.

Becauseacontinuous-runstillrunsformanymonthsatatime,thewashmustbefairlyclearwithaminimumofsolids;otherwise,thebuildupofresidueinthesystemwouldbecomeuntenableandthesystemwouldneedtobeshutdowntobecleaned.So,thereisnoprocesswithacontinuous-runstillwherebytheentiremashisdistilled.Themashmustalwaysbestrainedorfilteredbeforebeingplacedinthereservoirsupplyingthestill.

Thedistillerymusthaveabatteryoffermentersthatareinconstantoperationateachstageofthefermentationprocesstokeepupwiththecontinuousdemand

eachstageofthefermentationprocesstokeepupwiththecontinuousdemandforwashforthestills.

THECONTINUOUS-RUNDESIGNFLAWThereisaninherentdesignflawinthistypeofstill.Becausethecontinuous-runstillhasaconstantflowofnewwashcomingintoitatalltimes,therearealwaysheadsandtailspresentinthecolumn.Thisisunlikeabatchstill,whichisanyofthenoncontinuousstillsdiscussedinthistext,wheretheheadsaredrawnoffatthebeginningoftherunandthentheyaregone.Inacontinuous-runoperation,allfractionsareconstantlybeingintroducedtothecolumnbytheincomingwash.Thisposesnoproblemwiththetails,becauseatthetrayswheretheheartsaredrawnoff,thetailsarelowerinthecolumnandare,therefore,notpresenttobedrawnoffwiththehearts.However,headsarestillpresentatthesetrays,sonomatterhowwellacontinuous-runstillisequilibratedthere’llalwaysbeasmallamountofheadsintheheartsfraction.

Havingsaidthis,thecontinuous-runcolumnisahigh-separationstillthatmakesverypreciseseparationofthecompoundsinitscolumn.Thereisalwaysgoingtobeatraceamountofheadsinthehearts,andthisamountisstillwithintheallowablelimitsforpotablespirits.Inmostcases,itislessthantheresidualheadsfoundintheheartsfromcommercialbatchstills.

FRENCHCHARENTAISALAMBICSTILLThistypeofstillisusedalmostexclusivelyformakingbrandy,includingCognac,Armagnac,Calvados,andotherfamousFrenchbrandies.Itisdesignedespeciallytoleavealotofthearomaticsandflavorinthedistillate,andisthereforeoneofthelower-separationbeverage-alcoholstills.Becauseofthisquality,spiritsareusuallydistilledtwiceinaFrenchCharentaisalambicstill.Whiskeycanalsobemadeinthisdesignofstill.Itisfunctionallyquitesimilartothegooseneckstill,butitcreatesalowerlevelofseparation,makingaricherandcreamier-tastingwhiskey,butwithalittlemorefuselalcohol.

TheFrenchCharentaisalambicstillhasthreemajorcomponents:thekettlewithhelmet,thepreheater,andthecondenser.Thehelmetisthechamberjustabovethekettle,anditservesasanexpansionchamber,whichworkswelltoholdbackalotoftheheaviercompounds,suchasfuselalcoholsandfurfurols,whileallowingthedesirablearomaticsandflavorstobecarriedoverintothedistillate.

Thepreheater,asthenameimplies,preheatsthenextbatchofwinetobedistilled.Itisalsousedasareservoirtoenableanear-continuousdistillationprocess.Somebrandydistillerssimplyincludethemaspartofthehearts(nottheheads).Inthisway,continuouslyfeedingwineintothekettleispossible.Becausethereisnoworkablewaytodrainthepotduringoperation,thecontinuousfeedingofwinemuststopwhenthekettleistoofulltotakeanymore.

Thisalembicstillwascustom-builtbyDynamicAlembicbyreconfiguringaGrundybeertank.

Priortoadistillationrun,thepreheaterisfilledwithwinetobeheatedforthenextdistillation.Thepreheaterhasthevaportubefromthepotpassingthroughitonitswaytothecondenser.Thistransfersheatfromthevaportothewinebeforethevaporentersthecondenser.Thisheatsthewineinthepreheatertonearboilingduringthedistillationrunandreducestheamountofheatthatthecondenserhastodissipate,therebymakingefficientuseofheatandreducingtheamountofcoolingwaterused.

Thepreheaterhasapipewithavalveleadingfromittothekettle.Whenadistillationrunisfinishedandthepothasbeendrained,theoperatorcanopenthevalveandfillthekettlewithanotherchargeofwinefromthepreheaterthat’salreadyatnear-boilingtemperature.Thismakesefficientuseofheatandsignificantlyreducestheamountoftimetobringthenextbatchofwinetoaboil.ThecondenserinaFrenchCharentaisalambicstill,asinmosttypesofstills,consistsofthecoppercoilimmersedinawaterjacketwithcoldwatercirculating

consistsofthecoppercoilimmersedinawaterjacketwithcoldwatercirculatingaroundit.

AlembicstillinstallationinFrance.

BEVERAGESPRODUCEDINALAMBICSTILLS

Thesestillsareinvariablyusedtodistillwine,orinthecaseofwhiskey,distiller’sbeer.Theyarenotgenerallyusedtodistillfullmasheswithallthesolidsleftin.However,design-wise,theCharentaiscouldbeusedtodistillmasheswithsolidsbecauseitskettleisthesameasthatofthestandardalembic,whichiswidelyusedtomakegrappaandmarcfromgrapepomace.Todothis,asievetraymustbeinsertedintothekettletoserveasafalsebottomtoholdthesolidsabovethebottomofthepotandpreventburning.

HYBRIDPOTSTILLThistypeofstillisthemostversatileofallthestills.Eachartisanpotstillisnearlymadetoorder,basedonadistiller’sneedsandpreferences.Itscomponentsincludeaspherical-shapedkettle,acondenser,andawidevarietyofoptionalcomponents,suchasasteamjacketoradirectfire,anagitator,ahelmet,oneortwocolumnsofbubble-captrays,adephlegmator,andacatalyzer.

Thespherical-shapedkettleevenlyheatsthesubstrate,particularlyifthereisanagitator.And,ahybridstillthat’ssteamheatedandhasanagitatorcanbeusedtodistillanywash.Evenwashesfulloffruitpulporgrainmashcanbeheatedinthisconfigurationofkettlewithoutanyriskofburningonthebottomofthepot.Also,byconstantlyagitatingthewashthroughoutthedistillationrun,thedistillerycansaveabout20percentontheheatrequiredtoperformthedistillation.

Theabilitytodistilltheentirewash,includingallthesolids,purportedlygivesasuperiorflavortothespiritproduced.Apparently,thefruitmashesformakingschnappsyieldaricher,morecomplexflavoriftheycanbedistilledwithallthefruitpulpinthekettle.Manywhiskeydistillerscontendthesametobetruefordistillinggrainmashes,andalmostallbrandsofAmericanwhiskeyaredistilledwiththegrainsolidsinthestill.

A2-column,16-platehybridstillforvodkaproductionatNOLADistilling,NewOrleans,LA.

Twincolumnsofbubble-captrays.

Thehelmetcomponent(optional)istechnicallyanexpansionchamber,anditisusuallyanearlysphericaldomethatsitsdirectlyontopofthekettle.Asvaporrisesfromthepot,itpassesthroughacomparativelynarrowpassagewayintothelargervolumeofthehelmet.Thisresultsinasuddenreductioninvaporvelocity,whichhelpsholdbackhigher-boiling-pointcompoundswhileallowingdesirablearomaticsandflavorstocontinueupthecolumn.Somedistillerssaythishelmetiskeytoproducingatrulyexcellentspirit.

Fromthehelmet,thevaporrisesintothecolumn.Insomehybrid-potstillconfigurations,thecolumnismounteddirectlyontopofthehelmet.Whenthereisnohelmet,thecolumnismounteddirectlyontopofthekettle.Inotherconfigurations,suchastwocolumns,thecolumnispositionedbesidethepot.Thereasonforthisisthestillwouldstandtoohighformostfacilitiesifthecolumnwerestackedontopofthehelmetorevenontopofthekettle.Withinthecolumnarebubble-captrays.Thevaporrisesupthetubesunderthebubblecapsandbubblesoutfromunderthecapandthroughthestandingliquidoneachtray.Thestandingliquidoverflowsatacertaindepthtothenexttraybelow.Compoundseparationtakesplacebytheredistillationthatoccurswhentheheatfromthevaportransferstothestandingliquid.Thiscauseshigher-boiling-pointcompoundsinthevaportocondenseandlower-boiling-pointcompoundsintheliquidtoevaporate.Theoveralleffectistodrivethelower-boiling-pointcompoundsupthecolumninvaporstateandthehigher-boiling-pointcompoundsdownthecolumninliquidstate.

OPTIONALSTILLCOMPONENTS

Modernhybridstillshaveaninterestingfeaturethatallowstheoperatortobypassanyofthetraystovarytheseparationlevelforthecolumn.Thereareleversonthesideofthecolumnconnectedtoeachtray,andtheoperatorcanpositionthelevertocausethetraytoturnsidewaysandallowthevaporsandliquidtopassby.Ortheoperatorcanpositionthelevertheotherwaytoputthetrayinplacesothatitisfullyengagedinprocessingreflux.

Thedephlegmatorresidesabovethetopbubble-captray.Itisachamberatthetopofthecolumnwithnumerousverticaltubesforthevaportotravelthroughonitswaytothecondenser.Thereisawaterjacketaroundtheverticaltubesthattheoperatorcanfloodwithcoolingwatertoincreasetheamountofreflux.Therateofwaterflowinthedephlegmatorcanbeadjustedtogivegranularcontrolovertheamountofreflux.

TheMoor’scaponthisalembicstillhasadistinctivelookandgivesauniqueflavorprofiletothedistillates.

Havingthecapabilitytodialupordowntherefluxcreatesagreatdealofcontroloverthecompoundmixinthefinishedspirit.Forexample,ifagivenspirithadanexcellentaromaandflavorprofilebutaroughfinishduetoanexcessoffuselalcohol,therefluxcouldbedialedupslightlytoholdbackthefusel.

Thecatalyzerispositionedabovethedephlegmatorandhasanarrayof“sacrificial”copper.Copperisanimportantmaterialinastillbecausethe

“sacrificial”copper.Copperisanimportantmaterialinastillbecausethenoxioussulfidesinthevaporinstantlyreactoutuponcontactwithcopper.However,asthisoccursovertime,thecoppermaterialofthestillbecomescompromised,andexpensivestillcomponentsrequirereplacing.Theideaofthecatalyzeristohaveachamberwithcopperinthevaporpathspecificallydesignedtoreactoutthesulfidesfromthevapor.Overtime,thiscoppererodesfromthereactionwiththesulfides,butitcanbecheaplyreplaced.Ineffect,thecopperinthecatalyzerisbeingsacrificedtosavethecoppermaterialofthestill.

Thecatalyzeralsoreactsoutethylcarbamate(alsocalled“urethane”)whichiscarcinogenic.Ethylcarbamateisgenerallyformedasaresultofureainthefermentationsubstrate.Theamountofnaturalureainafermentationisverylow,butovertheyearsureahasbeenaddedasayeastnutrienttoprovidenitrogenfortheyeast.

Insummary,hybridstillscanbesuperbstillsandarewellknownformakingqualityspirits.

Unfortunately,theirthroughputiscomparativelyslow,anddistilleriesareoftenputinthepositionofhavingtooptforlargerthroughputstills,suchasthecontinuous-runcolumn,tomeetthedemandsoftheirmarkets.

Hybridstill.

COLUMNCONFIGURATIONThenumberofbubble-captraysinthecolumndependsontheintendeduseofthehybridstill,anditisthereforeoptional.Someartisanpotstillsareusedtomakevodkaandhavetwotallcolumnswithatotaloftwentybubble-captrays.Anexcellentconfigurationformakingwhiskey,however,wouldbeastillwithahelmet,acolumnwithfourtrays,adephlegmatorandacatalyzer.

THEBATCH-STILLPROCESSOFDISTILLATION

THEDISTILLATIONprocessisoperationallythesameforallfourbatchstillsdiscussedpreviously:themoonshinestill,thegooseneckstill,theFrenchCharentais,andtheartisanpotstill.Thecontinuois-runcolumnstillhasadifferentregimen,anditisdescribedinthesectionthatfollows.

HEADS,HEARTS,ANDTAILSIndistillingparlance,thecompoundsinthewashthatarenotethanolorwaterarecalledcongeners.Somecongeners,suchasacetaldehyde,methanol,andcertainestersandaldehydes,havelowerboilingpointsthanethanol;certainotheresters,thehigheralcohols(fuselalcohols)andwater,havehigherboilingpointsthanethanol.Thismeansthelower-boiling-pointcongenerscomeoutinhighconcentrationatthebeginningofabatchdistillationrun,andthehigher-boiling-pointonescomeoutinhighconcentrationtowardtheendoftherun,leavingtheethanolandthemostdesirablecompoundsasthemostabundantcomponentsduringthemiddleoftherun.Whendistillationtakesplaceinabatchstill,thedistillatethatcomesoutisdividedintothreefractionscalledheads,hearts,andtails.

THEMAJORSTEPSFROMBARLEYTOBARREL

1.MashTun:Usedtoconvertbarleygrainstarchestosugars.

2.Fermentationofthewash.

3.Strippingofthewashtoremovewater.

4.Collectionof“lowwine”spirits.

5.Redistillingthelowwinetoproducefinalspiritsforbarreling.

6.Barrelingoragingofspirits.

Theheadscontaintheunwantedlower-boiling-pointcongenersthatcomeoutatthebeginningoftherun.

Thetailscontaintheunwantedhigher-boiling-pointcongenersthatcomeoutattheendoftherun.

Theheartsarethedesiredspiritinthemiddle.

Becausewhiskeyisnotdistilledatahigh-separationlevel,itmeansthateachfractionbleedsintotheadjacentfraction.Thatistosay,thereisaconsiderableamountofethanolintheheadsfraction,andtherearelate-headscongenersatthebeginningoftheheartsfraction.Similarly,thereisasignificantamountofearly-tailscongenersattheendofthehearts,andthereisaconsiderableamountofethanolinthetailsfraction.Thewhiskey,comprisedmostlyofethanolandwater,hasadelicatebalanceoflate-headsandearly-tailscongenersthatmakeuptheflavorprofileofthewhiskey.

theflavorprofileofthewhiskey.

Thereareliterallythousandsofthesecongeners,orchemicalflavorcompounds,createdduringthedistillingprocess,allofwhichhavethepotentialofaddingtoorsubtractingfromthedesiredfinalflavorprofileofthedistilledspirit.Partoftheart(asopposedtothescience)ofdistillingisknowingwhenthesecongenersarecomingoutofthestill,andwhentoaddthemtotheheartsoraddthemtothefeints.Inflavor-specificspirits,suchasbrandyandwhiskey,itisdesirabletocarryoverselectedcongenersintothefinishedspirit.However,inflavor-neutralspirits,suchasvodka,thegoalistoremoveasmanycongenersaspossibletoendupwithaspiritthathasaclean,nonspecificpalate.

Becauseboththeheadsandthetailscontainalotofethanolandresidualdesirableflavor,theyaremixedtogetherandsavedforfuturerecovery.Theheadsandtailswhenmixedtogetherarecalledfeints.Feintscanbedistilledseparatelytoproduceanotherwhiskeyrun,ortheycanbemixedinwithafuturespiritrun,wheretheirethanolandflavorsarerecoveredasapartofthatrun.However,eachsubsequentdistillationproducesitsownsetofheads,hearts,andtails,andthefeintsfromthoserunsarealsosavedforfuturerecovery.

TWO-RUNDISTILLATIONWhenwhiskeyismade,itisusuallydoneintwodistillationruns:abeer-strippingrunandaspiritrun.Thebeer-strippingrunisgenerallydoneinalarger,high-volumepotstillcalledabeerstripper.Thebeerstripperisusedtodistillthefermentedwashandconcentratetheethanolandalltheimpuritiesintoadistillateofabout25percentethanol,calledlowwine.

Thespiritrunisdoneinasmallerwhiskeystill,suchasagooseneckorahybridstill,calledaspiritstill.Thespiritstillisusedtodistillthelowwineandrefineitintothefinishedspirit.Therearetwooutputsretainedfromthespiritrun:thefinishedspiritandthefeints.

Forabeer-strippingrun,thefermentedwash,whichistypicallyabout8percentABV,isloadedintothebeerstripper,andthecontentsarebroughttoaboil.Becausethisrunisjustaprimarydistillation,theheads,heartsandtailsarenotseparatedout.Theentireoutputfromthisruniscollectedinasinglelot,andtheruniscontinueduntiltheaggregatepercentalcoholisdownto25percentABV.Thisdistillateisthelowwine,whichistheinputtothespiritrun.

Toproducethefinishedwhiskey,thespiritstillisfilledwiththelowwinefromthebeer-strippingrunandoftenameasureoffeintsfrompreviousspiritruns.Thespiritstillisthenbroughttoaboil.

Itiswiththespiritrunthatthedistilleradjuststheboil-upratetoachieveagentle,slowflowofdistillateandcarefullyseparatesouttheheads,hearts,andtails.

SINGLE-RUNDISTILLATIONSomewhiskeydistilleriesproducetheirwhiskeyinasingledistillation.Theydoaspiritrundirectlyfromthewash.Thehybridstillsdiscussedpreviouslyarewellsuitedtothistypeofwhiskeydistillation,butitislaborintensiveandthedistillermustpayalotofattentiontonumeroussmallerrunsratherthanonelargerrun.

Somepeoplefindthewhiskeyfromasingle-distillationruntobericherandhaveamorenaturalflavor,whileothersfindittobeharshandunrefined.Inthefollowingtext,themorecommondouble-distillationmethodisused.

MAKINGTHECUTS

Probablythemostelusivepartofthedistillingprocessformakingwhiskeyismakingthecutsfromheadstoheartsandthentotails.Makingacutfromonefractiontothenextisthepointwherethedistillerswitchestheoutputsothatitiscollectedinadifferentreceiverthanthepreviousfraction.Attheendofthespiritrun,theheadswillbeinonecontainer,theheartsinanotherandthetailsinathirdone.Thequestionis:whendoyouswitchfromonefractiontothenext?

Experienceddistillersdothisbytaste.Eventhoughtherearemeasurableparameters,suchasstill-headtemperatureandpercentalcoholoftheincomingspiritthatcanbeusedtojudgewhentomakethecuts,tasteandsmellstillremainthemostreliablemethodsfordeterminingthem.

Herearetheempiricalparametersforjudgingthecuts:Thepercentalcoholofthespiritthatisflowingoutofthestill(theincomingspirit)

Thestill-headtemperature

Thesevaryfromonestilltothenext,andtheyvarybasedonthepropertiesofthelowwine(e.g.,percentalcoholandquantity).Itispossibletodevelopaconsistentprocessusingthesamestillandthesamequantityandformulationoflowwine,suchthattheparametersremainthesameforeachrun.Forexample,inaspiritruninahybridstillwithlowwinethatis25percentABV:Begin-cut(thecutfromheadstohearts)isusuallydonewhentheevolvingdistillateisatabout80percentandwhenthestill-headtemperatureisabout180°F(82°C).End-cut(thecutfromheartstotails)isoftendoneatabout65percentandwhenthestill-headtemperatureisabout201°F(94°C).

However,aspiritdistilledfromastraightmaltwashcanoftenbeend-cutaslowas60percentABV.Also,agooseneckstilldistillingtheverysamewashmaybegin-cutat72percentABVandend-cutat59percentABV.Therefore,itisbecauseofthesenuancesthatsmellandtastebecometheonlytrulyreliableindicatorsofwhentomakethecuts.

BEGIN-CUT

Whenmakingthebegin-cut,thetastecharacteristicsthatthedistillerislookingforareasfollows.Whenaspiritruncomestoboilandthefirstdistillatestartsflowingfromthestill,thisisthebeginningoftheheadsfraction.Thedistillercancollectasmallsampleofthedistillateonaspoonorinawineglassandsmellit.Atthisstage,thedistillatewillhavethesickeningsmellofsolvents(suchasnail-polishremoverorpaint-brushcleaner).However,beforelong,thissolventsmelldiminishes,andevenwhenasampleistasted,thesecompoundswillbeveryfaint.Asthesolventcharacterdisappearscompletely,thedistillatewillstarttotakeonahintofwhiskey.Thisflavorwillincreaseuntilitbecomesverypronouncedandhighlyconcentrated.Itiswhenthisflavorisclearlyevident,butisstillincreasinginintensity,thatthedistillercutstotheheartsfraction.

END-CUT

Tomaketheend-cut,thedistillerneedstomonitortheflavorforchangesintaste.Atthebeginningoftheheartsfraction,theintensityofthewhiskeyflavorwillstillbeincreasing,anditwillcontinuetodosountilitbecomesverystrong.However,astheheartscontinue,theintensewhiskeyflavorwillfadeintoasmooth,sweet,pleasantflavorthatwillpersistformostofthehearts.Theflavorwillchangeslightlyastheheartsprogress,butitwillremainsweetandpleasant.Towardtheendofthehearts,theflavorwillstartlosingitssweetness,andatraceofharshbitternesswillbegintoappearintheflavor.Thisharsh,bitterflavoristheonsetofthetails.Althoughasmallamountofthisbitternessisconsideredtocontributetothe“bite”characterofthewhiskey,thedistillershouldcuttothetailsreceiverbeforemuchofitisallowedtoenterthehearts.

Thetailscanbecollecteduntiltheevolvingdistillateisdowntoabout10percentandthestill-headtemperatureisabout206°For208°F(97°Cor98°C).Thereasonfordoingthisistorenderalltheresidualalcoholthatisleftinthestillattheendoftheheartsfraction.Thisalcoholcanthenberecoveredinafuture

theendoftheheartsfraction.Thisalcoholcanthenberecoveredinafuturespiritrun.

Thetailsfractionstartsoutbitterandthebitternessbecomesmoreintenseasthetailscontinue,butasthetailsprogress,thebitternesssubsidesandgiveswaytoasweet-tastingwater.Thissweetwateriscalledbackins.

THECONTINUOUS-RUNPROCESSOFDISTILLATION

Inacontinuous-rundistillationprocess,washisconstantlyenteringthecolumn,soallthreefractions(heads,hearts,andtails)arepresentinthecolumnatalltimes.Thismeanstherecan’tbeadiscretecutwheretheheadsaredrawnoffandtheheartsbegin,orthattheheartsendandthetailsbegin.Allthreefractionsmustbedrawnoffatthesametime.

Acontinuous-runcolumnisahigh-separationfractionatingstillthatseparatesthecompoundsverywell,sooncethestillisequilibratedandfunctioninginitssteadystateofoperation,thedistillerscandeterminewhichfamiliesofcompoundsareateachtray.Forexample,theymightdeterminethatthecompoundscomingoutofthetoptwotraysareheadscompoundsandroutethosetwotraystotheheadsreceiver.Similarly,theymightobservethatthecompoundscomingoutofthenextfourtraysdownarehearts.Thentheymightdeterminethatthefivetraysbelowtheheartstraysareproducingtailsandroutethemtothetailsreceiver.Belowthetailstraysjustwaterwouldbecomingout,andthevalveswouldbeclosed,soitwouldbelefttoflowtothebottomofthecolumnandthentoadrain.

Becausethistypeofstillisnotintermittentinitsoperation,itmustbesetuptoconstantlydrawthethreefractionsofdistillateatalltimes.Althoughthisisdifficulttosetup,itcanproduceverylargequantitiesofspirittwenty-fourhoursadayforalongtime.

Chapter3

WHISKEY

THISchapterintroducestheprocessofdistillingaworld’sworthofwhiskeys,includingNorthAmericanstylesofbourbon,Tennessee,rye,blendedAmerican,corn,andCanadian,andontoScotchandIrishwhiskeysfromEurope.

Ofallofthebasiccategoriesofspirits,whiskeyhasspreadthemostacrosstheworld,achievingageographicandstylisticdiversitythatisunmatchedbyanyothertypeofdistilledspirit.Fromthebasicgrain-baseddistilledspiritsofninth-centuryIreland,ScotlandandnorthernEuropehaveevolvedtheclassicwhiskeysofScotlandandIreland.Thesespirits,inturn,servedasthemodelsfordistillersinthenewlysettledNorthAmericancoloniestoproducewhatcametobethefirstmodernryewhiskeyandtheninrapidsuccession,corn,bourbon,blendedAmericanandCanadianwhiskies.

Allofthesenow-classicstylesofwhiskeyhave,inrecentdecades,servedasthestylisticinspirationformyriadnewwhiskeysthroughouttheworld,fromGermanytoAustraliaandNepalinbetween.Someofthesenewwhiskeysarebasedonexistingstyles.Japanesewhiskeydistillers,forexample,havegenerallytakentheirinspiration(andmalt,andsometimeseventheirwater)fromScotland.Othersareboldlygoingforthinnewdirections,particularlyamongthenewgenerationofAmericancraftdistillers.“ALWAYSCARRYAFLAGONOFWHISKEYINCASEOFSNAKEBITE,ANDFURTHERMORE,ALWAYSCARRYASMALLSNAKE.”W.C.Fields,Americanactorandworld-classdrinker

JosephMagnusCigarBlendBourbonbyJos.A.Magnus&Co.Distillery,Washington,D.C.

THEHISTORYOFBOURBONWHISKEY

INtheearly1700s,acombinationofbadeconomictimesandreligiousunrestagainsttheAnglicanChurchinGreatBritainsetoffawaveofemigrationfromScotlandandIreland.TheseScots,Irish,andso-called“Scotch-Irish”(ProtestantsfromthenorthernIrishcountyofUlster)broughttoNorthAmericatheirreligion,theirdistrustofgovernmentcontrol,andtheirskillatdistillingwhiskey.

Thisrush,augmentedbyGermanimmigrantsofasimilarreligiousandculturalpersuasion,passedthroughtheseaboardcoloniesandsettledinitiallyinPennsylvania,Maryland,andwesternVirginia.Mostlysmallfarmers,theyquicklyadaptedtogrowingryebecauseofitshardinessand,inthewesterncounties,NativeAmericancornbecauseofitshighyields.GrainwasawkwardtoshiptoEastCoastmarketsbecauseofthepoorroads,somanyfarmersturnedtodistillingtheircropsintowhiskey.InPennsylvania,thesewereprimarilyryewhiskeys;farthertothewestandsouthcornwhiskeyspredominated.BytheendoftheAmericanWarofIndependencein1783,thefirstcommercialdistillerieshadbeenestablishedinwhatwasthenthewesternVirginiacountyofKentucky.Fromthestart,theyproducedcorn-basedwhiskeys.

In1791,thecash-strappedfederalgovernmentimposedthefirstfederalexcisetaxondistillers.Thefarmer-distillersofwesternPennsylvaniarespondedviolently.Federaltaxagentswereassaultedandkilledbyangrymobs.Orderwasfinallyrestoredin1794whenthefederalgovernmentsentinanarmyof15,000militiamen,ledbyGeorgeWashington,toputdowntherevolt.Theringleaderswereconvictedandsentencedtobehanged.Butcoolerheadsprevailed,andafterjailtimetheywerepardonedandreleased.ThissituationdidprovokeanewmigrationofsettlersthroughtheCumberlandGapandintothethenwesternfrontierlandsofKentuckyandTennessee.Inthesenewstates,farmersfoundidealcorn-growingcountryandsmoothlimestone-filteredwater,twoofthebasicingredientsofbourbonwhiskey.

Whiskeybarrelsonthemove.

WHISKEYVSWHISKYIsitwhiskeyorwhisky?Well,thatdependsonwhereitismade,moreorless.IfitismadeinScotland,England,Wales,Canada,India,AustraliaorJapan,itiswhisky.IfitismadeinIrelandortheUnitedStatesitiswhiskey,exceptifitisMakersMarkBourbon,inwhichcaseitiswhisky.Elsewhereintheworld,itcanbespelledeitherway,sometimesinthesamecountry(helloNetherlands).SincethisbookiswrittenbyandpublishedintheUnitedStates,wewillusewhiskey(anditspluralwhiskeys)asthedefaultspelling,exceptwhenreferringtoabrandortypeofwhiskeythatspecificallyusesthewhiskyspelling.

ThenamebourboncomesfromacountyineasternKentucky,whichinturnwasnamedfortheBourbonkingsofFrance,whohadaidedtheAmericanrebelsintheRevolutionaryWarintheearlynineteenthcentury.BourbonCountywasacenterofwhiskeyproductionandtransshipping.(Ironically,atthepresenttime,itisa“dry”county.)Thelocalwhiskey,madeprimarilyfromcorn,soongainedareputationforbeingparticularlysmoothbecausethelocaldistillersagedtheirproductsincharredoakcasks.Theadoptionofthe“sourmash”grainconversiontechniquefurtherdistinguishedbourbonfromotherwhiskeystyles.

Bythe1840s,bourbonwasrecognizedandmarketedasadistinctiveAmericanstyleofwhiskey,althoughnotasaregionallyspecificspirit.Bourboncametobe

styleofwhiskey,althoughnotasaregionallyspecificspirit.BourboncametobeproducedinKentucky,Tennessee,Indiana,Illinois,Ohio,Missouri,Pennsylvania,NorthCarolina,andGeorgia,althoughtheonlylegalrequirementforcallingawhiskey“bourbon”isthatitbeproducedintheUnitedStates.Nowadays,bourbonproductionisslowlyexpandingtootherstatesasnewcraft-whiskeydistillerscomeonline.Initially,bourbonwasmadeinpotstills,butasthecenturyprogressed,thenewcolumnstilltechnologywasincreasinglyadopted.Thelastold-linepotstillplantclosedinPennsylvaniain1992,butthetechniquewasrevivedinKentuckyin1995whenthehistoricLabrot&GrahamDistillery,nowknownastheWoodfordReserveDistillery,wasrenovatedandreopenedwithasetofnew,Scottish-builtcopperpotstills.Morerecently,mostofthenewgenerationofcraft-whiskeydistillersusepotstills.

Thelatenineteenthcenturysawtheriseofthetemperancemovement,asocialphenomenondrivenbyapotentcombinationofreligiousandwomen’sgroups.Temperancesocieties,suchastheWomen’sChristianTemperanceUnionandtheAnti-SaloonLeague,operatednationally,buttheywereparticularlyactiveinthesouthernstates.Thenotionoftemperancesoongavewaytoastateddesireforoutrightprohibition,andthroughouttherestofthecenturyanassortmentofstatesandcountiesadoptedprohibitionforvaryinglengthsoftimeanddegreesofseverity.Thismuddleoflegalrestrictionsplayedhavocinthebourbonindustry,becauseitinterferedwiththeproductionandagingofstocksofwhiskey.

LabelforPappyVanWinkle’sFamilyReserveKentuckyStraightBourbonWhiskey.

LabelforHudsonBabyBourbonbyTuthilltownSpirits.

LabelforBlanton’sSingleBarrelKentuckyStraightBourbonWhiskeybyBuffaloTraceDistillery.

WHO’SYOURWHISKEYDADDY?

ThecurrentholygrailofAmericanwhiskeybrandsisthePappyVanWinklelineofbourbonsandryewhiskeys.Yes,therereallyis,orwas,aJulian“Pappy”VanWinkleSr.(hepassedontohiswell-deservedrewardin1965atage89),butthereneverwasanOldRipVanWinkleDistillery,andtheStitzel-WellerDistilleryinShively,Kentucky,thatPappyranclosedin1991.Thebrandhasbeenproducedsince2002attheBuffaloTraceDistilleryunderthesupervisionofJulianVanWinkleIII.Other“sourcedwhiskey”brandshaveevenmoretenuousconnectionstotheirnameddistillery.SincethebeginningofcommercialwhiskeyproductionintheBritishIslesandNorthAmerica,distillerieshavesoldfinishedbulkspiritstoeachothertomakeupforproductionshortfallsordisposeofsurpluses.Thishasbeenanormal,ifnotpubliclydiscussed,practiceinthedistillingindustry.Amorerecentphenomenonhasbeentheriseofbrandswithahistoricalpedegree(PogueBros.forexample)ormarketingconcept(Jefferson’sPresidentialSelect),butnoactualdistillery.ThelargestdistilleryintheUnitedStatesthatfewwhiskeydrinkershaveeverheardofisaformerSeagram’splantinLawrenceburg,IN,nowcalledMGPofIndiana,whichhasnobrandsofitsown,butproducesandpackagesover50brandsofwhiskeyforothercompanies,bothlarge(BulleitRyeandGeorgeDickelRye)andsmall(TempletonRyeandmany“craft”spiritbrands).MaturedspiritsfromdistilleriessuchasMGPallowanumberofactualcraftdistilleriestostartupandbeabletosellagedwhiskeyswhiletheyarewaitingfortheirownself-distilledspiritstoproperlyage.Sometimes,thelabelingofsuchbrandsisatadvagueaboutwheretheproductinsidethebottlecomesfrom,butthealternativeisevenmoretoo-youngcraftwhiskeyonthemarketthantherealreadyis.

TheOhioRiver,asseenfrombalconyofthePoguemansion,gavelifetoKentuckybourbonbyprovidingashippingrouteouttotheMississippiRiveranddowntoNewOrleans,whereitcouldbeshippedinternationally.ThefamilyhousesitsabovethesiteofthehistoricalPogueDistilleryand

nexttothecurrentOldPogueDistillery.

Amidthebarrelsofbourbon,JohnPoguereachesforsomethingontheshelvesattheOldPogueDistilleryinMaysville,KY.

NationalProhibitionin1919hadeffectsonthebourbonindustrybeyondshuttingdownmostofthedistilleries.Drinkingdidnotstop,ofcourse,andtheUnitedStateswassoonawashinillegalalcohol,muchofitofdubiousquality.WhatdidchangewastheAmericantasteinwhiskey.IllicitmoonshineandimportedCanadianwhiskieswerelighterintasteandbodythanbourbonandrye.Thecorrespondingincreaseinpopularityofwhitespiritssuchasginandvodkafurtheralteredthemarketplace.Whenrepealcamein1933,anumberoftheolddistilleriesdidn’treopen,andtheindustrybeganaslowconsolidationthatlastedintotheearly1990s,atwhichtimetherewereonlytendistilleriesinKentuckyandtwoinTennessee.

Inthelasthalfofthe20thcentury,almostallbourbonwasmadeinthestatesofKentucky,Virginia,andIndiana.Butwiththeresurgenceofcraftdistilleries,bourbonisnowbeingmadeinmoststates.Craftproducersareincreasinglylookingtowardheirloomstrainsofcornintheirmashbillstocreateuniqueflavorprofiles,marketingdistinctions,andintroduceasenseofterroir.BloodyButcherredcorn,Hopibluecorn,andOlathecornareafewexamples.Manydistilleriesareworkingwithstateuniversitiesandseedbankstorevive

distilleriesareworkingwithstateuniversitiesandseedbankstorevivecultivationofstrainsthathadfallenoutoffashion.

Labrot&GrahamDistillery,nowknownastheWoodfordReserveDistillery,Versailles,KY.

CaskStrengthBloodyRedCornBourbonbyWoodHatSpirits,NewFlorence,MO,earnedBestofClassWhiskeyintheAmericanDistillingInstitute’s2018InternationalJudgingofCraftSpirits.

LegendaryMasterDistillerJimmyRussel,ofWildTurkey,sharesabellylaughwithChrisMorris,MasterDistilleratWoodfordReserve,duringabourbontastingintheBrownHotel,Louisville,KY,

attheAmericanDistillingInstitute’sAnnualConference.

StraightBourbonWhiskeybyWoodinvilleWhiskeyCo.,Woodinville,WA.

OYOSherry-FinishedBourbonWhiskeybyMiddleWestSpirits,Columbus,OH.

ElkRiderBourbonWhiskeybyHeritageDistillingCo.,GigHarbor,WA.

BourbonRubenesquebyWoodHatSpirits,NewFlorence,MO.

Diablo’sShadowLimitedEditionCaliforniaStraightBourbonWhiskeybySutherlandDistillingCo.,Livermore,CA.

BourbonWhiskeybySugarHouseDistillery,SaltLakeCity,UT.

TENNESSEEWHISKEYTENNESSEEwhiskeyisafirstcousinofbourbon,withavirtuallyidenticalhistory.Thesamesortofpeopleusedthesamesortofgrainsandthesamesortofproductiontechniquestoproduceastyleofwhiskeythat,remarkably,isnoticeablydifferent.TheearlywhiskeydistillersinTennessee,forreasonsthatarelosttohistory,addedafinalsteptotheirproductionprocesswhentheybeganfilteringtheirwhiskeythroughthickbedsofsugar-maplecharcoal.Thisfiltrationremovessomeofthecongeners(flavorelements)inthespiritandcreatesasmooth,mellowpalate.Thetworemainingold-linewhiskeydistillersinthestatecontinuethistradition,whichadistillerattheJackDaniel’sDistilleryoncedescribedasbeing“samechurch,differentpew.”ThenewergenerationofTennesseecraft-whiskeydistilleriesarelessweddedtotraditionandproduceavarietyofwhiskeys,includingbourbonandsinglemalt.

BarrelsattheCorsairDistillery,Nashville,TN.

Nelson'sGreenBrierTennesseeWhiteWhiskeybyNelson'sGreenBrierDistillery,Nashville,TN.

RYEWHISKEY

THEScotch-Irishimmigrantdistillershadsomeexposuretousingryeinwhiskeyproduction,butfortheirGermanimmigrantneighbors,ryehadbeentheprimarygrainusedintheproductionofschnappsandvodkabackinnorthernEurope.Theycontinuedthisdistillingpractice,particularlyinPennsylvaniaandMaryland,whereryewhiskey,withitsdistinctivehard-edged,grainypalate,remainedthedominantwhiskeytypewellintothetwentiethcentury.

RyewhiskeywasmoreadverselyaffectedbyProhibitionthanbourbonwas.Agenerationofconsumersweanedonlight-bodiedandrelativelydelicatewhitespiritsturnedawayfrompungent,full-bodiedstraightryewhiskeys.Productionofryewhiskeyhadvanishedaltogetherfromthemid-Atlanticstatesbythe1980s.AhandfulofmodernryewhiskieswhiskeyssurvivedbybeingmadebybourbondistilleriesinKentuckyandIndiana,wheretheirprimaryusewasforblendingtogiveotherwhiskeysmorecharacterandbackbone.Throughthesedarkyears,asmallbutvocalgroupofryewhiskeyenthusiastscontinuedtochampionit,andtodayboththenationaldistilleriesandanumberofnewcraftdistillersareagainproducingtheirinterpretationsofthisclassicAmericanwhiskeystyle.

DarkNorthernReserveStraightRyeWhiskeybyFremontMishciefDistillery,Seattle,WA

Tom'sFooleryRyeWhiskey,ChagrinFalls,OH.

Nelson'sGreenBrierTennesseeWhiteWhiskeybyNelson'sGreenBrierDistillery,Nashville,TN.

WashingtonRyebyCentralStandardCraftDistillery,Milwaukee,WI.

BLENDEDAMERICANWHISKEYBLENDEDwhiskeysdatefromtheearlynineteenthcenturywhentheinventionofthecolumnstillmadepossibletheproductionofneutralspirits.Distillersblendedoneormorestraightwhiskeys(bourbonandrye)withtheseneutralspiritsinvaryingproportionstocreatetheirownbrandedblend.Thetasteandqualityofthesewhiskeys,thenasnow,variesaccordingtotheratioofstraightwhiskeytoneutralgrainspirit.Earlyblendswerefrequentlyflavoredwitheverythingfromsherrytoplugtobacco.Comparedtostraightwhiskeys,theywereinexpensiveandbland.Modernblendsutilizedozensofdifferentstraightwhiskeystoensureaconsistentflavorprofile.BlendedAmericanwhiskeyshadagreatsalesboostduringandjustafterWorldWarII,whendistillerspromotedthemasawayofstretchingtheirlimitedsupplyofstraightwhiskey.Blendedwhiskeyswereconsideredtobetooblandbybourbonandryedrinkers,andconsumerswithatasteforlighterspiritssoonmigratedovertovodkaandgin.

Blendingwhiskeysisanartformuntoitself,wherewhiskeysfromavarietyofsourcesareblendedtogetherinsubblendsthatarethemselvesblendedintoamasterblend.Dozens,andeven

hundreds,ofwhiskeysmaybeusedtomakeoneblend.

MurrayHillClubSpecialReleaseBlendedBourbonbyJos.A.Magnus&Co.Distillery,Washington,D.C.

CORNWHISKEYCORNwhiskey,anunaged,clearspirit,wasthefirsttrulyAmericanwhiskey,andtheprecursortobourbon.Scotch-Irishfarmersproduceditintheirstillsforfamilyconsumptionortotradeforstoregoods.WhenstateandfederalexcisetaxeswerepermanentlyintroducedduringtheCivilWar,mostoftheproductionofcornwhiskeywentundergroundtobecomemoonshine,whereithasremainedeversince.AmodestamountofcommercialcornwhiskeyisstillproducedandconsumedintheSouth,whileanincreasingnumberofcraft-whiskeydistilleriesarenowexperimentingwiththismoreinterestingalternativetovodka.

TrueBlueCornWhiskey,madefromHopibluecornbyBalconesDistilling,Waco,TX.

TheNotchNantucketIslandSingleMaltWhiskeybyTripleEightDistillery,Nantucket,MA.

SherryWoodAmericanSingleMaltWhiskeybyWestlandDistillery,Seattle,WA.

AmericanCaskStrengthSingle-MaltWhiskeybyMoylan’sBrewingCo.,Novato,CA.

ColkeganSingleMaltWhiskeybySantaFeSpirits,SantaFe,NM.

CANADIANWHISKEYCANADIANwhiskies,aswiththeirAmericancousins,originatedonthefarm.Theseearlywhiskeysweremadeprimarilyfromrye,thoughovertimeCanadiandistillersturnedtocorn,wheat,andothergrains.Canadianscontinuetorefertotheirwhiskeyasrye,eventhoughthemashbillisnowpredominantlyamixofcorn,wheat,andbarley.SeveralofthenewgenerationofCanadiancraftdistillersand,morerecently,nationaldistillersinOntarioandAlbertaare,however,nowmarketingbothall-maltand“true”ryewhiskeys.

NOT-SO-TRIVIALPURSUITThefirstwavesofBritishsettlersinNorthAmericawereathirstylot.ItisrecordedthatthePilgrims

ThefirstwavesofBritishsettlersinNorthAmericawereathirstylot.ItisrecordedthatthePilgrimschosetomakefinallandfallinMassachusetts,eventhoughtheiroriginaldestinationwasVirginia,primarilybecausetheywerealmostoutofbeer.

Thefirstlocallymadealcoholicbeveragewasbeer,althoughthelimitedsupplyofbarleymaltwasfrequentlysupplementedbyeverythingfromsprucetipstopumpkin.Distilledspiritssoonfollowed,withrummadefromimportedCaribbeanmolassesdominatinginthenortherncoloniesandanassortmentoffruitbrandiesintheSouth.

THEHISTORYOFNORTHAMERICANWHISKEY

FlamesshootoutofabarrelasitischarredatCantonCooperage,Lebanon,KY.

TheCodeofFederalRegulations(CFR)stipulatesthatmosttypesofNorthAmericanwhiskeysbeagedinnew,charredoakbarrels.

NORTHAmericanwhiskeysareall-grainspiritsthathavebeenproducedfromamashbillthatusuallymixestogethercorn,rye,wheat,barley,andothergrainsindifferentproportions,andthenisagedforanextendedperiodoftimeinwoodenbarrels.Thesebarrelsmaybeneworused,andcharredoruncharredontheinside,dependingonthetypeofwhiskeybeingmade.

MostnoncraftNorthAmericanwhiskeysaremadeincolumnstills.TheUnitedStatesgovernmentrequiresthatallwhiskeys:Bemadefromagrainmash.Bedistilledat90percentABVorless.

Bereducedtonomorethan62.5percentABV(125°proof)beforebeingagedinoakbarrels(exceptforcornwhiskey,whichdoesnothavetobeagedinwood).

Havethearoma,taste,andcharacteristicsthataregenerallyattributedtowhiskey.

Bebottledatnolessthat40percentABV(80°proof).

WhiskeybarrelsondisplayinanoldtruckoutsidetheJepthaCreedDistillery,Shelbyville,KY.

Farmdistillersareproudofthequalityofgraintheygrowfortheirwhiskeys.

CLASSIFICATIONSOFNORTHAMERICANWHISKEYS

NORTHAMERICANwhiskeysareessentiallyclassifiedbythetypeorvarietyofgrainsinthemashbill,thepercentageorproofofalcoholatwhichtheyaredistilled,andthedurationandmanneroftheiraging.

STYLE DEFINITION HOWEVER…

BourbonWhiskey Mustcontainaminimumof51percentcorn,beproducedintheUnitedStates,bedistilledatlessthan80percentABV(160°proof)and,beagedinnewcharredbarrels.Tobestraightbourbonwhiskey,itmustbeagedforaminimumoftwoyears.

Inpractice,virtuallyallstraightwhiskeysareagedforatleastfouryears.Anybourbon—oranyotherdomesticorimportedwhiskey—thatisagedlessthanfouryearsmustcontainanagestatementonthelabel.

SmallBatchBourbon Bourbonsthatarebottledfromasmallgroupofspeciallyselectedbarrelsthatareblendedtogether.

Thechoiceofbarrelsispurelysubjectiveonthepartofthemasterblender.

SingleBarrelBourbon Bourbonfromonespecificcask.

Thechoiceofthebarrelispurelysubjectiveonthepartofthemasterblender.

TennesseeWhiskey MustbedistilledandagedinTennessee,containaminimumof51percentcorn,bedistilledatlessthan80percentABV(160°proof),befilteredthroughabedofsugar-maplecharcoal,andbeagedforaminimumoftwoyearsinnewcharredbarrels.

Inrecentyears,asthesalesvolumeofTennesseewhiskeyshasincreased,theagingonmanyofthemajorbrandsbeyondtherequiredminimumoftwoyearshasdecreased.Youhavebeenwarned.

RyeWhiskey Mustcontainaminimumof51percentryegrain,bedistilledatlessthan80percentABV(160°proof),andbeagedforaminimumoftwoyearsinnewcharredbarrels.

Ryewhiskey’sdry,peppery,astringentcharacterrequiresatleastfouryearsofagingtosoftenitsotherwisehardedge.

BlendedAmerican Mustcontainatleast20 Ithasageneralwhiskeyflavor

BlendedAmericanWhiskey

Mustcontainatleast20percentstraightwhiskey,withthebalancebeingunagedneutralspiritor,inafewcases,high-prooflightwhiskey.

Ithasageneralwhiskeyflavorprofile(mostcloselyresemblingbourbon),butlacksanydefiningtastecharacteristic.

CornWhiskey Thiscommercialproductmustcontainatleast80percentcorn,bedistilledatlessthan80percentABV(160°proof)andbeagedforaminimumoftwoyearsinneworuseduncharredbarrels.

Cornwhiskeyistheexceptiontotherulethatrequireswhiskeytobeagedtoreachitsfullflavorpotential.Well-madecornwhiskeyhasabright,fruity,almostsweetpalatethatfadeswithtime.

MoonshineWhiskey(akawhitelightning,cornlikker,whitedog)

DistilledfromamixofcornandsugarandagedinMasonjarsandjugs.

ItisagedforthelengthoftimethatittakesthecustomerstogethomeortheDukesofHazzardtomakeadeliveryintheGeneralLee.

CanadianWhisky Madeprimarilyfromcornorwheat,withasupplementofrye,barley,orbarleymalt.TherearenoCanadiangovernmentrequirementsforthepercentagesofgrainsusedinthemashbill.Theyareaged,primarilyinusedoakbarrels,foraminimumofthreeyears,withmostbrandsbeingagedforfourtosixyears.

VirtuallyallCanadianwhiskies(exceptthepot-distilledmaltwhiskiesofGlenorainNovaScotia)areblendedfromdifferentgrainwhiskeysofdifferentages.

BulkCanadianWhiskies Usuallyshippedinbarrelstotheirdestinationcountry,wheretheyarebottled.Thesebulkwhiskeysareusuallybottledat40percentABV(80°proof)andareusuallynomorethanfouryearsold.

Additionalagingstatementsonthelabelsofsomeofthesewhiskeysshouldbetreatedwithdeepskepticism.

BottledinCanadaWhiskeys

Generallyhaveolderwhiskeysintheirblendsandarebottledat43.4percentABV(86.8°proof).

Age,inthiscontext,isstillarelativething.Ten-year-oldCanadianwhiskyisconsideredareally,reallyoldwhiskey.

Astirringpaddlesitsoveramoonshinewash.

BarleygrowinginafieldinWashingtonState.

NORTHAMERICANWHISKEYREGIONSNorthAmerica’svariationsofwhiskeyareasnuancedanddistinctasthecontinent’sregions.Mostareagedinnewwoodbarrels,butbeyondthattherehasbeenmuchexperimentinginrecentyears.

TheWillettDistillery,Bardstown,KY.

StrykerSmokedSingleMaltWhiskeybyAndalusiaWhiskeyCo.,Blanco,TX.

UNITEDSTATES

UNITEDSTATES

KentuckyproducesalltypesofNorthAmericanwhiskeys,exceptforTennesseeandCanadian.Itcurrentlyhasthelargestconcentrationofwhiskeydistilleriesonthecontinent,withnewfacilities,bothnationalandcraft,openingeveryyearoverthepastdecade.ButitmaysooncedethatclaimtoMichigan,Colorado,oroneofthePacificNorthweststatesasnewcraftdistilleriescontinuetoopen.

Tennesseestartedoutasbourboncountry,andwhileitstwomajornationalwhiskeydistilleriesspecializeinthedistinctiveTennesseestyleofwhiskey,anewgenerationofbourboncraftdistillerieshavesprungupintheseconddecadeofthe21stcentury.

OtherstatessuchasIndianaandVirginiastillhavelargedistilleriesthatproducestraightwhiskeys.Inrecentyears,newcraft-whiskeydistillerieshaveopenedthroughouttheUnitedStates,withnoteworthyconcentrationsinNewYork,Colorado,California,andthePacificNorthwest.

CANADA

OntariohasthelargestconcentrationofnationalwhiskeydistilleriesinCanada,withthree.Albertahastwo,andManitoba,QuebecandNovaScotiaeachhaveone,producingmostlyblendedwhiskey.GlenorainNovaScotiaandKittlingRidgeinOntariohaveleadthenewgenerationofCanadiancraftdistillersinproducingavarietyofstraightryeandmaltwhiskeys.

BarrelsofbourbonagingattheWoodfordReserveDistillery.

REGIONALFLAVORS

Therearenowmorethan1,200craftdistilleriesinmost(ifnotall)50statesthatareproducingsuchstandardwhiskeystylesasbourbon,corn,andrye,aswellasmanyexperimentalvariations.OneexampleisWasmund’sSingleMaltWhiskyfromtheCopperFoxDistillery,Virginia.BothitsSperryvilleandWilliamsburgdistilleriesfloormalttheirownbarley,smokingthegraininvariousfruitwoodsforaddedflavorandcomplexity.Thissortofproductiontwist,whichhasitsrootsincraftbrewing,isincreasinglybecomingadistinctivefeatureof

rootsincraftbrewing,isincreasinglybecomingadistinctivefeatureofAmericancraftdistilling.

RickWasmundmaltsbarleybyhandattheCopperFoxDistillery,Sperryville,VA.

Additionally,thereareanumberofdistillingplants,bothlongestablishedandcraftoperations,thatrectify(redistill),process,andbottlespiritsthatwereoriginallydistilledelsewhere.Thesedistilleries,inadditiontosometimesbottlingbourbonandryethathasbeenshippedtotheminbulk,mayalsocreatetheirownblendedwhiskeys.Someofthesewhiskeyscanberelativelyinexpensive“well”brandsthataresoldmainlytotavernsandbarsformakingmixeddrinks.Butothers,particularlyfromcraftdistillersandcraftspiritmarketers,aremarketedashigh-end,high-pricedproducts.Thissellingofbulkspirits(bothagedandunaged)betweendistillersisapracticethatdatesbacktothebeginningofcommercialdistilling,andwhilenotmuchtalkedaboutinpublic,isbothlegalandanacceptedwayofdoingbusinessinthedistilleryindustry.Forexample,thelargestwhiskeydistillerinIndianasellsvirtuallyallofitsbourbonandryewhiskeyproductiontootherwhiskeydistilleriesandmarketers.

AvarietyofproductsfromCopperFoxDistillery,Sperryville,VA.

Washbeingmadeinthemashtun.

Washbeingmadeinthemashtun.

Bubblesriseduringgrainfermentation.

AWHISKEYLEXICON

BONDEDWHISKEYisbourbonfromasingledistillerythatwasproducedinasingle“season”andthenagedforatleastfouryearsinagovernment-supervised“bonded”warehouse,andbottledatthatsamefacilityat100proof(50percentABV).Distillersoriginallypushedforthislaw,passedin1897,toavoidhavingtopaytheexcisetaxuntilthewhiskeywasagedandreadyformarket.Inadaywhenrectifiers,inordertomakeclearspiritstastelikewhiskey,wereliabletoadulteratethemwithanynumberofillicitandsometimespoisonousflavoringagents,“BottleinBond”offeredtheprotectionfortheconsumersandwhiskeybrandsalike.Bondedwhiskeysdriftedintoobscurityforawhile,butarereturningtopopularityasanewgenerationofcraftdistillerstriestodistinguishtheirspiritsfromtheproductsofblendinghouses.

THEMASHisthemixofcrushedgrain(includingsomemaltthatcontainsenzymestobreakdowngrainstarchesintosugars)andhotwaterfromwhichthedistillerdrawsaliquidextractcalledwort.Thewortisfermentedintoasimplebeercalledthewash,whichisthendistilled.

SOURMASHisthefermentationprocessbywhichapercentageofapreviousfermentationisaddedtoanewbatchasa“starter”togetthefermentationgoingandmaintainalevelofconsistencyfrombatchtobatch.Asweetmashmeansthatonlyfreshyeastisaddedtoanewbatchtostartfermentation.

STRAIGHTWHISKEYisunblendedwhiskeythathasbeenagedforatleasttwoyearsandcontainsnoneutralspiritorflavorings.Bourbon,Tennessee,rye,andcornwhiskeyscanallbestraightwhiskeys.Thereisalsoaspirit,simplycalled“straightwhiskey,”thatismadefromamixtureofgrains,noneofwhichaccountsfor51percentofthemashbill.

SCOTCHWHISKY,IRISHWHISKEY,ANDOTHERWHISKEYSOFTHEWORLD

Whiskeyisdefined,initsmostbasicsense,asaspiritthatisdistilledfromgrain.Sometimes,thegrainhasbeenmalted,sometimesnot.Whatdistinguisheswhiskeyfromvodka,gin,aquavit,andothergrain-basedspiritsisthatitisaged,oftenforlongperiodsoftime,inwoodenbarrels(usuallyoak).Thisbarrelagingsoftenstheroughpalateoftherawspirit,addingaromaticandflavoringnuancesalongwiththebaseamberhuethatsetswhiskeysapartfromwhitegrainspirits.

THEHISTORYOFSCOTCHWHISKYThebasisofScotchwhiskyistheheather-flavoredalesmadefrombarleymaltthatthePictsandtheirprehistoricancestorsbrewed.Archeologistshavefoundevidenceofsuchbrewingdatingbacktoatleast2000BCE.Thisale,stillproducedtodaybyatleastoneScottishmicrobrewer,waslowinalcoholandnotverystable.

Startingintheninthcentury,IrishmonksarrivedinScotlandtoChristianizetheirCelticbrethren.Theybroughtalongthefirstprimitivestills,whichtheyhadpickedupduringtheirproselytizingvisitstomainlandEuropeduringtheDarkAges.ThelocalPictssoonfoundthattheycouldcreateastablealcoholicbeveragebydistillingheatherale.Simplestillscametobefoundinmostruralhomesteads,andhomemadewhiskybecameanintegralpartofGaelicculture.

BarrelsagingandForsythstillsatthePenderynWhiskyDistilleryinWales.

AslongasScottishkingsruledthecountryfromEdinburgh,thestatusquoofwhiskyasjustanotherfarmproductwasmoreorlessmaintained.ButtheActofUnionin1707thatcombinedEngland,Wales,andScotlandintotheUnitedKingdomalteredtheScotchwhiskysceneforever.TheLondongovernment

soonleviedexcisetaxesonScottish-madewhisky(whileatthesametimecuttingthetaxesonEnglishgin).Theresultwasapredictableboominillicitdistilling.In1790sEdinburgh,itwasestimatedthatmorethan400illegalstillscompetedwithjusteightlicenseddistilleries.Anumberofpresent-dayScottishdistilleries,particularlyintheHighlands,havetheiroriginsinsuchillicitoperations.

The$187-millionnewMacallanDistilleryinSpeyside.

TheExciseActof1823reducedtaxesonScotchwhiskytolerably.Thisactcoincidedwiththedawnoftheindustrialrevolution,andentrepreneursweresoonbuildingnew,state-of-the-artdistilleries.Thelocalmoonshiners(calledsmugglers)didnotgoquietly.Someofthefirstlicenseddistillersinrurallocationswerethreatenedbytheirillicitpeers.Butintheend,production

locationswerethreatenedbytheirillicitpeers.Butintheend,productionefficienciesandtheruleoflawwonout.Thewhiskythatcamefromthesedistillerieswasmadeexclusivelyfrommaltedbarleythathadbeenkilndriedoverpeatfires.ThesmokefromthesepeatfiresgavethemaltadistinctivetangthatmadetheScottishproductinstantlyidentifiablebywhiskeydrinkersallovertheworld.

ChivasBrothersLtd.TormoreDistillery.

ThenineteenthcenturybroughtarushofchangestotheScotchwhiskyindustry.Theintroductionofcolumnstillsearlyinthe1830sledtothecreationofgrainwhisky,whichinturnledtoblendedScotchwhiskyinthelate1860s.Thesmoothblandnessofthegrainwhiskytoneddowntheassertivesmokycharacterofthemaltwhiskeys.Theresultingblendedwhiskywasmilderandmoreacceptabletoforeignconsumers,particularlytheEnglish,whoturnedtoScotchwhiskyinthe1870swhenaphylloxerainfestation(aninsectpestthatdestroysgrapevines)inthevineyardsofEuropedisruptedsuppliesofcognacandport,twoofthemainstaysofcivilizedliving.Maltwhiskydistillerieswereboughtupbyblendingcompanies,andtheiroutputwasblendedwithgrainwhiskeystocreatethegreatblendedbrandsthathavecometodominatethemarket.Themaltwhiskydistilleriestookabackseattothesebrandsandsoldmostor,insomecases,alloftheirproductiontotheblenders.Therecentpopularrevivalofmaltwhiskeyshasledmostofthedistilleriestocomeoutwithbottlingsoftheirownproducts.

Talisker18-year-oldSingleMaltScotchWhisky.

Bythe1990s,internationalliquorcompaniesownedmostoftheold-linemaltwhiskydistilleries,asituationthatcontinuestothisday.Morerecently,anewgenerationofcraft-whiskeydistillerieshavebegunproductioninGreatBritain,notonlyinScotland,butalsoinEngland.

Laphroaig10-year-oldSingleMaltScotchWhiskyfromtheIslandofIslay.

WHYBLENDEDSCOTCHWHISKYISAGOODTHING,EVENIFYOUPREFERSINGLEMALTSItisatruismofreligionthatconvertsfrequentlybecomethemostzealousofbelievers.Amongfreshlymintedmodern-dayenthusiastsofScotchmaltwhiskeys,itisafrequentlyheardrefrainthatmaltwhiskeysaresuperiortotheblendedarticle,andthatthelatterarejustnotworthbotheringwith.Personaltasteisultimatelysubjective,ofcourse.Butsingle-maltdrinkersshouldraisetheirhatsinsalutewheneveraDewar’sorJohnnieWalkerdeliverytruckdrivesby,becausewithouttheseblendedbrandsmostoftheremainingmaltdistillerieswouldnotexist.BlendedScotchwhiskiesrequireablend

brandsmostoftheremainingmaltdistillerieswouldnotexist.BlendedScotchwhiskiesrequireablendofdozensofdifferentmaltwhiskeystobecombinedwiththegrainwhiskytocreatethedesiredblend.Theindividualpercentagesofeachmaltwhiskymaybesmall,buteachcontributesitsuniquecharactertotheblend.Ablenderwillthusneedtobuyorproducealargeamountofdifferentmaltwhiskeystomaintaintheconsistencyoftheblend.Thus,foramaltwhiskydistillery,thesinglemaltmaygetalloftheglory,buttheblendsultimatelypaythebills.

THEHISTORYOFIRISHWHISKEYTheScotsmostlikelylearnedaboutdistillingfromtheIrish(thoughtheyareloathtoadmitit).TheIrishinturnlearnedaboutit,accordingtotheIrishatleast,frommissionarymonkswhoarrivedinIrelandintheseventhcentury.Theactualdetailsareabitsketchyforthenext700yearsorso,butitdoesseemthatmonksinvariousmonasteriesweredistillingaquavitae(“wateroflife”),primarilyformakingmedicinalcompounds.Thesefirstdistillateswereprobablygrapeorfruitbrandyratherthangrainspirit.Barley-basedwhiskey(thewordderivesfromuiscebeatha,theGaelicinterpretationofaquavitae)firstappearsinthehistoricalrecordinthemid-1500s,whentheTudorkingsbegantoconsolidateEnglishcontrolinIreland.QueenElizabethIwassaidtobefondofitandhadcasksshippedtoLondonregularly.

Theimpositionofanexcisetaxin1661hadthesameeffectasitdidinScotland,withtheimmediatecommencementoftheproductionofpoteen(theIrishversionofmoonshine).Thisdidnot,however,slowthegrowthofthedistillingindustry,andbytheendoftheeighteenthcenturythereweremorethan2,000stillsinoperation.

UnderBritishrule,Irelandwasexport-oriented,andIrishdistillersproducedlargequantitiesofpot-distilledwhiskeyforexportintotheexpandingBritishEmpire(alongwithgrainsandassortedfoodstuffs).Inthelatenineteenthcentury,morethan400brandsofIrishwhiskeywerebeingexportedandsoldintheUnitedStates.

Thishappystateofaffairslastedintotheearlytwentiethcentury,whenthemarketbegantochange.TheIrishpotstilluserswereslowtorespondtotheriseofblendedScotchwhiskywithitscolumn-distilled,smooth-grain-whiskycomponent.WhennationalProhibitionintheUnitedStatesclosedofftheirlargestexportmarket,manyofthesmallerdistilleriesclosed.Theremainingdistilleriesthenfailedtoanticipatethecomingofrepeal(unliketheScotchdistillers)andwerecaughtshortwhenitcame.TheGreatDepression,tradeembargoesbetweenthenewlyindependentIrishRepublicandtheUnitedKingdom,andWorldWarIIcausedfurtherhavocamongthedistillers.

In1966,thethreeremainingdistillingcompaniesintheRepublicofIreland—Powers,Jameson,andCorkDistilleries—mergedintoasinglecompany,IrishDistillersCompany(IDC).In1972,Bushmills,thelastdistilleryinNorthernIreland,joinedIDC.In1975,IDCopenedanewmammothdistilleryatMidleton

Ireland,joinedIDC.In1975,IDCopenedanewmammothdistilleryatMidletonnearCork,andalloftheotherdistilleriesintherepublicwerecloseddownwiththeproductionoftheirbrandsbeingtransferredtoMidleton.Fora14-yearperiod,theMidletonplantandBushmillsinNorthernIrelandweretheonlydistilleriesinIreland.

Thissadstateofaffairsendedin1989,whenapotato-peelethanolplantinDundalkwasconvertedintoawhiskeydistillery.ThenewCooleyDistillerybegantoproducemaltandgrainwhiskeys,withthefirstthree-year-oldbottlingsreleasedin1992.Sincethenavarietyofnewnationalandcraftdistillerieshaveopened,orinthecaseofTullamoreDew,reopened,inIreland,withmanymorebeingplanned.

KeithTench,visitorcentremanager,poseswithdistillerGillianHowellatthePenderynWhiskyDistilleryinWales.

DistillerLanceWintersleadsagroupofotherdistillersonatourofSt.GeorgeSpirits/Hangar1Vodka.Here,theyaremarvelingatthegleamingcolumnstills.

DISTILLINGTIMELINE

SpiritType Fermentation Min.aging Max.aging

BRANDIES

BrandyVS 3weeks 2years 5years

BrandyVSOP 3weeks 4years 15years

BrandyXO 3weeks 6years 20–30years

Grappa 1week 1month 3years

AppleBrandy 3weeks 2years 20years

FruitBrandy 3weeks 4–6months 4years

WHISKEYS

Scotch 1week 3years 30years

Irish 1week 3years 10years

Bourbon 1week 2years 20years

Tennessee 1week 2years 6years

Rye 1week 2years 25years

Corn 4days 2years 2years

Canadian 1week 3years 10years

Moonshine 4days 1week 1week

RUMS

White 3days 2months 2years

Golden 3days 1year 3years

Dark 1week 1year 4years

Añejo/Aged 1week 5years 30years

TEQUILAS

Blanco 1week None 2months

Reposado 1week 3months 9months

Reposado 1week 3months 9months

Añejo/Aged 1week 1year 4years

VODKAS

All 3days None 3months

GINS

Dry 3days None None

Genever 1week 1year 3years

THEHISTORYOFJAPANESEWHISKEYThemodernJapanesewhiskeyindustrycantraceitsbeginningsbacktooneman,MasatakaTaketsura.Thesonofasakebrewer,TaketsurawenttoScotlandin1918andspenttwoyearsstudyingchemistryatGlasgowUniversityandworkingataScotchwhiskydistilleryinRothesintheHighlands.HereturnedtoJapanin1920withaScottishbrideandadeterminationtochangetheJapanesedistillingindustry.

TheJapanesewerethen;astheyarenow,majorconsumersofScotchwhisky.Locallyproducedspirits,however,werelimitedtothefierysorghum-orsweet-potato-basedshochu,andahandfulofdubious“whiskeys”thatwerelittlemorethanneutralspiritscoloredwithcaramel.TaketsuraconvincedtheownersofwhatbecametheSuntoryCompanytobeginproductionofbarleymaltandgrainwhiskeysbasedontheScottishmodel.Thesewhiskeys,someofwhicharemadefromimportedpeat-smokedScottishmalt,becameverysuccessfulintheJapanesemarket.OtherdistilleriesfollowedSuntory’slead,andthesewhiskeys,basedonScotchwhiskymodels(andlaterbourbonwhiskey),soondominatedthemarket.ModernJapanesedistillers(includingtheNikkaWhiskyDistillery,whichwasfoundedbyTaketsurain1934)havefollowedthistrendandnowadaysproduceandmarketafullrangeofmaltandblendedwhiskeys.Sincearound2005,thefirstofanewgenerationofcraftdistillerieshaveenteredthemarket,producingmostlymaltwhiskeys.

KaruizawaNumberOneSingleCaskWhisky(Japan).ThedistilleryislocatedinthefoothillsofMountAsama,anactivevolcano.

YamazakiDistilleryShimamoto,Osaka,Japan12-year-oldSingleMaltWhisky(Japan)

STYLE DEFINITION HOWEVER…

SingleMaltScotchWhisky Maltwhiskythathasbeenproducedatonedistillery.Itmaybeamixofmaltwhiskiesfromdifferentyears.ThebarleymaltforScotchwhiskyisfirstdriedoverfiresthathavebeenstokedwithdriedpeat.Thepeatsmokeaddsadistinctivesmokytang.

Ifitcontainsamixofwhiskiesfromdifferentyears,theagestatementonthebottlelabelgivestheageoftheyoungestspiritinthemix.

VattedMaltScotchWhisky BlendofmaltwhiskiesfromdifferentScottishdistilleries.

Ahiglyunderratedstyle,fornogoodreason.Thetermblendedmaltwhiskymeansthesamething.

ScotchGrainWhisky Madefromwheatorcornwithasmallpercentageofbarleyandbarleymalt.

Rarelybottled,butwell-agedexamplescanbedelicatedrams.

BlendedScotchWhisky Blendofgrainwhiskyandmaltwhisky.

Theratioofmaltwhiskytograinwhiskyintheblendcanvaryconsiderablyamongbrands.Thenumberofmaltwhiskeysinthemaltwhiskycomponentcanrangefromahandfultodozens

IrishPotStillWhiskey Unlesslabeledassuch,Irishwhiskeysareamixofpot-andcolumn-distilledwhiskeys.

Onceuponatime,allIrishwhiskeyswerepot-distilled.ColumnstillswereforScots.

IrishMaltWhiskey Canbepot-distilled,column-distilledoramixtureofboth.

Irishmaltshavemadeawelcomecomebackinrecentyears.

IrishWhiskey Ablendofmaltandgrainwhiskeys.

Theratioofmalttograinwhiskeycanvarywidely,whichisnotnecessarilyreflectedintheprice.

JapaneseMaltWhisky Producedinpotstillsfromlightlypeatedbarleymalt.

BroadlymodeledonScottishHighlandMaltWhiskiesand,insomecases,doneverywellindeed.

JapaneseWhisky Ablendofmaltwhisky(JapaneseorScotch)anddomesticallyproducedgrain

Nottobeconfusedwithshochu,nativeJapanese

domesticallyproducedgrainwhisky.

whisky,whichismadefromrice,sorghum,orbarleyandisaverydifferentearthysortofspirit.

NewZealandSingleMaltWhisky

Pot-distilledmaltwhisky. NewZealandwhiskydistilleriesopenandclosewiththefrequencyofrugbysportsbars,sogoodluckfindingany.

NewZealandBlendedWhisky

Amixofdomesticmaltandgrainwhiskeys.

Occasionally,itmayevenhavesomedomesticallymadewhiskeyinit.

AustralianWhisky AllcurrentlyproducedAustralianwhiskeysarepot-distilledmaltwhiskeys.

TasmaniaisthecenterofthenewgenerationofAustralianwhiskydistilling.

THEHISTORYOFNEWZEALANDANDAUSTRALIANWHISKIESScottishemigrantsbroughttheirwhiskey-makingskillstoNewZealandinthe1840s.Athrivingwhiskeyindustrysoondevelopedandoperateduntil1875,whennew,excessivelyhighexcisetaxesandheavycompetitionfromimportedBritishwhiskeysforcedthelocalcommercialdistilleriestoshutdown.Anew,almostcommercial-sizedmoonshinetradequicklyreplacedthem,asituationthatcontinuestothisday.

In1968anewnationalwhiskeydistilleryopenedinDunedin,whichlasteduntil1997.Itproducedarangeofmaltandgrainwhiskeys,broadlyintheScottishstyle,fromlocallygrowngrain.Eventhebarleymaltiskilnedandsmokedusinglocalpeat.Sincethebeginningofthe21stcentury,amodestnumberofnewcraftwhiskeydistillerieshavebegunproduction.

Australianwhiskeyproductionhasexperiencedasimilarvariedhistory,withassorted19th-centuryproducerspoppingupinthevariousstates,onlytobedrivenoutofbusinessbyBritishimports.Earlyattemptsinthe1990storevivewhiskeyproductionhavebeenfollowedmorerecentlybyanewgenerationofmoresuccessfulcraft-whiskeydistillers,particularlyontheislandofTasmania.

LimeburnersSingleMaltWhisky,CaskStrength,SherryCaskfromtheGreatSouthernDistillingCompanyAlbayAustralia.

Thousandsofbarrelsstackedoutsideacooperage.

THEBASISOFSCOTCHWHISKY,IRISHWHISKEY,JAPANESEWHISKY,TAIWANWHISKY,INDIANANDPAKISTANIWHISKY,NEWZEALANDANDAUSTRALIANWHISKIESAllofthesewhiskeystyles,whileverydifferentintasteandstyle,arebasedonmaltedbarleyasthedominantsourceofflavorandcharacter.

SCOTLAND

TherearetwobasiccategoriesofScotchwhisky:maltwhisky,whichismadeexclusivelyfrommaltedbarleythathasbeendriedoversmokingpeatfires,andgrainwhisky,whichismadefromunmaltedwheatorcorn.Thesewhiskeysareagedinusedwoodenbourbonorsherrybarrelsforaminimumofthreeyears,althoughfivetotenyearsisthegeneralpractice.

IRELAND

TherearetwobasiccategoriesofIrishwhiskey:maltwhiskey,whichismadeexclusivelyfrommaltedbarleythathasbeenkiln-dried,butnotoverpeatfires,andgrainwhiskey,whichismadefromunmaltedwheatorcorn.Thesewhiskeysareagedinusedwoodenbourbonorsherrybarrelsforaminimumofthreeyears,althoughfivetoeightyearsisthenorm.

JAPAN

Japanesewhiskeys,bothmaltandblended,arebroadlybasedonScotchwhiskeys,withsometopbrandsevenbeingmadewithimportedScottishwaterandpeat-smokedbarleymalt.Thepeat-smokecharacterofJapanesewhiskeysisgenerallymoresubtleanddelicatethantheirScottishcounterparts.Japanesewhiskeysmaybeagedinbothnewandused(usuallybourbon)woodenbarrels,whichmaybeeithercharredoruncharred.

TAIWAN

TaiwanwhiskeyshavefollowedtheJapanesemodel,andaremostlyScottish-stylemaltwhiskeys.

INDIAANDPAKISTAN

WhiskeyinIndiahasalong,ifrathermixedhistory,withthepopularityofwhiskeydatingbacktotheBritishRaj.However,mostofwhatissoldaswhiskeyinIndia(Bagpiperisamajorbrand),isactuallymadefromsugarcane—

whiskeyinIndia(Bagpiperisamajorbrand),isactuallymadefromsugarcane—soitistechnicallyrum.Asaresult,itcannotbeexportedtotheEuropeanUnion,theUnitedStatesandothercountriesthathavelawsandregulationsthatspecificallydefinewhiskeyasagrain-basedspirit.Inthepastfewyears,asmallamountoftruemaltwhiskey,broadlyintheScottishstyle,isbeingproduced,primarilyfortheexporttrade.Pakistan,officiallya“dry”Muslimcountry,hasonelargebrewerythatalsoproducesmaltwhiskey—officiallyonlyforsaleonlytonon-Muslims.

NEWZEALANDANDAUSTRALIA

NewZealandandAustralianwhiskeysbothdrawonScottish,Irish,andAmericantraditionsinacheerfullymixedmanner,usingbothpeatedandunpeatedlocally-grownbarleymalttoproducemostlypot-distilledmaltwhiskeysthatareagedinusedbourbonandwinebarrelsforatheoretical,ifnotalwaysabsolute,minimumofsixyearsformaltwhiskey.

THEDISTILLATIONOFSCOTCHWHISKY,IRISHWHISKEY,JAPANESEWHISKY,NEWZEALANDWHISKY,AUSTRALIANWHISKEY,TAIWANWHISKY,ANDEUROPEANUNIONWHISKEYSDouble-andeventriple-distillationisthenormforthisfamilyofbarleymalt–basedwhiskeys.

SCOTLAND

AllScotchmaltwhiskeysaredouble-distilledinpotstills,whereasScotchgrainwhiskeysaremadeincolumnstills.

IRELAND

Irishwhiskeys,bothblendedandmalt,areusuallytripledistilledthroughbothcolumnandpotstills,althoughthereareafewexclusivelypot-distilledbrands.

JAPAN,TAIWAN,INDIA,ANDPAKISTAN

JapanesewhiskeysfollowtheScottishtradition,withmaltwhiskeysbeingdouble-distilledinpotstillsandgrainwhiskeysincolumnstills.

NEWZEALANDANDAUSTRALIA

BothNewZealandandAustralianmaltandgrainwhiskeysaredoubledistilledinpotstills,withsomeTasmaniandistilleriesreportedlyexperimentingwithtripledistillation.

TheSpiritofHvenDistilleryinSwedenexperimentswiththeeffectsofdifferentsstylesofmusicontheagingprocessbypumpingsoundintothebarrelswherespiritsareresting.

Detailoffermentingbarleywashformakingwhiskey.

SCOTCHWHISKY,IRISHWHISKEY,JAPANESEWHISKY,NEWZEALANDANDAUSTRALIANWHISKYREGIONS

SCOTLAND

TheHighlandsconsistoftheportionofScotlandnorthofalinefromDundeeontheNorthSeacoastintheeasttoGreenockontheIrishSeainthewest,includingalloftheislandsoffthemainlandexceptforIslay.Highlandmaltwhiskeyscoverabroadspectrumofstyles.Theyaregenerallyconsideredaromatic,smooth,andmediumbodied,withpalatesthatrangefromlushcomplexitytofloraldelicacy.ThesubregionsoftheHighlandsincludeSpeyside;theNorth,East,andWestHighlands;theOrkneyIsles;andtheWesternIslands(Jura,Mull,andSkye).

TheLowlandsencompasstheentireScottishmainlandsouthoftheHighlandsexcepttheKintyrePeninsulawhereCampbeltownislocated.Lowlandmaltwhiskeysarelightbodied,relativelysweet,anddelicate.

Islayisanislandoffthewestcoast.TraditionalIslaymaltwhiskeysareintenselysmokyandpungentincharacterwithadistinctiveiodineormedicinaltangthatissaidtocomefromseasaltpermeatingthelocalpeatthatisusedtodrythebarleymalt.CampbeltownisaportlocatedonthetipoftheKintyrePeninsulaonthesouthwestcoastthathasitsowndistinctivespicyandsalt-tingedmaltwhiskeys.

IRELAND

Aseriesofcorporateconsolidationsandresultingplantclosureslefttheislandwithonlythreedistilleries,oneinCountyAntrimatthenortherntipofUlster,andtwointheRepublicofIrelandtothesouth.SeveralnewandreviveddistillerieshaverecentlyopenedinDublinandelsewhere,andwillbeginreleasingtheirownself-producedwhiskeysinthemid-2020s.

JAPAN

ThewhiskeydistilleriesofJapanarescatteredthroughoutHonshuandHokkaido,thetwomainnorthernislandsofJapan,withthemaltwhiskeydistillerieslocatedforthemostpartinmountainousregionswheretherearegoodwatersupplies.

Tasmaniansculptor/farmer/distillerPeterBignellcharsusedwinebarrelsforreuseaswhiskeycasksatBellgroveDistillery.

NEWZEALANDANDAUSTRALIA

NewZealand’slastnationalwhiskeydistilleryclosedin1997,althoughitsmaturingwhiskeyscontinuetobereleasedinthemarket.Sincetheturnofthe21stcentury,adozenorsonew-generationcraftdistillerieshaveopenedand,insomecases,havealreadyclosed.Australiahasover100distilleriesinoperation,withatleasthalfofthemproducingwhiskey.ThegreatestconcentrationofcraftwhiskeydistilleriesisintheislandstateofTasmania.

EUROPEANUNION

France,Germany,Austria,Switzerland,theNetherlands,andmostoftheScandinaviancountrieshaveasprinklingofwhiskeydistilleries,mostofthemcraftdistilleriesproducingmaltwhiskeyandtheoccasionalstraightrye.Theonenoteworthynoncraftwhiskey,oratleastwhiskey-likespirit,inthisregionis

noteworthynoncraftwhiskey,oratleastwhiskey-likespirit,inthisregionisKorn,alsoknownasKornbran(meaning“grainbrandy”),acerealgrainspiritmadefromrye,wheat,barley,oroatsinNorthernGermany,someofwhichisagedforamodestperiodoftimeinusedoakbarrels.ItissimilartoAmericancornwhiskey,andisreputedtobepopularwithNorthSeafishermenasaphlegmcutter.Historicalfunfact:OttoVonBismarck’sfatherownedaKorndistillery.

TheEtterDistillerieinZuginSwitzerland.

Oswald'Ossi'WeidenauerfromtheDestillerieWeidenauerinAustria.

WHISKEYCOCKTAILSSAZERACInashortglasscombine

2ounces(60ml)ryewhiskey

1teaspoon(5g)sugar

Stirtoblend,thenadd

DashPeychaud’sbitters

DashAngosturabitters

1/2ounce(15ml)Pernod

2icecubesStirtoblend.Garnishwithlemontwist.

DEPTHCHARGEFillatallglassthree-quartersfullofbeer.Pour11/2ounces(45ml)Canadianwhiskyintoashotglass.Droptheshotglassintotheglassofbeeranddrinkthemtogether.

WHISKEYSOURFillashortglasswithice.Inashaker,combine

11/2ounces(45ml)blendedwhiskey1ounce(30ml)lemonjuice

1tablespoon(15g)sugar

Crushedice(half-full)

Shakeandstrainintotheglass.

MANHATTANInashaker,combine

11/2ounces(45ml)bourbon3/4ounce(23ml)sweetvermouthIce

Stirandstrainintoamartini(cocktail)glassorashortglass.Garnishwithamaraschinocherry.

RUSTYNAILFillashortglasswithicecubes.Add

1ounce(30ml)Scotchwhisky

1/2ounce(15ml)DrambuieliqueurStirandserve.

SazeracRyeWhiskey.

Chapter4

VODKA

ASthestorygoes,in988,theGrandPrinceofKiev(Ukraine)decideditwastimeforhispeopletobeconvertedfromtheirpaganwaystooneofthemonotheisticreligionsthatheldswaytothesouth.FirstcametheJewishrabbis.

Helistenedtotheirarguments,wasimpressed,butultimatelysentthemawayafternotingthatthefollowersofJudaismdidnotcontrolanyland.NextcametheMuslimmullahs.Again,hewasimpressed,bothwiththeirintellectualargumentsandthesuccessofIslamasapoliticalandmilitaryforce.ButwhenhewastoldthatIslamprohibitedalcohol,hewasdismayedandsentthemaway.Finally,cametheChristianpriests,whoinformedhimthatnotonlycouldgoodChristiansdrinkalcohol,butalsothatwinewasrequiredforchurchritualssuchascommunion.ThatwasgoodenoughfortheGrandPrince,andonhiscommandhissubjectsconvertedenmassetoChristianity.

PipesandrectificationcolumnsatSutherlandDistillingCompany,Livermore,CA.

“THERELATIONSHIPBETWEENARUSSIANANDABOTTLEOFVODKAISALMOSTMYSTICAL.”RichardOwen,BritishscientistanddrinkingbuddyofCharlesDarwin

THEHISTORYOFVODKA

Historically,theSlavicpeoplesofthenorthandtheirScandinavianneighborstookalcoholicdrinksveryseriously.Theextremecoldtemperaturesofwinterinhibitedtheshipmentofwinesandbeersbecausetheselow-proofbeveragescouldfreezeduringtransit.UntiltheintroductionofdistillingintoEasternEuropeinthe1400s,strongdrinkwasmadebyfermentingwines,meadsandbeers,freezingthemandthendrawingoffthealcoholicslushfromthefrozenwater.

TheearliestdistilledspiritinEasternEuropewasmadefrommead(honeywine)orbeerandwascalledperevara.Thewordvodka(fromtheRussianwordvoda,meaning“water”)wasoriginallyusedtodescribegraindistillatesthatwereusedformedicinalpurposes.Asdistillingtechniquesimproved,vodka(wodkainPolish)graduallycametobetheacceptedtermforbeveragespirit,regardlessofitsorigin.

THEBASISOFVODKA

Vodkaismadebyfermentingandthendistillingthesimplesugarsfromamashofpalegrainorvegetalmatter,whichcanbepotatoes,molasses,beetsoravariety,ofotherplants.Ryeistheclassicgrainforvodka,andmostofthebestRussianandPolishbrandsaremadeexclusivelyfromaryemash.SwedishandBalticdistillersarepartialtowheatmashes,althoughwheatisalsousedfarthereast.PotatoesarelookeddownonbyRussiandistillers,buttheyareheldinhighesteembysomeoftheirPolishcounterparts.Molassesiswidelyusedforinexpensive,mass-producedbrandsofvodka.Americandistillersusethefullrangeofbaseingredients.

VODKAINRUSSIA

Russiansfirmlybelievethatvodkawascreatedintheirland.Commercialproductionwasestablishedbythefourteenthcentury.In1540,CzarIvantheTerribleestablishedthefirstgovernmentvodkamonopoly.Distillinglicenseswerehandedouttotheboyars(thenobility),allotherdistillerieswerebanned,andmoonshiningbecameendemic.

VodkaproductionbecameanintegralpartofRussiansociety.Landownersoperatedstillsontheirestatesandproducedhigh-qualityvodkasthatwereflavoredwitheverythingfromacornstohorseradishtomint.Theczars

flavoredwitheverythingfromacornstohorseradishtomint.Theczarsmaintainedtestdistilleriesattheircountrypalaces.In1780,ascientistatonesuchdistilleryinventedcharcoalfiltrationtopurifyvodka.

Bytheeighteenthandintothenineteenthcentury,theRussianvodkaindustrywasconsideredtechnologicallyadvanced.NewstillsandproductiontechniquesfromWesternEuropewereeagerlyimportedandutilized.Statefundingandcontrolofvodkaresearchcontinued.Undera1902law,“Moscowvodka,”aclear40percentABVryevodkawithoutaddedflavoringsandsoft“living”(undistilled)water,wasestablishedasthebenchmarkforRussianvodka.

FremontMischiefDistillery.

“AVODKAMARTINI,PLEASE.POLISH,NOTRUSSIAN.SHAKEN,NOTSTIRRED.”JamesBond,Agent007,plungingastakeintotheheartofginsales

TheSovietUnioncontinuedgovernmentcontrolofvodkaproduction.Alldistilleriesbecamegovernmentowned,andwhiletheCommunistParty

apparatchikscontinuedtoenjoyhigh-qualityryevodka,theproletariatmasseshadtomakedowithcheapspirits.

VodkaproductioninthecurrentRussianFederationhasreturnedtothepre-revolutionarypattern.High-qualitybrandsareagainbeingproducedforthenewsocialeliteandforexport,whilethepopularlypricedbrandsarestillbeingconsumed,well,likevoda.

VODKAANDTHECLASSSYSTEMThesocietalattitudetowardcheapspiritsmeantfortheproletariatcouldbesummedupbythecuriousfactthatmass-producedvodkawassoldinliterbottleswithanonscrewcap.Onceyouopenedthebottle,itcouldn’tberesealed.Youhadtodrinkitallinonesession.

VODKAINPOLAND

TheearliestwrittenrecordsofvodkaproductioninPolanddatefromthe1400s,thoughsomePolishhistoriansclaimthatitwasbeingproducedaroundthesoutherncityofKrakowatleastacenturyearlier.Originallyknownasokowita(fromtheLatinaquavita,“wateroflife”),itwasusedforavarietyofpurposesinadditiontobeverages.A1534medicaltextdefinedanaftershavelotionas“vodkaforwashingthechinaftershaving.”Herbal-infusedvodkaswereparticularlypopularaslinimentsfortheachesandpainsoflife.

In1546,KingJanOlbrachtgrantedtherighttodistillandsellspiritstoeveryadultcitizen.ThePolisharistocracy,takingacuefromtheirRussianpeers,soonlobbiedtohavethisprivilegerevokedandreplacedbyaroyaldecreethatreservedtothemtherighttomakevodka.

Commercialvodkadistillerieswerewellestablishedbytheeighteenthcentury.Bythemid-nineteenthcentury,athrivingexporttradehaddeveloped,withPolishvodkas,particularlythoseinfusedwithsmallquantitiesoffruitspirit,beingshippedthroughoutnorthernEuropeandevenintoRussia.

WiththefallofCommunisminthelate1980s,thevodkadistilleriessoonreturnedtoprivateownership.Nowadays,high-qualityPolishvodkasareexportedthroughouttheworld.

VODKAINSWEDEN

VodkaproductioninSweden,whichdatesfromthefifteenthcentury,hasitsoriginsinthelocalgunpowderindustry,wherehigh-proofspirit(originally

calledbrännvin)wasusedasacomponentofblackpowderformuskets.Whendistillerieswerelicensedtoproducebeveragealcohol(primarilyspice-flavoredaquavit,butalsovodka),itwaswiththeunderstandingthatgunpowdermakershadfirstpriorityoverbeverageconsumers.

HomedistillingwaslongapartofSwedishsociety.In1830,thereweremorethan175,000registeredstillsinacountryoffewerthanthreemillionpeople.Thistradition,inamuchdiminishedandillegalform,stillcontinuestothisday.ModernSwedishvodkaisproducedbytheVin&Spritstatemonopoly.

PuttinglabelsoverthecapsoffreshlyfilledbottlesofPrezydentVodkaatPolmosŁódzinŁódz,Poland.

VODKAINTHEUNITEDSTATES

VodkawasfirstimportedintotheUnitedStatesinsignificantquantitiesaroundtheturnofthetwentiethcentury.ItsmarketwasimmigrantsfromEasternEurope.AftertherepealofProhibitionin1933,theHeubleinCompanyboughttherightstotheSmirnoffbrandofvodkafromitsWhiteRussianémigréownersandrelaunchedvodkaintotheU.S.market.SaleslanguisheduntilanenterprisingliquorsalesmaninSouthCarolinastartedpromotingitas“SmirnoffWhiteWhisky—Notaste.Nosmell.”SalesboomedandAmericanvodka,aftermarkingtimeduringWorldWarII,wasonitswaytomarketingsuccess.Thefirstpopularvodka-basedcocktailwasacombinationofvodkaandgingerale

firstpopularvodka-basedcocktailwasacombinationofvodkaandgingeralecalledtheMoscowMule.Itwasmarketedwithitsownspecialcoppermug,examplesofwhichcanstillbefoundonthebackshelvesofliquorcabinetsthroughouttheUnitedStates.

Today,vodkaisthedominantwhitespiritintheUnitedStates,helpedalongbyitsversatilityasamixerandsomeverycleveradvertisingcampaigns.Themostfamousofthesewastheclassicdouble-entendretagline:“Smirnoff—Itleavesyoubreathless.”

ThemajorityofAmericancraftdistillersarevodkaproducers.Theyaredividedbetweenthosewhopurchaseneutralgrainspirit(NGS)fromathird-partysupplierandthenrectifyitintheirownfacility,andarelativehandfulofoperationsthatproduceanddistilltheirownwashtomakevodka.Thisisactuallyaseriouschallengeforcraftdistillerswithpotstills,becauseitisdifficulttoproduceahigh-proofneutralgrainspiritwithoutusingacolumnstill.

Ready-to-drink(RTD)cocktailsarebecomingmorepopularatcraftdistilleries.VodkaMulebyCutwaterSpirits,SanDiego,CA.

Thebest-known,andbest-selling,vodkaisTito’sHandmadeVodkafromthedistilleryofthesamenameinAustin,Texas.Despiteitscarefullycultivatedmarketimageasa“handmade”craftproduct,thebasespiritisNGS(neutralgrainspirit)produced,atvarioustimes,atethanolplantsandnationaldistilleries

intheMidwest.Fortherecord,everyothermajordomesticbrandofvodka,andmanyofthecraftbrands,too,aremadethesameway.

CharcoalfiltrationusedinmakingvodkaatColoradoPureDistilling.

DISTILLATIONOFVODKA

Vodkaisdistilledinthemannerdescribedintheintroductorychapterofthisbook(seehere).Thechoiceofpotorcolumnstillsdoes,however,haveafundamentaleffectonthefinalcharacterofthevodka.Allvodkacomesoutofthestillasaclear,colorlessspirit.Butvodkafromapotstill(thesortusedforcognacandScotchwhisky)willcontainsomeofthedelicatearomatics,congeners,andflavorelementsofthecropfromwhichitwasproduced.Potstills

arerelativelyinefficient,andtheresultingspiritfromthefirstdistillationisusuallyredistilled(rectified)toincreasetheproofofthespirit.Vodkafromamoreefficientcolumnstillisusuallyaneutral,characterlessspirit.

Exceptforafewminorexceptions,vodkaisnotputintowoodencasksoragedforanyextensiveperiodoftime.Itcan,however,beflavoredorcoloredwithawidevarietyoffruits,herbs,andspices.

CLASSIFICATIONSOFVODKA

Therearenouniformclassificationsofvodka.InPoland,vodkasaregradedaccordingtotheirdegreeofpurity:standard(zwykly),premium(wyborowy)anddeluxe(luksusowy).InRussia,vodkathatislabeledosobaya(special)isusuallyasuperior-qualityproductthatcanbeexported,whilekrepkaya(strong)denotesanoverproofvodkaofatleast56percentABV.

IntheUnitedStates,domesticvodkasaredefinedbyU.S.governmentregulationas“neutralspirits,sodistilled,orsotreatedafterdistillationwithcharcoalorothermaterials,astobewithoutdistinctivecharacter,aroma,taste,orcolor.”BecauseAmericanvodkais,bylaw,neutralintaste,thereareonlyverysubtledistinctionsbetweenbrands.Manydrinkersfeelthattheonlyrealwayofdifferentiatingbetweenthemisbyalcoholcontentandprice.

MaineDistilleriesuseslocallysourcedpotatoestomakeitsColdRiverVodka.

ThehybridpotstillatHeritageCompanyinGigHarbor,WA,withathumperandtwocolumnscanmakevodkainonepass.

PrentisOrr,left,andBarryYoung,foundersofPennsylvaniaPureDistillery,standinfrontofachalkboarddiagramthatoutlineshowtheymaketheirBoyd&BlairPotatoVodkafromscratchin

Glenshaw,PA.

VODKAREGIONS

EASTERNEUROPE

Thisisthehomelandofvodkaproduction.Everycountryproducesvodka,andmostalsohavelocal,flavoredspecialties.Russia,Ukraine,andBelarusproducethefullrangeofvodkatypes,andtheyaregenerallyacknowledgedtobetheleadersinvodkaproduction.Onlythebetterbrands,allofwhicharedistilledfromryeandwheat,areexportedtotheWest.

Polandproducesandexportsbothgrain-andpotato-basedvodkas.Mostofthehigh-qualitybrandsareproducedinpotstills.

TheBalticStatesofEstonia,Latvia,andLithuania,alongwithFinland,produceprimarilygrain-basedvodkas,mostlyfromwheat.

TimSmithofOgden’sOwnDistilleryhikesintoOgdenCanyontocollectspringwaterfromitssourceandusesittoreduceFiveWivesVodkatoproof.

WESTERNEUROPE

Thisregionhaslocalbrandsofvodkawherevertherearedistilleries.Thebaseforthesevodkascanvaryfromgrainsinnortherncountries,suchastheUnitedKingdom,Holland,andGermany,tograpesandotherfruitsinthewinemakingregionsofFranceandItaly.Swedenhas,inrecentdecades,developedasubstantialexportmarketforitsstraightandflavoredwheat-basedvodkas.

ZubrówkavodkabyPolmosBialystockaisflavoredwithbuffalograssfromtheBialowiezaforestinPoland.Thevodkahasayellow-greentinge(notshown)fromthegrassinfusion.

LabelforKoenig’sFamousIdahoPotatoVodka,bytheKoenigDistilleryandWinery.

NORTHAMERICA

TheUnitedStatesandCanadaproducevodkasfromalmosteverysubstratethatcanbedistilledincluding,butnotlimitedto,grains,grapes,apples,potatoes,molasses,sweetpotatoes,maplesyrup,milk,andhoney.Stillsthathaverectificationcolumnslargeenoughtoproducevodkaaremoreexpensiveandrefiningaspirittoneutralconsumesmoreenergythanotherspirits,somakingvodkafromscratchiscostly.Manybrandsareproducedbypurchasingneutral

vodkafromscratchiscostly.Manybrandsareproducedbypurchasingneutralspiritsinbulk,wateringtoproofandbottlingthedistillate.Agoodwaytotellifavodkaismadefromscratchistoreadtheoriginstatement,usuallyfoundonthebackofthebottle.Ifthelabelsays“distilledandbottledby…,”thenlegallytheDistilledSpiritsPlant(DSP)hastohavedistilledit.Iftheoriginstatementsays“Producedby…”or“Bottledby…,”thenitisreasonabletoassumethatthevodkawasmadefromneutralspiritpurchasedinbulkfromalargefactorydistillery.

Americanvodkasare,bylaw,neutralspirits,sothedistinctionbetweennonflavoredbrandshastraditionallybeenmoreamatterofpriceandperceptionthantaste.Inordertodistinguishtheirspiritsinthemarket,anumberofcraftdistillersarenowmakingvodkasthatshowalittlemoreoftheresidualaromasandflavorsofthebasematerial.SomegoodexamplesofthisareJacksonHoleStillWorksHighwaterVodka(cornandoats),CaledoniaSpiritsBarrHillVodka(Honey),HarvestSpiritsCoreVodka(apple),andCentralStandardSpiritsWisconsinRyeVodka.

Anumberofflavoredvodkasarealsoproducedbothbythemajordistillersandbyanassortmentofcraftdistillers.

VODKAINUNEXPECTEDPLACES

TheCaribbeanproducesasurprisingamountofvodka,allofitfrommolasses.Mostofitisexportedforblendingandbottlinginothercountries.

Australiaproduces(andconsumes)vastquantitiesofmolasses-basedvodka,butfewareexported.

Asiahasasmatteringoflocalvodkas,withthebestcomingfromJapan.

CoreVodkabyHarvestSpiritsisdistilledfromapples.

ElkRiderWheatVodkabyHeritageDistillingCompanyearnedaGoldMedal,BestofCategory,BestofClass,intheAmericanDistillingInstitute’s10thAnnualJudgingofCraftSpirits,2016.

SagaponackaWheatVodkabySagaponackFarmearnedaDoubleGoldMedalintheAmericanDistillingInstitute’s2018InternationalJudgingofCraftSpirits.

VODKACOCKTAILSSCREWDRIVERFillatallglasswithice.Add

11/2ounces(45ml)vodka

OrangejuicetofillStirandserve.

BLOODYMARYFillashortglasswithice.Add

11/2ounces(45ml)vodka

DashWorcestershiresauce

DashTabascosauce

Dashlemonorlime

TomatojuicetofillStirandgarnishwithcelerysaltontop.

SEXONTHEBEACHFillatallglasswithice.Add

1ounce(30ml)vodka

1ounce(30ml)peachliqueur

11/2ounces(45ml)orangejuice

11/2ounces(45ml)cranberryjuiceStirandserve.

VODKAFLAVORS

Asaneutralspirit,vodkalendsitselftoblendingwithflavorsandfortifyingotherbeverages.Inthenineteenthcentury,high-proof“Russianspirit”washeldinhighesteembysherryproducersinSpain,whoimportedittofortifytheirwines.Neutralspiritsarestillusedtofortifyport,sherry,andothertypesoffortifiedwines,althoughthesourceofalcoholforsuchpurposesthesedaystendstobethevast“winelake”thathasbeencreatedbyEuropeanUnionagriculturalpractices.

Flavoredvodkaswereoriginallyusedtomasktheflavorofthefirstprimitivevodkas,buttheywerelaterconsideredamarkofthedistiller’sskill.TheRussiansandPoles,inparticular,stillmarketdozensofflavors.Someofthebetter-knowntypesare

KUBANSKAYAVodkaflavoredwithaninfusionofdriedlemonandorangepeels.

LIMONNAYALemon-flavoredvodka,usuallywithatouchofsugaradded.

OKHOTNICHYA“Hunter’s”vodkaisflavoredwithamixofginger,cloves,lemonpeel,coffee,anise,andotherherbsandspices.Itisthenblendedwithsugarandatouchofawinesimilartowhiteport.Itisamostunusualvodka.

PERTSOVKAPepper-flavoredvodka,madewithbothblackpeppercornsandredchilipeppersStarka:“Old”vodka,aholdoverfromtheearlycenturiesofvodkaproduction,whichcanbeinfusedwitheverythingfromfruittreeleavestobrandy,port,Malagawine,anddriedfruit.Somebrandsareagedinoakcasks.

ZUBRÓWKAAPolishvodkaflavoredwithbuffalo(ormoreproperly“bison”)grass,anaromaticgrassfavoredbyherdsoftherareEuropeanbison.

Inrecentyears,numerousflavoredvodkashavebeenlaunchedontheworldmarket.Themostsuccessfulofthesehavebeenfruitflavors,suchascurrantandorange.

OfftheHoofScrappleFlavoredVodkabyPaintedStaveDistilling,Smyrna,DE.

THEBIGGEST-SELLINGSPIRITINTHEWORLDTHATYOUHAVENEVERHEARDOF

Inearly1935,duringtheChineseCivilWarbetweentheCommunistRedArmyandNationalistKuomintang(KMT),retreatingRedArmyunitsonwhatbecameknownastheLongMarch,pausedinthecityofMaotaiinthesouth-centralprovinceofGuizhou.TheKMTAirForcehadbeenbombingandstrafingtheRedArmywithoutpauseforweeks,butitsuddenlystoppedthisassaultwhenthetroopsenteredthetown,anddidnotrenewtheattackuntiltheRedArmyhadleftMaotaiandmovedon.Inturn,theCommunistforcesleftthetownuntouched.ThereasonforthisunofficialtrucewasthatthetownofMaotaiwasthehomethedistilleriesmakingmaotai,atypeofspiritcalledbaijiuthatwasheldinhighregardbybothsidesinthecivilwar.Politicsisonething,butthepossibleloss,tobothCommunistsandNationalists,ofwhatmostpeopleinChinaagreedwasthecountry’sfinestspirit,wasinconceivableandunacceptable.

KweichowMoutai,isavarietyofbaijufromChina.

Maotaiisprobablythebestknown(ormoreprobablytheonlyknown)ChinesespiritoutsideofChina.Butitisbynomeanstheonlyvarietyofbaijiu,whichismadeprettymucheverywhereinChinawheregrainisgrown.Insimpleterms,maotaiistobaijiuinChinawhatCognacistobrandyinFrance:themostfamoustypeofawiderangeofspirits.Baijiu,whichliterallymeans“whitealcohol”orliquor,isadistilledspiritmadeprimarilyfromsorghumorwheat

mash,althoughvirtuallyeveryothersortofcultivatedgrainincludingmillet,barley,corn,andevenricecanalsobeutilized.

AlcoholproductioninwhatisnowChinadatesbackfarintoNeolithictimes(atleast7000BC),withavarietyofsimplebeersandfruitwinesbeingproduced.ButunliketheancientMiddleEastandEurope,wherelow-alcoholfermentedgrainbeveragesandwineswereoftenasubstituteforpollutedwater,theChinesealsohadtea,madeusingboiledwaterthatwassafetodrink.Thisalternativesourceofasafe,dailybeverageallowedthegovernmentsoftheearlykingdoms,andlaterthenationaldynasties,tocontrolandtaxalcoholproducts.Alcoholicbeverages,ifnotquitealuxury,wereatleastnotanecessityforhealthyliving.

VINNBaijuismadefromaqufermentationinWilsonville,OR,byanethnicChinesefamily,whosepatriarchfledVietnamwiththe“boatpeople”followingthefallofSouthVietnaminthelate

1970s.TheVINNDistilleryalsomakesvodkaandricewhiskey.

Fermentinggrainbeveragesusuallyfirstrequiresaprocesscalledmashing,bywhichthestarchmoleculesincrushedgrainareconvertedusingenzymesintosimplesugarsthatyeastcanfeedontocreatealcoholandcarbondioxide.Inthe

MiddleEastandEurope,aprocesscalledmalting,inwhichgrain(usuallybarley)wasmoistened,allowedtopartiallysprout,whichactivatednaturalenzymesinthekernelandthendriedtostopthegrowthoftheseed,wasusedtomashrawgrainpriortofermentation.

InChina,startingaroundAD200,Chinesewinemakers(bothfermentedgrainandfruitbeverageswerecollectivelyknownas“wine”)createdtheirowndistinctivecombinationmashingandfermentationprocessusinganinventioncalledqu(pronouncedlikechew).Quisbasicallyaclumpofmashedgrainsthatisstoredinawarm,moist,controlledenvironmentforaperiodoftime,whichencouragesthegrowthofyeastsandvarioustypesofbacteria.Thefinishedquisthenpressedintoabrick-shapedmass,andstoreduntiluse.Crumbledquisthenaddedtoagrainmashtoconvertthestarchesintosugarsandalsofermentthemashtocreatealcohol.Qufromeachproducerisunique,drawingonthelocalmicrofloraandfaunafromthelocalterroirtocreateamoresophisticatedandcomplexfermenteddrinkknownintheheartofChinaashuangjiu.Initsvariousversions,huangjiu,whichhasalookandtastebroadlysimilartodrysherry,wasthedrinkofchoicefortherulingclassforthenextthousandyears,andisstillproducedtothisday.Whatisfrequentlytranslatedas“ricewine”onmenusinChinaisusuallyatypeofhuangjiu.

TheartofdistillingwasintroducedtoChinafromtheIslamicworldduringtheMongolianYuanDynastyinthe13thcentury.Thefirstdistilledspiritswereprobablyfruitbrandies.Butdistillingfermentinggrainmashessoonfollowed,andbaijiuwasborn.Itwaslessexpensivetomakeandhadahigheralcoholcontentthanthearistocratichuangjiu,andthusquicklybecamepopularthroughouttheempire.Virtuallyeverytownandcityhaditsownbaijiudistilleries,mostofthemsmallandcateringtothelocalmarketinamannersimilartomedievalalehousesinEurope.

Modernbaijiuproductiondatesfromtheturnofthe20thcentury.AsthecreakyQingDynastystaggeredtowarditsfinalcollapsein1912,someofthelargerbaijiudistillersbeganlookingatdistillingtechniquesabroad.Butthepoliticalturmoilandforeigninvasionsduringthefirsthalfofthecenturylimitedthetechnicaladvancement,ifnotnecessarilythegrowthofthebaijiudistillingindustry.TheestablishmentofthePeople’sRepublicofChinain1949,anditsfetish-likeobsessionwithindustrialmodernization,didslowlyreachintothebaijiudistillingindustry.Moderndistillerieswerebuilt,particularlyinthepost-Maoera,asprivateenterpriseswereencouragedbythenewmarket-orientedregime.Bytheturnofthe21stcentury,ithasbeenestimatedthattherewere

regime.Bytheturnofthe21stcentury,ithasbeenestimatedthattherewereover25,000baijiudistilleriesinoperation.Thatnumberhasdiminishedsomewhatinrecentyears.ButtherearestillalotofbaijiudistilleriesinChina.

SO,HOWDOESITTASTE?

Well,tonon-Chinesepalates,baijiutendstobeanacquiredtaste.Manyinexpensiveandevensomepricierbrandsofbaijiucanberaw,minimallyagedspirits,withapalatesimilartohigh-proofwhiterumorgrappa.Manybaijiustillsareverysimplealembic-stylepotstillsthatcarryovercongener-heavyheads,hearts,andtailsofthespiritwithminimalrefinement.Therearehigher-gradeversionsthatareagedforupto10yearsormoreandpricedliketop-shelfScotchwhiskeys.

Butbaijiuisnotcategorizedbyage,butratheraroma.Thefourprimarycategoriesarestrongaroma,saucearoma,lightarom,andricearoma.Underthesegeneralheadingstherearemany,manysubcategories,including,phoenixaroma,sesamearoma,medicinearoma,andchiaroma(namedafteratypeofbeancurdsauce),tonamebutafew.

ELSEWHEREINASIA

BaijiuisbynomeanstheonlyspiritendemictoEasternAria.Japanhasshochu,whichismadefrombuckwheat,rice,orbarley;whileKoreahasasimilarspiritcalledsoju.RicespiritsincluderuqudeinVietnamandlaokhaoinThailand,whilearrackfromIndonesiaandtheIndiansubcontinent,madefromthesapofunopenedcoconutflowers,madeitswayto18th-centuryEnglandandHollandasthetraditionalbaseforalcoholicpunch.

AseriesoftubscontainqufermentationsusedinthemakingofbaijuattheVINNDistillery,inWilsonville,OR.

Chapter5

GIN

GINisajuniperberry–flavoredgrainspirit.ThewordisanEnglishshorteningofGenever,theDutchwordforjuniper.Theoriginsofginareabitmurky.Inthelate1580s,ajuniper-flavoredspiritofsomesortwasfoundinHollandbyBritishtroopswhowerefightingagainsttheSpanishintheDutchWarofIndependence.Theygratefullydrankittogivethemwhattheysooncametocall“Dutchcourage”inbattle.TheDutchthemselveswereencouragedbytheirgovernmenttofavorsuchgrainspiritsoverimportedwineandbrandybyalackofexcisetaxesonlocaldrinks.“THEPROPERUNIONOFGINANDVERMOUTHISAGREATANDSUDDENGLORY;ITISONEOFTHEHAPPIESTMARRIAGESONEARTH,ANDONEOFTHESHORTESTLIVED.”BernardDeVoto,Americanessayistanddrinksphilosopher

FarallonGinWorksGinFarallonearnedagoldmedalintheAmericanDistillingInstitute’s2017JudgingofCraftSpirits.

THEHISTORYOFGIN

Inthe1600s,aDr.FranciscusdelaBoëintheuniversitytownofLeidencreatedajuniper-andspice-flavoredmedicinalspiritthathepromotedasadiuretic.Thistonic,calledGenever,soonfoundfavoracrosstheEnglishChannel,firstasamedicine(SamuelPepyswrotein1660ofcuringacaseof“colic”withadoseof“strongwatermadewithjuniper”)andthenasabeverage.

WhentheDutchProtestantWilliamofOrangebecamekingofEnglandin1689,hemovedtodiscouragetheimportationofbrandyfromtheCatholicwinemakingcountriesbysettinghightariffs.Asareplacement,hepromotedtheproductionofgrainspirits(“cornbrandy,”asitwasknownatthetime)byabolishingtaxesandlicensingfeesforthemanufactureofsuchlocalproductsasgin.Historyhasshownthatprohibitionneverworks,butunfetteredproductionofalcoholhasitsproblems,too.Bythe1720s,itwasestimatedthataquarterofthehousesinLondonwereusedfortheproductionorsaleofgin.Massdrunkennessbecameaseriousproblem.ThecartoonistWilliamHogarth’sfamousdepictionofsuchbehaviorinGinLaneshowsasignaboveaginshopthatstates,“Drunkforapenny/Deaddrunkfortwopence/CleanstrawforNothing.”Panickyattemptsbythegovernmenttoprohibitginproduction,suchastheGinActof1736,resultedinmassiveillicitdistillingandthecynicalmarketingof“medicinal”spiritswithsuchfancifulnamesasCuckold’sComfortandMyLady’sEyeWater.

Acombinationofreimposedgovernmentcontrols,thegrowthofhigh-qualitycommercialgindistillers,theincreasingpopularityofimportedrumandageneralfeelingofpublicexhaustiongraduallybroughtthismasshysteriaundercontrol,althoughtheproblemscausedbythecombinationofcheapginandextremepovertyextendedwellintothenineteenthcentury.Fagin’sirritablecommenttoachildinthefilmOliver—“Shutupanddrinkyourgin!”—hadabasisinhistoricalfact.

MichaelLowefoundedNewColumbiaDistillers,theoldestdistilleryinWashington,DC,andmakersGreenHatGin.

GinLanebyWilliamHogarth

WherevertheBritishEmpirewent,English-styleginsfollowed.InBritishcoloniesinNorthAmerica,suchcelebratedAmericansasPaulRevereandGeorgeWashingtonwerenotablyfondofgin,andtheQuakerswerewellknownfortheirhabitofdrinkinggintoddiesafterfunerals.

Themid-nineteenthcenturyusheredinalow-keyrehabilitationofgin’sreputationinEngland.Theharsh,sweetened“OldTom”styleofginoftheearly1700sslowlygavewaytoanew,cleanerstylecalleddrygin.ThisstyleofginbecameidentifiedwiththecityofLondontotheextentthat“Londondry”becameagenerictermforthestyle,regardlessofwhereitwasactually

becameagenerictermforthestyle,regardlessofwhereitwasactuallyproduced.

Genteelmiddle-classladiessippedtheirsloegin(ginflavoredwithsloeberries)whileconsultingMrs.Beeton’sBookofHouseholdManagement(awildlypopularVictoriancrossbetweentheJoyofCookingandMarthaStewartlifestylebooks)forgin-basedmixeddrinkrecipes.TheBritishmilitary,particularlytheofficercorps,becameahotbedofginconsumption.Hundredsofgin-basedmixeddrinkswereinventedandthemasteryoftheirmakingwasconsideredapartofayoungofficer’straining.Thebestknownofthesecocktails,theginandtonic,wascreatedasawayforEnglishmenintropicalcoloniestotaketheirdailydoseofquinine,averybittermedicine,towardoffmalaria.(Moderntonicwaterstillcontainsquinine,thoughasaflavoringratherthanamedicine.)

BattleStandardGinbyKODistilling,Manassas,VA.

BolsBarrelAgedGenverbyLucasBols,Amsterdam,Holland.

THEBASISOFGIN

InHolland,theproductionofGeneverwasquicklyintegratedintothevastDutchtradingsystem.RotterdambecamethecenterofGeneverdistillingasdistilleriesopenedtheretotakeadvantageoftheabundanceofspicesthatwerearrivingfromtheDutchcoloniesintheEastIndies(present-dayIndonesia).Manyoftoday’sleadingDutchGeneverdistillerscantracetheiroriginsbacktothesixteenthandseventeenthcenturies.ExamplesincludesuchfirmsasBols(founded1575)anddeKuyper(1695).

Belgiumdevelopeditsownjuniper-flavoredspirit,calledjenever(withaj),inamannersimilartothatinHolland(whichcontrolledBelgiumforatimeintheearlynineteenthcentury).ThetwoGermaninvasionsofBelgiuminWorldWarsIandIIhadaparticularlyhardeffectonjeneverproducers,astheoccupyingGermansstrippedthedistilleriesoftheircopperstillsandpipingtouseintheproductionofshellcasings.Thepresent-dayremaininghandfulofBelgianjeneverdistillersproduceprimarilyforthelocaldomesticmarket.

BATHTUBGINGinproductionintheUnitedStatesdatesbacktoColonialtimes,whentheDutchpopulationinNewYork(originallyNewAmsterdam)operatedgindistilleriesasearlyasthemid-17thcentury.ButthegreatboosttoAmericanginproductionwastheadventofnationalProhibitionin1920.Moonshiningquicklymovedintofillthegapleftbytheshutdownofcommercialdistilleries.Butthefurtivenatureofillicitdistillingworkedagainsttheproductionofthethendominantwhiskeys,allofwhichrequiredsomeaginginoakcasks.Bootleggerswerenotinapositiontostoreandageillegalwhiskey,andthecaramel-colored,prunejuice–dosedgrainalcoholsubstitutesweregenerallyconsideredtobevile.

Gin,ontheotherhand,requirednoaging,anditwasrelativelyeasytomakebymixingrawalcoholwithjuniperberryextractandotherflavoringsandspicesinalargecontainersuchasabathtub(thustheoriginofthetermbathtubgin).Theseginsweregenerallyofpoorqualityandtaste,afactthatgaverisetothepopularityofcocktails,inwhichthemixersservedtodisguisethetasteofthebasegin.TherepealofProhibitionattheendof1933endedtheproductionofbootleggin,butginremainsapartoftheAmericanbeveragescene.ItwasthedominantwhitespiritintheUnitedStatesuntiltheriseofvodkainthe1960s.Itremainspopular,helpedalongrecentlybytherevivedpopularityofthemartiniandtheriseofcraftdistilleries,wheretheneedforproductsthatcanbeproducedforimmediatesalehasgivenrisetomanyexperimentalbotanicalblendstoflavorcraftgins.

CheekypackagingforAbleforth’sBathtubGinpokesfunatgin’ssketchypastwhileproducinganaward-winningSloeGin,formerlyagenteelladies’drink.

GinmayhaveoriginatedinHollandanddevelopedintoitsmostpopularstyleinEngland,butitsmostenthusiasticmodern-dayconsumersaretobefoundin

Spain,whichhasthehighestpercapitaconsumptionintheworld.ProductionofLondondry–styleginbeganinthe1930s,butseriousconsumptiondidnotbeginuntilthemixofginandcolabecameinexplicablypopularinthe1960s.

GinanditsDutchcousingenever(jeneverinBelgium)arewhitespiritsthatareflavoredwithjuniperberriesandso-calledbotanicals(avariedassortmentofherbsandspices).Thespiritbaseofginisprimarilygrain(usuallywheatorrye),whichresultsinalight-bodiedspirit.Geneverismadeprimarilyfrom“maltwine”(amixtureofmaltedbarley,wheat,corn,andrye),whichproducesafuller-bodiedspiritsimilartomaltwhiskey.AsmallnumberofGeneversinHollandandBelgiumaredistilleddirectlyfromfermentedjuniperberries,whichproducesanintenselyflavoredspirit.

Thechiefflavoringagentinbothginandgeneveristhehighlyaromaticblue-greenberryofthejuniper,alow-slungevergreenbush(genusJuniperus)thatiscommerciallygrowninnorthernItaly,Croatia,theUnitedStates,andCanada.Additionalbotanicalscanincludeanise,angelicaroot,cinnamon,orangepeel,coriander,andcassiabark.Allginandgenevermakershavetheirownsecretcombinationofbotanicals,thenumberofwhichcanrangefromasfewasfourtoasmanyasfifteen.

GinbyCorsairArtisanearnedaBestofCategoryGoldmedalattheAmericanDistillingInstitute’s9thAnnualJudgingofCraftAmericanSpirits.

CaledoniaSpiritsBarrHillGinearnedagoldmedal,bestofcategoryandbestofclassintheAmericanDistillingInstitute’s2017JudgingofCraftSpirits.

THEDISTILLATIONOFGIN

Thebasespiritformostnon-geneverstyleginisinitiallydistilledinefficientcolumnstills.Theresultingspiritishighproof,light-bodied,andclean,withaminimalamountofcongeners(flavorcompounds)andflavoringagents.Geneverisdistilledinless-efficientpotstills,whichresultsinalower-proof,moreflavorfulspirit.

Low-quality“compound”ginsaremadebysimplymixingthebasespiritwithjuniperandbotanicalextracts.Mass-marketginsareproducedbysoaking

juniperandbotanicalextracts.Mass-marketginsareproducedbysoakingjuniperberriesandbotanicalsinthebasespiritandthenredistillingthemixture.

Top-qualityginandgeneverareflavoredinauniquemanner.Afteroneormoredistillations,thebasespiritisredistilledonelasttime.Duringthisfinaldistillation,thealcoholvaporwaftsthroughachamberinwhichthedriedjuniperberriesandbotanicalsaresuspended.Thevaporgentlyextractsaromaticandflavoringoilsandcompoundsfromtheberriesandspicesasittravelsthroughthechamberonitswaytothecondenser.Theresultingflavoredspirithasanoticeabledegreeofcomplexity.

MartinRyanDistillingCo.,Portland,OR,keepssamplesofeverybatchofAriaGinthedistilleryhasreleased.Theyreferbacktothesebottleswhenmakinganewbatch.

Wild-foragedbotanicalsfromtheCaliforniacoastalmountainsaredriedinpreparationformakingginatVenturaSpirits.

No.209ChardonnayBarrelReserveGin.

TwoJamesDistilleryBarrelReserveOldCockneyGin.

STYLE DEFINITION HOWEVER…

LondonDryGin ThedominantEnglishstyleofginintheUnitedKingdom,formerBritishcolonies,theUnitedStatesandSpain.

Itneednotbetruly“dry”anditlendsitselfwelltomixing.

PlymouthGin Relativelyfull-bodied(comparedtoLondondrygin).Itisclear,slightlyfruity,andveryaromatic.

OriginallythelocalginstyleofPlymouth,England,modernPlymouthginismadeonlybyonedistilleryinPlymouth,Coates&Co.,whichalsocontrolstherightstothenamePlymouthGin.

OldTomGin Thelastremainingexampleoftheoriginal,lightlysweetenedginsthatwerepopularineighteenth-centuryEngland.

LimitedquantitiesofOldTom–styleginarestillmadebyafewBritishdistillersandseveralAmericancraftdistillers,butitis,atbest,acuriosityitem.

GeneverorHollands

TheDutchstyleofgin,distilledfromamaltedgrainmashsimilartothatusedforwhiskey.Oude(old)Geneveristheoriginalstyle.Itisstraw-hued,relativelysweet,andaromatic.Jonge(young)Geneverhasadrierpalateandlighterbody.SomeGeneverisagedforonetothreeyearsinoakcasks.GenevertendstobelowerproofthanEnglishgin(72to80proofistypical).Theyareusuallyservedstraightupandchilled.

Theclassicaccompanimenttoashotofgeneverisadriedgreenherring.Geneveristraditionallysoldinacylindricalstonewarecrock.Genever-styleginsareproducedinHolland,Belgium,Germany,andtheUnitedStates.

DON’TCALLITBARRELAGED!

Withthe2008releaseofCitadelleReserveGinfromFrance,andRansomOldTomGinfromOregon,theginflavorspectrumswunginanewdirection—barrel-agedgins.Afterreadinghistoricalaccountsofshippinggininpastcenturiesusingwoodencasks,theseproducersbegantoexperimentwiththeeffectsthatexposuretowoodwouldhaveongin.Thecocktailcultureswallowedthesespiritsupwithglee,andsoontherushwason.Craftdistilleries—manyofwhomweremakinggintohavecashflowwhilewaitingforwhiskeytoage—sawalineextensionintheselightlyagedspirits.Theflavorsrangeanywherefromaclassicgintoajuniper-flavoredwhiskey,dependingonwhatkindofcaskwasusedandhowlongthespiritrestedinit.

wasusedandhowlongthespiritrestedinit.

Therewasonlyonesmallproblem:Thereareregulationsprohibitingputtingthewords“barrelaged”onbeveragealcohollabels.Afterapprovingafewbarrel-agedgins,theU.S.governmentrevokedsomeoftheselabelsanddeclinedfurtherapplications.Thisdidnotstoptheproductsfromcoming,distillersjusthadtothinkofanotherterm.Thereisanabundanceofveryinterestingginsthatarenowtermed;oak-finished,oak-rested,barrel-rested,reserve,cask-finished,antique,…etc.Allofthesetermsmeanonething:thattheginwasbarrelaged.

HernöOldTomGinearnedagoldmedalandbestofcategoryintheAmericanDistillingInstitute’s2017JudgingofCraftSpirits.

2017JudgingofCraftSpirits.

TadSeestedtofRansomSpiritsreleasedRansomOldTomGin,whichwasthefirstoftheUS-madebarrel-agedgins,settingoftrendthathasreverberatedthroughthedistilledspiritscommunity.

THECOLORFULORIGINSOFOLDTOMGIN

ThenameofOldTomGincomesfromwhatmaybethefirstexampleofabeveragevendingmachine.Inthe1700s,somepubsinEnglandhadawoodenplaqueshapedlikeablackcat(an“OldTom”)mountedontheoutsidewall.Thirstypassersbywoulddepositapennyinthecat’smouthandplacetheirlipsaroundasmalltubebetweenthecat’spaws.Thebartenderinsidewouldthenpourashotofginthroughthetubeandintothecustomer’swaitingmouth.

throughthetubeandintothecustomer’swaitingmouth.

GINREGIONS

EUROPE

TheUnitedKingdomproducesmostlydrygin,primarilyfromcolumnstills.Britishginstendtobehighproof(90°proofor45percentABV)andcitrus-accentedfromtheuseofdriedlemonandSevilleorangepeelsinthemixofbotanicals.Britishginsareusuallycombinedintomixeddrinks.

HollandandBelgiumproducegenever,mostlyfrompotstills.GeneversaredistilledatlowerprooflevelsthanEnglishginsandaregenerallyfullerinbody.Manyoftheseginsareagedforonetothreeyearsinoakcasks.Somegeneverproducersnowmarketfruit-flavoredgenever,thebestknownbeingblackcurrant.DutchandBelgiangeneverareusuallychilledandservedneat.

Germanyproducesagenever-stylegincalledDornkaatintheNorthSeacoastregionofFrisia.ThisspiritislighterinbodyandmoredelicateinflavorthanbothDutchgeneverandEnglishdrygin.Germanginisusuallyservedstraightupandcold.

Spainproducesasubstantialamountofgin,allofitintheLondondrystylefromcolumnstills.Mostofitissoldformixingwithcola.

BoomsmaOudeFineOldGenever,Leeuwarden,Holland.

ElkRiderCrispGinbyHeritageDistillingCompanyearnedaGoldMedal,BestofCategory,BestofClass,intheAmericanDistillingInstitute’s10thAnnualJudgingofCraftSpirits,2016.

NORTHAMERICA

TheUnitedStatesistheworld’slargestginmarket.Londondryginaccountsforthebulkofdomesticginproduction,withmostofitproducedincolumnstills,althoughcraft-distilleryginisusuallymadeusinghybridpotstillswithcolumns.Americandryginsfromthenationaldistillerstendtobelowerproof(80°proofor40percentABV)andlessflavorfulthantheirEnglishcounterparts.ThisruleapplieseventobrandssuchasGordon’sandGilbey’s,whichoriginatedinEngland.Thebest-sellingginintheUnitedStates,Seagram’sExtraDry,was

England.Thebest-sellingginintheUnitedStates,Seagram’sExtraDry,wasoriginallyadryginthatwasagedforthreemonthsinusedwhiskeybarrelstogiveitapalestrawhue,andadistinctivesmoothpalatethathadahardcorefanbase.Thecolorremains,butinrecentyearsthethreemonthaginghasbeenquietlydiscontinued.

Americancraftdistillers,inanapproachanalogoustotheircraft-brewerycounterpartswithIndiaPaleAle,areincreasinglyexperimentingwithmoreexoticandassertivebotanicalsastheirflavoringagents.

Americancraftdistillerieshavetakentogininamajorway,withsuchnoteworthyexamplesasDistiller’sGin#6fromNorthShoreDistilleryinLakeBluff,Illinois,andRehorstPremiumMilwaukeeGinfromtheGreatLakesDistilleryinMilwaukee,Wisconsin.

BackbaratJerseySpiritsDistillery,Fairfield,NJ.

GINCOCKTAILS

CLASSICMARTINIInashaker,combine

2ounces(60ml)gin

Dashwhitevermouth

IcetofillShakeandstrainandintoamartiniglassorashortglass.Garnishwithanolive.

TOMCOLLINSInatallglass,combine

2ounces(60ml)gin

1ounce(30ml)lemonjuice

1tablespoon(15g)sugarStir,andthenfilltheglasswithice.Fillwithclubsoda.

GINANDTONICFillatallglasswithice.Add

11/2ounces(45ml)gin

TonicwatertofillGarnishwithalimeslice.

THEMARTINIANDTHEMEANINGOFLIFE

Thebestknownofhundredsofgin-basedmixeddrinksistheginandwhitevermouthcombinationcalledthemartini.Asisusuallythecasewithmostpopularmixeddrinks,theoriginsofthemartiniaredisputed.Oneschoolofthoughtholdsthatitevolvedfromthelate-nineteenth-centurymartinezcocktail,arathercloyingmixtureofOldTom–styleginandsweetvermouth.AdissentingsectholdsthatitwascreatedinthebaroftheKnickerbockerHotelinNewYorkCityintheearlytwentiethcentury.Theratioofgintovermouthstartedoutatabouttwotoone,andithasbeengettingdriereversince.ThefamedBritishstatesmanWinstonChurchill,whodevotedagreatdealofthoughtandtimetodrinking,wasoftheopinionthatpassingthecorkfromthevermouthbottleovertheglassofginwassufficient.

Chapter6

BRANDYANDEAUDEVIE

THEwordbrandycomesfromtheDutchwordbrandewijn(burntwine),whichishowthestraightforwardDutchtraderswhointroducedittonorthernEuropeinthesixteenthcenturydescribedwinethathadbeen“burnt”orboiledtodistillit.

TheoriginsofbrandycanbetracedbacktothegrowingMuslimMediterraneanstatesintheseventhandeighthcenturies.Alchemistsintheregionexperimentedwithdistillinggrapesandotherfruitstomakemedicinalspirits.Theirknowledgeandtechniquessoonspreadbeyondthebordersoftheterritory,withgrapebrandyproductionappearinginSpainandprobablyIreland(viamissionarymonks)bytheendoftheeighthcentury.

TheFrench-styleCharentaisstillatMcMenaminsCorneliusPassRoadhouse(CPR)Distillery.

Pear-in-bottlebrandy.

TYPESOFBRANDY

Brandy,initsbroadestdefinition,isaspiritmadefromfruitjuiceorfruitpulpandskin.Morespecifically,itisbrokendownintothreebasicgroupings.

GRAPEBRANDYisbrandydistilledfromfermentedgrapejuiceorcrushed,butnotpressed,grapepulpandskin.Thisspiritisagedinwoodencasks(usuallyoak),whichcolorsit,mellowsoutthepalate,andaddsaromasandflavors.

Abottleofbrandydistilledfrom100percentViognierwinebyGermain-Robin.

POMACEBRANDY(ItaliangrappaandFrenchmarcarethebestknownexamples)ismadefromthepressedgrapepulp,skinsandstemsthatremainafterthegrapesarecrushedandpressedtoextractmostofthejuiceforwine.Pomacebrandies,whichareusuallyminimallyagedandseldomseewood,areanacquiredtaste.Theytendtoberatherraw,althoughtheycanofferafresh,fruityaromaofthetypeofgrapeused,acharacteristicthatislostinregularoak-agedbrandy.

brandy.

FRUITBRANDYisthedefaulttermforallbrandiesthataremadefromfermentingfruitotherthangrapes.(Itshouldnotbeconfusedwithfruit-flavoredbrandy,whichisgrapebrandythathasbeenflavoredwiththeextractofanotherfruit.)

IslandOrchardEaudeVieAppleBrandybyOrcasIslandDistilleryearnedaGoldMedal,BestofCategory,intheAmericanDistillingInstitute’s10thAnnualJudgingofCraftSpirits,2016.

Fruitbrandies,exceptthosemadefromberries,aregenerallydistilledfromfruitwines.Berriestendtolackenoughsugartomakeawinewithsufficientalcoholforproperdistillation,andthusaresoaked(macerated)inahigh-proofspirittoextracttheirflavorandaroma.Theextractisthendistilledonceatalowproof.Calvados,theapplebrandyfromtheNormandyregionofnorthwesternFrance,isprobablythebestknowntypeoffruitbrandy.Eaudevie(“wateroflife”)isacolorlessfruitbrandy,particularlyfromtheAlsaceregionofFranceandfromCalifornia.

PearBrandybyNewDealDistilleryearnedaGoldMedalintheAmericanDistillingInstitute’s2018InternationalJudgingofCraftSpirits.

“NOSIR,CLARETISTHELIQUORFORBOYS;PORTFORMEN;BUTHEWHOASPIRESTOBEAHEROMUSTDRINKBRANDY.”SamuelJohnson,eighteenth-centuryBritishwriterwholovedbrandyandhatedwhiskey

BRANDIESBYREGION

FRANCEFrenchbrandyisthecatchalldesignationforbrandyproducedfromgrapesgrowninotherregions.Thesebrandiesareusuallydistilledincolumnstillsandagedinoakcasksforvaryingperiodsoftime.Theyarefrequentlyblendedwithwine,grapejuice,oakflavorings,andotherbrandies,includingcognac,tosmoothouttheroughedges.Cognac-likequalitydesignationssuchasVSOPandNapoleonareoftenused(seehere),buttheyhavenolegalstanding.

COGNAC

Cognacisthebest-knowntypeofbrandyintheworld,abenchmarkbywhichmostotherbrandiesarejudged.TheCognacregionislocatedonthesouth-centralcoastofFrance,justnorthofBordeaux,inthedepartmentsofCharenteandCharente-Maritime.Theregionisfurthersubdividedintosixgrowingzones:GrandeChampagne,PetiteChampagne,BoisOrdinaries,Borderies,FinsBois,andBonsBois.ThefirsttwooftheseregionsproducethebestCognacandwillfrequentlybesodesignatedonbottlelabels.TheprimarygrapesusedinmakingCognacaretheUgniBlanc,FolleBlanche,andColombard.Thewinesmadefromthesegrapesarethin,tartandlowinalcohol,whicharepoorcharacteristicsfortablewinesbutperfectformakingbrandy.

Cognacisdouble-distilledinspeciallydesignedpotstillsandthenagedincasksmadefromLimousinorTroncaisoak.AllCognacsstartoutinnewoaktomellowthefieryspiritandgivethemcolor.Batcheschosenforlong-termagingare,afterafewyears,transferredtoused,orseasoned,casksthatimpartlessoftheoakflavornoteswhilethebrandymatures.

NearlyallCognacsareablendofbrandiesfromdifferentvintagesandfrequentlydifferentgrowingzones.Eventhosefromsinglevineyardsordistillerieshaveamixofbrandiesfromdifferentcasks.Aswithchampagne,theproductsoflocalvineyardsaresoldtoCognachouses,eachofwhichstoresandagesCognacsfromdifferentsuppliers.Thesuppliersthenemploymasterblenderstocreateandmaintaincontinuityinthehouseblendsdrawnfromdisparatesources.

ThealambiccharentaisisthemostpopularstyleofstillforproducingCognac.

INDUSTRYSTANDARDSFORCOGNAC

BecausetherearenoageorvintagestatementsonmostCognacs,theindustryhasadoptedsomegenerallyacceptedtermstodifferentiateCognacs.Itisimportanttonotethatthesetermshavenolegalstatus,andeachCognacshipperusesthemaccordingtohisorherowncriteria.

VS/VSP/ThreeStar:(VS:verysuperior;VSP:verysuperiorpale)Aminimumoftwoyearsaginginacask,althoughtheindustryaverageisfourtofiveyears

VSOP:(verysuperioroldpale)Aminimumoffouryears’caskagingfortheyoungestCognacintheblend,withtheindustryaveragebetweentenandfifteenyears

XO/Napoleon:(XO:extraold)Aminimumofsixyears’agingfortheyoungestCognacintheblend,withtheaverageagerunningtwentyyearsorolder.AllCognachousesmaintaininventoriesofoldvintageCognacstouseinblendingthesetop-of-the-linebrands.TheoldestCognacsareremovedfromtheircasksintimeandstoredinglassdemijohns(largejugs)topreventfurtherlossfromevaporationandtolimitexcessivelywoodyflavornotes.

ParkCognacSingleVineyardBorderiesearnedaGoldMedalattheAmericanDistillingInstitute’s10thAnnualJudgingofCraftSpirits.

ChateaudeTriacSingleVineyardFinsBois,Cognac.

AlexandreGabriel,presidentandownerofMaisonFerrand,evaluatesaflightofspiritsattheAmericanDistillingInstitute’sInternationalJudgingofCraftSpirits.

TiffonCognacXObyCognacTiffonearnedaGoldMedalintheAmericanDistillingIntitute’s2018JudgingofCraftSpirits.

HAVESTILL,WILLTRAVEL

Untilthe1970s,portablealambicArmagnacaismountedontwo-wheelcartswerehauledamongsmallvineyardsinArmagnacbyitinerantdistillerscalledbouilleursdecru.Thesetravelingstills,alas,havemostlygivenwaytolarger,fixedin-placesetupsoperatedbyfarmercooperativesandindividualoperators.

AdistillerstokesawoodfireunderthecolumnofanalambicArmagnacaisattheChateauduTariquet.

ArmagnacCastaredeReservedelaFamille,earnedaDoubleGoldMedalintheAmericanDistillingIntitute’s2018InternationalJudgingofCraftSpirits.

ChateaudeManibanV.S.O.P.BasArmagnac.

ChristianDrouin,whoproducessomeofthefinestCalvados,standsbesideaportablestillbuiltin1946thatisnowpermanentlystationedinfrontofthepressroomatDomaineCoeurdeLion.Itis

normallyusedfromFebruarytoJune.Asecondstillnowoperatesinsidethepressroom.

ARMAGNAC

ArmagnacistheoldesttypeofbrandyinFrance,withdocumentedreferencestodistillationdatingbacktotheearlyfifteenthcentury.TheArmagnacregionislocatedintheheartoftheancientprovinceofGasconyinthesouthwestcornerofFrance.AswithCognac,thereareregionalgrowingzones:Bas-Armagnac,HautArmagnac,andTenareze.TheprimarygrapesusedinmakingArmagnacarealsotheUgniBlanc,FolleBlanche,andColombard.ButdistillationtakesplaceintheuniquealambicArmagnacais,atypeofcolumnstillthatisevenlessefficientthanatypicalCognacpotstill.Theresultingbrandyhasarustic,assertivecharacterandaromathatrequiresadditionalcaskagingtomellowoutanddistinguishitfromCognac.ThebestArmagnacisagedincasksmadefromthelocalMonlezunoak.Inrecentyears,LimousinandTroncaisoakcaskshavebeenaddedtothemixofcasksassuitableMonlezunoakbecomeshardertofind.

MostArmagnacsareblends,butunlikeCognac,singlevintagesandsingle-vineyardbottlingscanbefound.ThecategoriesofArmagnacaregenerallythesameasthoseofcognac(VS,VSOP,XO,andsoon;seesidebarshownhere).BlendedArmagnacsfrequentlyhaveagreaterpercentageofoldervintagesintheirmixthancomparableCognacs,makingthemabettervalueforthediscerningbuyer.

AvarietyofArmagnacbottles.

ChateaudeLaubadeExtraSingleEstateBasArmagnac,750ml,earnedaDoubleGoldMedal,BestofCategory,BestofClass,intheAmericanDistillingInstitute’s10thAnnualJudgingofCraft

Spirits,2016.

BRANDY’SSEASONALNATURE

Brandy,likerumandtequila,isanagriculturalspirit.Unlikegrainspiritssuchaswhiskey,vodka,andgin,whicharemadethroughouttheyearfromgrainthatcanbeharvestedandstored,brandyisdependentontheseasons,theripeningofthebasefruitandtheproductionofthewinefromwhichitismade.Typesofbrandies,originallyatleast,tendedtobelocationspecific.(Cognac,forexample,isatownandregioninFrancethatgaveitsnametothelocalbrandy.)Importantbrandy-makingregions,particularlyinEurope,furtherdifferentiatetheirlocalspiritsbyspecifyingthetypesofgrapesthatcanbeusedandthespecificareas(appellation)inwhichthegrapesusedformakingthebasewinecanbegrown.

BarreledGrapeImmatureBrandybytheDampfwerkDistilleryCo.earnedaGoldMedalintheAmericanDistillingIntitute’s2018InternationalJudgingofCraftSpirits.

SPAINBRANDYDEJEREZ

BrandydeJerezismadebythesherryhousescenteredaroundthecityofJerezdelaFronterainthesouthwestcornerofSpain.

ButvirtuallyallBrandydeJerezismadefromwinesproducedelsewhereinSpain,primarilyfromtheAirengrapeinLaManchaandExtremadura,becausethelocalsherrygrapesaretoovaluabletodivertintobrandyproduction.Nowadays,mostofthedistillingislikewisedoneelsewhereinSpainincolumnstills.ItisthenshippedtoJerezforaginginusedsherrycasksinasolerasystemsimilartothatusedforsherrywine.Asoleraisaseriesoflargecasks(calledbutts),eachholdingaslightlyolderspiritthanthepreviousonebesideit.Whenbrandyisdrawnoff(racked)fromthelastbutt(nomorethanathirdofthevolumeisremoved),itisreplenishedwithbrandydrawnfromthenextbuttallthewaydownthesoleralinetothefirstbutt,wherenewlydistilledbrandyisadded.Thissystemofrackingthebrandythroughaseriesofcasksblendstogetheravarietyofvintages(somesolerashavemorethanthirtystages)andresultsinaspeedingupofthematurationprocess.

Barrelsofbrandystoredforaging.

ThesamplebottlesdisplaytheeffectsofdifferenttypesofbarrelsandagingprocessesatAlambic,Inc.

PENEDÈSBRANDY

PenedèsBrandyisfromthePenedèsregionofCataloniainthenortheastcornerofSpainnearBarcelona.ModeledaftertheCognacsofFranceandmadefromamixoflocalgrapesandtheUgniBlancofCognac,itisdistilledinpotstills.Oneofthetwolocalproducers(Torres)agesinsolerasconsistingofbuttsmadefromFrenchLimousinoak,whereastheother(Mascaro)agesinthestandardnon-soleramanner,butalsoinLimousinoak.TheresultingbrandyisheartierthanCognac,butleaneranddrierthanBrandydeJerez.

ITALYItalyhasalonghistoryofbrandyproductiondatingbacktoatleastthesixteenthcentury,butunlikeSpainorFrance,therearenospecificbrandy-producingregions.Italianbrandiesaremadefromregionalwinegrapesandmostareproducedincolumnstills,althoughtherearenowanumberofsmallartisanalproducersusingpotstills.Theyareagedinoakforaminimumofonetotwoyears,withsixtoeightyearsbeingtheindustryaverage.Italianbrandiestendtobeonthelightanddelicateside,withatouchofresidualsweetness.

AGINGTIMELINEBasicBrandydeJerezSoleramustageforaminimumofsixmonths,Reservaforoneyear,andGranReservaforaminimumofthreeyears.

Inpractice,thebestReservasandGranReservasarefrequentlyagedfortwelvetofifteenyears.Thelush,slightlysweetandfruitynotestobefoundinBrandydeJerezcomenotonlyfromaginginsherrycasksbutalsofromthejudicioususeoffruit-basedflavorconcentratesandoakessence(boise).

GERMANYGermanmonksweredistillingbrandybythefourteenthcentury,andGermandistillershadorganizedtheirownguildasearlyas1588.Yetalmostfromthestart,Germanbrandy(calledWeinbrand)hasbeenmadefromimportedwineratherthanthemorevaluablelocalvarieties.MostGermanbrandiesareproducedinpotstillsandmustbeagedforaminimumofsixmonthsinoak.Brandiesthathavebeenagedinoakforatleastoneyeararecalleduraltoralter(meaning“older”).ThebestGermanbrandiesaresmooth,somewhatlighterthanCognac,andfinishwithatouchofsweetness.

SLYRSdistillery,Germany.

SiegfriedHerzogDestillatespecializesinfruitspiritsandbrandies(below).

UNITEDSTATESGrapebrandyproductionintheUnitedStates,whichuntiltheadventofmoderncraftdistillerieswasmostlyconfinedtoCalifornia,datesbacktotheSpanishmissionsinthelateeighteenthandearlynineteenthcenturies.AsubstantialamountofpeachbrandywasmadebywhiskeydistillersinsouthernstatespriortoProhibition,however,andapplebrandydistillingcontinuedintomoderntimesonamodestscaleinNewJerseyandVirginia.IntheyearsfollowingtheCivilWar,brandybecameamajorindustry,withasubstantialexporttradetoEuropebytheendofthenineteenthcentury.Foratime,LelandStanford,founderofStanfordUniversity,wastheworld’slargestbrandyproducer.PhylloxeraandnationalProhibitionalmostshutdowntheindustryinthe1920s.

Repealstartedthingsupagain,butaswiththebourbonindustry,theadventofWorldWarIIresultedinbrandyproducersfindingthemselvesfurthermarkingtime.Soonaftertheendofthewar,theindustrycommissionedtheUniversityofCaliforniaatDavisDepartmentofViticultureandOenologytodevelopaprototype“California-style”brandy.Ithadacleanpalate,waslighterinstylethanmostEuropeanbrandies,andhadaflavorprofilethatmadeitagoodmixer.Startinginthelate1940s,Californiabrandyproducersbegantochangeovertothisnewstyle.

Thetastingroomatadistilleryisapopularstoponthetour.RickMoerschattheRoundBarnDistillerypourssomeapricotbrandyatthetastingroominhiswinery/brewery/distillery.

HighCouncilBrandyisproducedonCognac-stylestillsatMcMenaminsCPRDistillery,inHilsboro,OR.

Applepulpfromthegrinderisfedintoanaccordion-stylefilterwherethejuicewillbesqueezedouttomakeapplebrandy(seehere)atLaird&Co.,NorthGarden,VA.

CONTEMPORARYBRANDIES

ContemporarycommercialCaliforniagrapebrandiesaremadeprimarilyincolumnstillsfromtablegrapevarietiessuchastheThompsonSeedlessandFlameTokay.CaliforniabrandiesareagedfortwototwelveyearsinusedAmericanoak(bothbrandyandbourboncasks)tolimitwoodinessinthepalate,althoughpotdistillersalsouseFrenchoak.SeveralCaliforniadistillers,mostnotablyKorbel,haveutilizedtheSpanishsoleramethodformaturingtheirbrandy.CaliforniabrandiesdonotusequalitydesignationssuchasVSOPor

brandy.CaliforniabrandiesdonotusequalitydesignationssuchasVSOPorstars.Themoreexpensivebrandswillusuallycontainapercentageofoldervintagesandpot-distilledbrandiesintheblend.

Craft-distilledbrandies,includinggrape,pomace,andfruit,werethefirstofthemoderngenerationofcraftspiritstoentertheU.S.market,startinginCaliforniainthelate1980swithproducerssuchasRMS(aventureofCognacproducerRemyMartin),JepsonVineyards,andtheidiosyncraticSantaCruzwinemakerRandallGrahamatBonnyDoonVineyards.Fromthestart,thesegrapebrandyproducersgenerallyfollowedaFrench-themedmuse,withproducerssuchasGermaine-RobininMendocinoCountyandOsocalisintheSantaCruzMountainsgoingsofarastousetheclassicUgniBlanc,Colombard,andFolleBlanchegrapestomaketheirbasewine.TheyinstalledspecialCognac-stylepotstillstodistillitandthenagedtheirbrandiesincasksmadefromimportedLimousinorTroncaisoak.Theresultingbrandies,particularlyaslonger-agedexamplescomeontothemarket,have,insomecases,shownlevelsofcomplexityandflavorintensitythatputthemonparwiththeirEuropeancounterparts.

JoeandLesleyHeron,foundersofCopper&KingsDistillery,producecontemporarybrandiesinLouisville,KY.

JepsonOldStockBrandybyJaxonKeysWineryandDistilleryearnedaDoubleGoldMedal,BestofCategory,BestofClass,intheAmericanDistillingInstitute's10thAnnualJudgingofCraftSpirits,

2016.

DanielFarberstandsnexttoanewalambicArmagnacaisunderinstallationatOsocalisDistillery,Soquel,CA.AfterdistillingfordecadesonalambicCharentais,Farberisbroadeningthestyleofhis

brandies.

LATINAMERICANMEXICO

InMexicoasurprisingamountofwineismade,butitislittleknownoutsideofthecountrybecausemostofitisusedforbrandyproduction.Mexicanbrandiesaremadefromamixofgrapes,includingtheThompsonSeedless,Palomino,andUgniBlanc.Bothcolumnandpotstillsareusedinproduction,whereasthesolerasystemisgenerallyusedforaging.BrandynowoutsellstequilaandruminMexico.

SOUTHAMERICA

SouthAmericanbrandiesaregenerallyconfinedtotheirdomesticmarkets.Thebest-knowntypeispisco,aclear,rawbrandyfromPeruandChilethatismadefromMuscatgrapesanddouble-distilledinpotstills.Theresultingbrandyhasaperfumedfragranceandservesasthebaseforavarietyofmixeddrinks,includingthefamousPiscoPunch.

MasterdistillerandblenderHubertGermain-Robin,left,discussesthequalitiesofthedistillatecomingoffthestillatMcMenaminsCPRDistillerywithDistilleryManagerClarkMcCool.

PiscoStyleBrandybyLeopoldBros.

OTHERREGIONSGreeceproducespot-distilledbrandies,manyofwhich,suchasthewell-knownMetaxa,areflavoredwithMuscatwine,anise,orotherspices.

WinemakinginIsraelisawell-establishedtraditiondatingbackthousandsofyears.Butbrandyproductiondatesbackonlytothe1880s,whentheFrenchJewishphilanthropistBaronEdmonddeRothschildestablishedwhathasbecomethemodernIsraeliwineindustry.IsraelibrandyismadeinthemannerofCognacfromColombardgrapeswithdistillationinbothpotandcolumnstillsandmaturationinFrenchLimousinoakcasks.

IntheCaucasusregion,alongtheeasternshoreoftheBlackSea,theancientnationsofGeorgiaandArmeniadrawonmonastictraditionstoproducerich,intenselyflavoredpot-stillbrandiesbothfromlocalgrapesandfromsuchimportedvarietiesastheMuscadine(fromFrance)andtheSercialandVerdelho(mostfamouslyfromMadeira).

SouthAfricahasproducedbrandiessincethearrivalofthefirstDutchsettlersintheseventeenthcentury,buttheseearlyspiritsfromtheCapeColonyearnedareputationforbeingharshfirewater(witblits—whitelightning—wasatypicalnickname).Theintroductionofmodernproductiontechniquesandgovernmentregulationsintheearlytwentiethcenturygraduallyledtoanimprovementinthequalityoflocalbrandies.ModernSouthAfricanbrandiesaremadefromUgniBlanc,Colombard,CheninBlanc,andPalominograpes;producedinbothpotandcolumnstills,andagedforaminimumofthreeyearsinoak.

POMACEBRANDIES

Italyproducesasubstantialamountofgrappa,boththeraw,firewatervarietyandthemoreelegant,artisanaleffortsthataremadefromonedesignatedgrapetypeandpackagedinhand-blownbottles.Bothtypesofgrappacanbeunagedoragedforafewyearsinoldcasksthatwilltamethehardedgeofthespiritwithoutimpartingmuchflavororcolor.MarcfromFranceisproducedinallofthenation’swine-producingregions,butitismostlyconsumedlocally.MarcdeGewürztraminerfromAlsaceisnoteworthybecauseitretainssomeofthedistinctiveperfumenoseandspicycharacterofthegrape.

CraftpomacebrandiesfromtheUnitedStates,fromproducerssuchasDomaineCharbayinNapaCountyandMosbyVineyardsinSonoma,areintheItalianstyle,andtheyareusuallycalledgrappas,evenwhentheyaremadefromnon-Italiangrapevarieties.ThisisalsotrueofthepomacebrandiesfromCanada.

PoliBassanodelGrappa,Italy.

GrappadiMoscatobyBethelRd.Distillery,Templeton,CA.

Grapesenterthestillforthemakingofgrappa.

GRAPPA:NOTYOURGRANDPA’SPHLEGMCUTTERTheU.S.governmentcallsitpomacebrandy,buteversinceimmigrantsfromwinemakingcountriesbeganarrivingintheUnitedStatesandstartedtomakewine,theyweresoonrefermentingthepressedgrapeskinsfromtheirwinemakinganddistillingittomakeaquickandsimpletypeofbrandy.TheFrenchcallitmarc,butitistheItaliantermgrappathathascaughtonwithdistillersofeveryethnicbackground.

CraftdistillersintheUnitedStateshavetakentothedistillingofgrappafromtheverystartoftheindustry.PioneerbrandydistillerssuchasClearCreekandSt.GeorgeSpiritshavedevelopedspecificvarietalgrappasthatarecarefullydistilledtocapturethesubtlearomaticnotesofthebasefruit.Thesearespiritstodelightthenoseasmuchasthetastebuds.

APPLEANDOTHERFRUITBRANDIES

NormandyisoneofthefewregionsinFrancethatdoesnothaveasubstantialgrapewineindustry.Instead,itisapplecountry,withasubstantialtraditionofhardandsweetcidersthatinturncanbedistilledintoanapplebrandyknownasCalvados.Thelocalciderapples,whichtendtobesmallandtart,arecloserintypetocrabapplesthantomoderntableapples.Thisspirithasitsownappellations,withthebestbrandscomingfromAppellationControleePaysd’AugeneartheseaportofDeauville,andtherestintenadjacentregionsthataredesignatedAppellationReglementee.MostPaysd’AugeandsomeofthebetterAppellationReglementeeareproducedinpotstills.AllvarietiesofCalvadosareagedinoakcasksforaminimumoftwoyears.Cognac-stylequalityandagetermssuchasVSOPandHorsd’Agearefrequentlyusedonlabelsbuthavenolegalmeaning.

Thefruit-growingregionsoftheupperRhineRiveraretheprimeeaudevieproductionareasofEurope.TheBlackForestregionofBavariainGermanyandAlsaceinFranceareknownfortheircherrybrandies(kirinFrance,KirschwasserinGermany),raspberrybrandies(framboiseandHimbeergeist)andpearbrandies(poire).SimilareauxdeviearenowbeingproducedintheUnitedStatesinCaliforniaandOregon.Someplumbrandyisalsomadeintheseregions(mirabellefromFranceisanexample),butthebestknowntypeofplumbrandyisslivovitz,whichismadefromthesmallbluesljivaplumthroughoutEasternEuropeandtheBalkans.

SidetrackDistilleryRasberryBrandy,Kent,WA.

SebastianDegensofStoneBarnBrandyworks,Portland,OR.

PotstillsatKymarFarmWineryandDistillery,Charlotteville,NY,wheretheymakeanexceptionalapplebrandy.

AndrewRichards,right,andhisfather-in-lawRichKneiperofShadyKnollOrchardsandDistilling,Millbrook,NY,grindapplestomakeapplebrandy.

SlivovitzPlumBrandybyBeaverPondDistillery,Petersham,MA.

SunshineOrangeBrandybyStarkSpirits,Pasadena,CA.

IslandOrchardEaudeVieAppleBrandybyOrcasIslandDistillery.

IntheUnitedStates,applejack,asapplebrandyiscalledlocally,isthoughtbymanytobethefirstspiritproducedintheBritishcolonies.ThiscolonialtraditionhascontinuedwithLaird’sDistillery,establishedin1780inNewJerseyastheoldestcontinuouslyoperatingdistillingcompanyintheUnitedStateswithdistilleriesinNewJerseyandVirginia.

ArtisanfruitbrandydistillingstartedinCalifornia,butinrecentyearsithas

ArtisanfruitbrandydistillingstartedinCalifornia,butinrecentyearsithasspreadacrosstheUnitedStates,withCalvados-styleapplebrandiesfromClearCreekDistilleryinPortland,Oregon,leadingtheway,whileBlackStarFarmsinSuttonsBay,St.JulianinPawPaw,andabevyofotherartisandistillersinMichiganandelsewherehavereleasedawiderangeofdelicate,highlyaromaticcherry,raspberry,plum,andotherfruitbrandiesthatdrawanobviousinspirationfromthekirschandplumbrandiesoftheBlackForestregionofsouthernGermany.

Inpre-ProhibitionbourbonwhiskeydistilleriesintheSouth,whiskeydistillationwasseasonal,andwasdoneafterthegrainharvest.Tofillinthedowntimeduringthesummer,manyofthemalsodistilledfruitbrandies,particularlypeachbrandy.Today,moderndistilling,bothnationalandcraft,isanall-yearprocess.Butmanycraftdistilleriesarenowproducingbothgrainspiritsandfruitbrandies,so,inasense,thistraditionliveson.

MalvadosAppleBrandybyMadRiverDistillersinVermont.

ClearCreekDistilleryAppleBrandyAged8YearsinFrenchOak,750ml,earnedaGoldMedal,BestofCategory,intheAmericanDistillingInstitute’s10thAnnualJudgingofCraftSpirits,2016.

BRANDYCOCKTAILS

SIDECARFillashortglasswithice.

Inashaker,combine

1ounce(30ml)brandy

1ounce(30ml)TripleSec

1ounce(30ml)lemonjuice

IcetofillShakeandstrainintotheglass.

STINGERFillashortglasswithice.Add

1ounce(30ml)brandy

1ounce(30ml)whitecrèmedementheStirandserve.

BRANDYALEXANDERInashaker,combine

1ounce(30ml)brandy

1ounce(30ml)darkcrèmedecacao

1ounce(30ml)cream

IcetofillShakeandstrainintoalargebrandysnifter.Dustwithnutmeg.

Chapter7

RUM

GRAPESandgrainmaybethetwomajorrawmaterialsfordistillation,buttheyarebynomeanstheonlyones.Sugarcaneprovidestwodifferentfermentables:sugarcanejuiceandmolasses,whichisaby-productofsugarrefining.Bothareusedasthebasisofrumproduction,which,asaspirit,rangesacrossthecolorandtastespectrumfromthealmostvodka-likeblancosofPuertoRicotothehearty,deep-hueddemerarasofGuyana,withsomeverydistinctivevariationsinbetween.

Bottlesofrumofdifferentages(youngesttooldest,lefttoright)atCelebrationDistillationinNewOrleans.

THEHISTORYOFRUM

Thehistoryofrumisthehistoryofsugar.Sugarisasweetcrystallinecarbohydratethatoccursnaturallyinavarietyofplants.Oneofthoseisthesugarcane(Saccharumofficinarum),atall,thickgrassthathasitsoriginsintheislandsofpresent-dayIndonesiaintheEastIndies.ChinesetradersspreaditscultivationtoAsiaandontoIndia.ArabsinturnbroughtittotheMiddleEastandNorthAfrica,whereitcametotheattentionofEuropeansduringtheCrusadesintheeleventhcentury.

AstheSpanishandPortuguesebegantoventureoutintotheAtlanticOcean,theyplantedsugarcaneintheCanaryandAzoresIslands.In1493,ChristopherColumbuspickedupcanecuttingsfromtheCanarieswhileonhissecondvoyagetotheAmericasandtransplantedthemtoHispaniola,theCaribbeanislandnowsharedbyHaitiandtheDominicanRepublic.PortugueseexplorerssoondidlikewiseinBrazil.

TheCaribbeanbasinprovedtohaveanidealclimateforgrowingsugarcane,andsugarproductionquicklyspreadaroundtheislands.TheinsatiabledemandinEuropeforsugarsoonledtotheestablishmentofhundredsofsugarcaneplantationsandmillsinthevariousEnglish,Spanish,French,Portuguese,andDutchcolonies.Thesemillscrushedtheharvestedcaneandextractedthejuice.Boilingthisjuicecausedchunksofcrystallizedsugartoform.Theremainingunsolidifiedjuicewascalledmelazas(fromtheSpanishwordforhoney,miel);inEnglishthisbecamethewordmolasses.

Molassesisastickysyrupthatstillcontainsasignificantamountofsugar.Sugarmilloperatorssoonnoticedthatwhenitwasmixedwithwaterandleftoutinthesun,itfermented.Bythe1650s,thisformerwasteproductwasbeingdistilledintoaspirit.IntheEnglishcolonies,itwascalledKillDevil(fromitstendencytocauseanastyhangoveroritsperceivedmedicinalpower,takeyourchoice)orrumbullion(originuncertain),whichwasshortenedovertheyearstoourmodernwordrum.TheFrenchrenderthiswordasrhum,whiletheSpanishcallitron.

Rumwasusedasacure-allformanyoftheachesandpainsthatafflictedthoselivinginthetropics.Sugarplantationownerssoldit,atdiscountedprices,tonavalshipsthatwereonstationintheCaribbeaninordertoencouragetheirpresenceinlocalwatersandthusdiscouragemaraudingpirates.

Sugarcanefield,Louisiana.

GROGTheBritishnavyadoptedadailyrationofahalfpintof160°proofrumbythe1730s.Thisrationwassubsequentlymodifiedbymixingitwithanequalamountofwatertoproduceadrinkcalledgrog.ThegrogrationremainedastapleofBritishnavallifeuntil1969.

Thisnaval-rumconnectionintroducedrumtotheoutsideworld,andbythelateseventeenthcenturyathrivingexporttradedeveloped.TheBritishislandsshippedrumtoGreatBritain(whereitwasmixedintorumpunchesandreplacedginasthedominantspiritintheeighteenthcentury)andtotheBritishcoloniesinNorthAmerica,whereitbecameverypopular.ThisexportofrumtoNorthAmerica,inexchangeforNewEnglandlumberanddriedcod(stillaculinarystapleintheCaribbean),soonchangedovertotheexportofmolassestodistilleriesinNewEngland.ThiswasdonetoavoidlawsfromtheBritishParliament,whichprotectedBritishdistillersbyforbiddingthetradeinspiritsdirectlybetweencolonies.Thislawwas,atbest,honoredinthebreach,andsmugglingsoonbecamerampant.

TheshippingofmolassestomakeruminNewEnglanddistilleriesbecamepartoftheinfamous“slaverytriangle.”Thefirstlegwastheshipmentofmolassesto

oftheinfamous“slaverytriangle.”ThefirstlegwastheshipmentofmolassestoNewEnglandtomakerum.ThesecondlegwastheshipmentofrumtotheportsofWestAfricatotradeforslaves.ThefinallegwasthepassageofslaveshipstothesugarplantationsoftheCaribbeanandSouthAmerica,wheremanyoftheslaveswereputtoworkinthesugarcanefields.

ThedisruptionoftradecausedbytheAmericanRevolutionandtheriseofwhiskeyproductioninNorthAmericaresultedinthegradualdeclineofrum’sdominanceastheAmericannationaltipple.RumproductionintheUnitedStatesslowlydeclinedthroughthenineteenthcentury,withthelastNewEnglandrumdistilleriesclosingattheadventofProhibitionin1920.ThefamedrumrunnersoftheProhibitioneraweresmugglingprimarilywhiskeyintotheUnitedStates.

InEurope,theinventionofsugarextractionfromthesugarbeetlessenedthedemandforCaribbeansugar,reducingtheamountofmolassesbeingproducedandtheresultingamountofrumbeingdistilled.Manysmallplantationsandtheirstillswereclosed.Rumproductionreceded,forthemostpart,tocountrieswheresugarcanewasgrown.Themodernhistoryofrumowesalottothespreadofair-conditioningandthegrowthoftourism.Inthesecondhalfofthetwentiethcentury,modernair-conditioningmadeitpossibleforlargenumbersofpeopletomigratetowarm-weatherregionswhererumremainedthedominantspirit.Additionally,theexplosiveincreaseinthenumberofNorthAmericanandEuropeantouristsintorum-drinkingregionsledtoasteadyincreaseinthepopularityofrum-basedmixeddrinks.Nowadays,whiterumgivesvodkaseriouscompetitionasthemixerofchoiceinanumberofdistinctivelynontropicalmarkets.

ManuleleDistillersKoHanaKohoHawaiianAgricoleRum.

CaneLandDistillingCo.RhumAgricoleLARum.

MalahatSpiritsCabernetBarrelRumearnedaGoldMedal,BestofCategoryandBestofClassintheAmericanDistillingInstitute’s10thAnnualJudgingofCraftSpirits,2016.

Agedrumisgainingnewstandingamongconsumersofsingle-maltScotch,Cognac,andsmall-batchbourbon,whoarelearningtoappreciatethesubtlecomplexitiesofthisrum.Thepot-stillrumsofGuyanaandJamaicahaveaparticularappealforScotchdrinkers.(ItisnoaccidentthattheScottishwhiskymerchantandbottlerCadenheadalsoagesandbottlesdemerararum.)Thesubtle

andcomplexrhumsofMartiniqueandGuadeloupemirrortheflavorprofilesofthetopFrenchbrandiesinCognacandArmagnac.

StarkSpiritsCaliforniaGoldRum.

BobRyanandpartnerDaveWoodatRyan&WoodDistilleriesinGloucester,Massachusetts.

Diablo’sShadowNavyStrengthRumbySutherlandDistillingCo.

CoasterforRaggedMountainRumbyBerkshireMountainDistillers:“ThinkGlobally,DrinkLocally”

STYLE DEFINITION

WhiteRums Generallylightbodied(althoughthereareafewheavy-bodiedwhiterumsintheFrenchislands).Theyareusuallyclearandhaveaverysubtleflavorprofile.Iftheyareagedinoakcaskstocreateasmoothpalate,theyarethenusuallyfilteredtoremoveanycolor.Whiterumsareprimarilyusedasmixersandblendparticularlywellwithfruitflavors.

GoldenRums Alsoknownasamberrums,thesearegenerallymediumbodied.Mosthavespentseveralyearsaginginoakcasks,whichgivethemsmooth,mellowpalates.

DarkRums Traditionally,full-bodied,richcaramel-dominatedrums,thebestareproducedmostlyfrompotstillsandfrequentlyagedinoakcasksforextendedperiods.Therichestoftheserumsareconsumedstraightup.

SpicedRums White,golden,ordarkrums,theyareinfusedwithspicesorfruitflavors.Rumpunches(suchasPlanter’sPunch)areblendsofrumandfruitjuicesthatareverypopularintheCaribbean.

AgeDatedBlendedRums Theseareagedrumsfromdifferentvintagesorbatchesthataremixedtogethertoensureacontinuityofflavorinbrandsofrumfromyeartoyear.Someagedrumswillgiveagestatementsstatingtheyoungestrumintheblend(e.g.,a10-year-oldrumcontainsablendofrumsthatareatleast10yearsold).AsmallnumberofFrenchislandrumsarevintagedated.

TwentyBoatAmberRumbySouthHollowSpirits,750ml,earnedaGoldMedalintheAmericanDistillingInstitute’s10thAnnualJudgingofCraftSpirits,2016.

RUMCOCKTAILS

RUMANDCOKE(CUBALIBRE)Fillashortglasswithice.Inashaker,combine

11/2ounces(45ml)darkrum

Juiceofhalfalime

ColatofillStirandgarnishwithalimewedge.

DAIQUIRIFillashortglasswithice.Inashaker,combine

1/2ounce(45ml)whiterum

1ounce(30ml)limejuice

1tablespoon(15g)sugar

IcetofillShakeandstrainintotheglass.

PLANTER’SPUNCHFillatallglasswithice.Inashaker,combine

11/2ounces(45ml)darkrum

1/2ounce(15ml)limejuice

1/2ounce(15ml)lemonjuice

3ounces(90ml)orangejuice

1teaspoon(5g)sugar

Dashgrenadinesyrup

IcetofillShakeandstrainintotheglass.

ErikandKarinVonkareturningpeanutfieldsintosugarcaneandmakingrumfromitatRichlandDistillingCo.,Richland,GA.

THEBASISOFRUM

Rum,anditsfraternaltwin,canespirit,aremadebydistillingfermentedsugarandwater.Thissugarcomesfromthesugarcaneandisfermentedfromcanejuice,concentratedcanejuice,ormolasses.Molassesisthesweet,stickyresiduethatremainsaftersugarcanejuiceisboiledandthecrystallizedsugarisextracted.

Mostrumismadefrommolasses.Molassesismorethan50percentsugar,butitalsocontainssignificantamountsofmineralsandothertraceelements,whichcancontributetothefinalflavor.Rumsmadefromcanejuice,primarilyonHaitiandMartinique,haveanaturallysmoothpalate.

Dependingontherecipe,the“wash”(thecanejuiceormolassesandwater)isfermented,usingeitherculturedyeastorairbornewildyeasts,foraperiodrangingfrom24hoursforlightrumsuptoseveralweeksforheavy,fullvarieties.

CanejuicefermentsatRyanandWoodDistillery,Gloucester,MA.

DISTILLATIONOFRUM

Rumcanbedistilledineitherpotorcolumnstills.Thechoiceofstillshasaprofoundeffectonthefinalcharacteroftherum.

Allrumscomeoutofthestillasclear,colorlessspirits.Barrelagingandtheuseofaddedcarameldeterminethefinalcolor.Becausecaramelisburntsugar,itistruethatonlynaturalcoloringagentsareused.

Lighterrumsarehighlyrectified(purified)andareproducedincolumnorcontinuousstills,thenusuallycharcoalfilteredandsometimesagedinoldoakcasksforafewmonthstoaddsmoothness.Mostlightrumshaveminimalflavorsandaromasandareverysimilartovodka.Heavierrumsareusuallydistilledinpotstills,similartothoseusedtoproduceCognacsandScotchwhiskeys.Potstillsarelessefficientthancolumnstillsandsomecongeners(fuseloilsandotherflavorelements)arecarriedoverwiththealcohol.Theseheavierrumsareusedformakinggoldenanddarkrums.

Somebrandsofrumaremadebyblendingpot-andcolumn-distilledrumsinamannersimilartothatofArmagnacproduction.

RusticatorRumbySpiritsofMaineDistilleryearnedaGoldMedalintheAmericanDistillingInstitute's10thAnnualJudgingofCraftSpirits,2016.

Maggie’sFarmQueen’sShareDoubleBarrelRumbyAlleghenyDistilling.

RUMREGIONS

THECARIBBEAN

TheCaribbeanistheepicenterofworldrumproduction.Virtuallyeverymajorislandgroupproducesitsowndistinctrumstyle.

BARBADOSproduceslight,sweetishrumsfrombothpotandcolumnstills.Rumdistillationbeganhere,andtheMountGayDistillery,datingfrom1663,isprobablytheoldestoperatingrumproducerintheworld.

CUBAproduceslight-bodied,crisp,cleanrumsfromcolumnstills.ItiscurrentlyillegaltoshipCubanrumsintotheUnitedStates.

THEDOMINICANREPUBLICisnotableforitsfull-bodied,agedrumsfromcolumnstills.

GUYANAisjustlyfamousforitsrich,heavydemerararums,namedforalocalriver,whichareproducedfrombothpotandcolumnstills.Demerararumscanbeagedforextendedperiods(25-year-oldvarietiesareonthemarket)andarefrequentlyusedforblendingwithlighterrumsfromotherregions.NeighboringSurinamandFrenchGuyanaproducesimilarfull-bodiedrums.

HAITIfollowstheFrenchtraditionofheavierrumsthataredouble-distilledinpotstillsandagedinoakcasksforthreeormoreyearstoproducefull-flavored,exceptionallysmooth-tastingrums.Haitialsostillhasanextensiveundergroundmoonshineindustrythatsuppliesthevoodooreligiousritualtrade.

JAMAICAiswellknownforitsrich,aromaticrums,mostofwhichareproducedinpotstills.Jamaicahasofficialclassificationsofrum,rangingfromlighttoveryfull-flavored.Jamaicanrumsareusedextensivelyforblending.

MARTINIQUEisaFrenchislandwiththelargestnumberofdistilleriesintheEasternCaribbean.Bothpotandcolumnstillsareused.AsonotherFrenchislandssuchasGuadeloupe,bothrhumagricole(madefromsugarcanejuice)andrhumindustriel(madefrommolasses)areproduced.TheserumsarefrequentlyagedinusedFrenchbrandycasksforaminimumofthreeyears.Rhumvieux(agedrum)isfrequentlycomparedtohigh-qualityFrenchbrandies.

PUERTORICOisknownprimarilyforlight,verydryrumsfromcolumnstills.

PUERTORICOisknownprimarilyforlight,verydryrumsfromcolumnstills.AllPuertoRicanrumsmust,bylaw,beagedforaminimumofoneyear.

TRINIDADproducesmainlylightrumsfromcolumnstillsandhasanextensiveexporttrade.

THEVIRGINISLANDS

TheVirginIslands,whicharedividedbetweentheUnitedStatesVirginIslandsandtheBritishVirginIslands,bothproducelight,mixingrumsfromcolumnstills.Theserums,andthoseofnearbyGrenada,alsoserveasthebaseforbayrum,aclassicaftershavelotion.

CENTRALAMERICA

CentralAmericahasavarietyofprimarilymedium-bodiedrumsfromcolumnstillsthatlendthemselveswelltoaging.Theyhaverecentlybeguntogaininternationalrecognition.

SOUTHAMERICA

SouthAmericaproducesvastquantitiesofmostlylightrumsfromcolumnstills,withunagedcanespiritfromBrazil,calledcachaça,beingthebest-knownexample.Venezuelabucksthisgeneraltrendwithanumberofwell-respectedbarrel-agedgoldenanddarkrums.

NORTHAMERICA

NorthAmericahasahandfuloftraditionalrumdistilleriesinthesouthernUnitedStates,producingarangeoflight-andmedium-bodiedrumsthataregenerallymarketedwithCaribbean-themednames.Moderncraftdistilleriesproducingrumhaveskyrocketedfromahandfuladecadeagotomorethan300.CraftproducersaregenerallymakingastyletorumthatisdryerthantheirCaribbeancounterpartsandtheyhavesprungupinmanylocationsnotusuallyassociatedwithrum.

DrySpicedRumbyCotton&Reed,adistillerybarinWashington,DC,startedbytwoformerNASAengineers.

ParticularlynoteworthyproducersincludingPrichard’sDistilleryinKelso,Tennessee;MontanyaDistillersinCrestedButte,Colorado;LouisianaSpiritsinLacassine,Louisiana;MalahatSpiritsinSanDiego,California;Maggie’sFarmRumDistilleryinPittsburgh,Pennsylvania;PrivateerRumDistilleryinIpswich,Massachusetts,andWickedDolphininCapeCoral,Florida.

CANADA

CANADA

InCanada,the300-year-oldtraditionoftradingrumfordriedcodfishcontinuesintheAtlanticmaritimeprovincesofNewfoundlandandNovaScotia,wheregoldenrumsfromAntigua,Barbados,andJamaicaareimportedandagedforfiveyears.Theresultingheartyrumisknownlocallyasscreech.

EUROPE

Europeisprimarilyablenderofimportedrums.BoththeUnitedKingdomandFranceimportrumsfromtheirformercoloniesintheCaribbeanforagingandbottling.Heavy,darkJamaicanrumsareimportedintoGermanyandmixedwithneutralspiritata1:19ratiotoproducerumverschnitt.AsimilarproductinAustriaiscalledinlanderrum.

ThetastingroomatMalahatSpirits,SanDiego,CA,ispackedonabusyafternoon.

AUSTRALIAANDOCEANA

Australiaproducessubstantialamountsofwhiteandgoldenrumsinadouble-distillationmethodutilizingbothcolumnandpotstills.Rumisthesecondmostpopularalcoholicbeverageinthecountryafterbeer.LightrumsarealsoproducedonsomeoftheislandsintheSouthPacificsuchasTahitiandFiji,and

producedonsomeoftheislandsintheSouthPacificsuchasTahitiandFiji,andIndianOceanislandssuchasMauritiusandMadagascar.

ASIA

InAsia,rumstendtofollowregionalsugarcaneproduction,withwhiteandgoldenrumsfromcolumnstillsbeingproducedprimarilyinthePhilippinesandThailand.

ThetastingroomatCaneLandDistillingCo.,BatonRouge,LA.

DougCharboneau,left,andhissonJeanLucattheCharboneauDistillery,Natchez,MS.

EdHaikatCajunSpiritsDistillery,NewOrleans,LA.

SagatibaPuraCachaça(Brazil).

WHENISRUMNOTRUM?WHENITISCACHAÇA,OFCOURSE

Brazilisoneofthemajorsugarcane-growingregionsintheworld,butthereisnolocalrum,assuch,tobefoundinbarsandstores.Insteadthereiscachaça,whichBrazilianspatrioticallyinsistisauniquelocalspirit.Lessstarry-eyedforeigndrinkerswouldclassifyitasasugarcanejuicespiritsimilartorhumagricolefromFrenchislandrumregions.Thequalityofcachaçacanvarywidely,rangingfrominexpensivebrands(wherethesugarcanespiritismixedwithindustrialethanolinamannersimilartomixtotequilaorAmericanblendedwhiskey)towell-agedartisancachaçasproducedinpotstillsandmaturedinoakbarrels.

Chapter8

TEQUILAANDAGAVESPIRITS

“ALLTEQUILAISMEZCAL,BUTNOTALLMEZCALISTEQUILLA.”Tequilamarketingmantra

Theagaveplant,anativeofCentralAmerica,providesthefermentablebasisforavarietyofdistilledspirits,ofwhichtequilaisthebestknown,butbynomeanstheonlyexample.

THEEVOLUTIONOFTEQUILA

In1656,thevillageofTequila(namedforthelocalTicuilasIndians)wasgrantedacharterbythegovernorofNewGalicia.Taxrecordsofthetimeshowthatmezcalwasalreadybeingproducedinthearea.Thismezcal,madefromthelocalblueagave,establishedareputationforhavingasuperiortaste,andbarrelsofthe“mezcalwinefromTequila”weresoonbeingshippedtonearbyGuadalajaraandmoredistantcitiessuchasthesilver-miningboomtownsofSanLuisPotosíandAguascalientes.

Theoldestofthestill-existingdistilleriesinTequiladatesbackto1795,whentheSpanishcrowngrantedadistiller’slicensetoJoseCuervo.In1805,adistillerywasestablishedthatwouldultimatelycomeunderthecontroloftheSauzafamily.Bythemid-1800s,thereweredozensofdistilleriesandmillionsofagaveplantsundercultivationaroundTequilainwhathadbecomethestateofJalisco.Gradually,thelocallyproducedmezcalcametobeknownastequila(justasthegrapebrandyfromtheCognacregioninFrancecametobeknownsimplyasCognac).

MexicoachievedindependencefromSpainin1821.Untilthe1870s,itwasapoliticallyunstablecountrythatexperiencedfrequentchangesingovernment,revolutions,andadisastrouswarwiththeUnitedStates.Maraudingbandsofsoldiersandguerillasextracted“revolutionarytaxes”and“voluntary”contributionsinkindfromthetavernsanddistilleries.In1876,ageneralnamedPorfirioDíaz,whowasfromthemezcal-producingstateofOaxaca(oah-HA-kuh),cametopowerandusheredina35-yearperiodofrelativepeaceandstabilityknownasthePorfiriato.

AjimadorharvestsblueagaveformakingtequilainJalisco,Mexico.

Itwasduringthisperiodthatthetequilaindustrybecamefirmlyestablished.ModestexportsoftequilabegantotheUnitedStatesandEurope,withJoseCuervoshippingthefirstthreebarrelstoElPaso,Texas,in1873.By1910,thenumberofagavedistilleriesinthestateofJaliscohadgrowntoalmostahundred.

ThecollapseoftheDíazregimein1910ledtoadecade-longperiodofrevolutionthatinhibitedthetequilaindustry.Thereturnofpeaceinthe1920sledtotheexpansionoftequilaproductioninJaliscobeyondtheareaaroundthetownofTequila,withgrowthbeingparticularlynoteworthyinthehighlands

townofTequila,withgrowthbeingparticularlynoteworthyinthehighlandsaroundthevillageofArandas.Thisperiodalsosawtheadoptionofmodernproductiontechniquesfromthewineindustry,suchascultivatedyeastandmicrobiologicalsanitarypractices.

Inthe1930s,thepracticeofaddingnon-agavesugarstotheaguamiel,or“honeywater,”wasintroducedandquicklyadoptedbymanytequilaproducers.Thesemixto(mixed)tequilashadalessintensetastethan100percentblueagavetequilas.Butthisrelativeblandnessalsomadethemmoreappealingtononnativeconsumers,particularlythoseintheUnitedStates.

Blueagaveformakingtequila,Jalisco,Mexico.

THEBASISOFTEQUILAANDMEZCAL

TequilaandmezcalaremadebydistillingthefermentedjuiceofagaveplantsinMexico.Theagaveisaspiky-leafedmemberofthelilyfamily(itisnotacactus)andisrelatedtothecenturyplant.ByMexicanlaw,theagavespiritcalledtequilacanbemadeonlyfromoneparticulartypeofagave,theblueagave(AgavetequilanaWeber),anditcanbeproducedonlyinspecificallydesignatedgeographicareas,primarilythestateofJaliscoinwest-centralMexico.Mezcalis

madefromthefermentedjuiceofotherspeciesofagave.ItisproducedthroughoutmostofMexico.Racillaisamezcalmadefromnon-blueagaveinJalisco.

Bothtequilaandmezcalarepreparedfordistillationinsimilarways.Theagave,alsoknowasmaguey(pronouncedmuh-GAY),iscultivatedonplantationsforeighttotenyears,dependingonthetypeofagave.Whentheplantreachessexualmaturity,itstartstogrowaflowerstalk.Theagavefarmer,orcampesino,cutsoffthestalkjustasitisstartingtogrow.Thisredirectstheplantgrowthintothecentralstalk,swellingitintoalarge,bulbousshapethatcontainsasweetjuicypulp.Whentheswellingiscompleted,thecampesinocutstheplantfromitsrootsandremovesthelongsword-shapedleaves,usingarazor-sharp,pike-liketoolcalledacoa.Theremainingpiña(“pineapple”—so-calledbecausethecross-thatched,denudedbulbresemblesagiantgreen-and-whitepineapple)weighsanywherefrom25to100pounds.

Atthedistillery,thepiñasarecutintoquarters.Fortequila,theyarethenslowlybakedinsteamovensorautoclavesuntilallofthestarchhasbeenconvertedtosugars.Formezcal,theyarebakedinundergroundovensheatedwithwoodcharcoal(whichgivesmezcalitsdistinctivesmokytaste).Theyarethencrushed(traditionallywithastonewheeldrawnaroundacirculartroughbyamule)andshreddedtoextractthesweetjuice,calledaguamiel(honeywater).

WHATBINGCROSBYANDJIMMYBUFFETTHAVEINCOMMONModestamountsoftequilahadbeenexportedintoU.S.bordertownssincethelatenineteenthcentury.ThefirstmajorboosttotequilasalesintheUnitedStatescameinthelate1940swhentheMargaritacocktail,ablendoftequila,limejuice,orangeliqueur,andice,wasinvented.Itsoriginsareuncertain,butHollywoodactorsandcocktailpartiesinCaliforniaandMexicanresortsseemtobeinvolvedinmostofthegenesisstories.ItisknownthatcroonerandactorBingCrosbywassotakenwithoneparticularbrandoftequila,Herradura,thatheteamedupwithfellowactorPhilHarristoimportthebrandintotheUnitedStates.Themargarita,alongwiththeTequilaSunriseandtheTequilaSour,havebecomehighlypopularintheUnitedStates;infact,itisclaimedbymanyintheliquorindustrythattheMargaritaisthesinglemostpopularcocktailinthenation.Inthe1970s,whenballadeerJimmyBuffettsangof“wastingawayagaininMargaritaville,”thesuccessofthesongenticedmillionsmoreAmericanstosipfromthesalt-rimmedMargaritaglass.

FERMENTATION:AGAVEORMIXTO

Thefermentationstagedetermineswhetherthefinalproductwillbe100percentagaveormixto.Thehighest-qualitytequilaismadefromfermentingandthendistillingonlyagavejuicemixedwithsomewater.Mixtoismadebyfermentingandthendistillingamixofagavejuiceandothersugars,usuallycanesugarwithwater.MixtosmadeandbottledinMexicocancontainupto40percentalcoholmadefromothersugars.Mixtosthathavebeenshippedinbulktoothercountries(primarilytheUnitedStates)forbottlingmayhavetheagavecontentfurtherreducedto51percentbytheforeignbottler.ByMexicanlaw,all100percentagaveoragedtequilasmustbebottledinMexico.Ifatequilais100percentagave,itwillalwayssaysoonthebottlelabel.Ifitdoesn’tsay100percent,itisamixto,althoughthattermisseldomusedonbottlelabels.

DISTILLATIONANDAGINGOFTEQUILAANDMEZCAL

Traditionally,tequilaandmezcalhavebeendistilledinpotstillsat110°proof(55percentABV).Theresultingspiritisclearbutcontainsasignificantamountofcongenersandotherflavorelements.Somelight-coloredtequilasarenowbeingrectified(redistilled)incolumnstillstoproduceacleaner,blanderspirit.

Colorintequilaandmezcalcomesmostlyfromtheadditionofcaramel,althoughbarrelagingisafactorinsomehigh-qualitybrands.Additionally,somedistillersaddsmallamountsofnaturalflavoringssuchassherry,pruneconcentrate,andcoconuttomanipulatetheproduct’sflavorprofile.Theseaddedflavorsdonotstandout,bythemselves,butinsteadservetosmoothouttheoftenhard-edgedpalateofagavespirit.

AbottleofAguaAzul,ablueagaveeaudevie.

MEZCALANDTHEWORM

TherulesandregulationsthatgoverntheproductionandpackagingoftequiladonotapplytoagavespiritsproducedoutsideofthedesignatedareasinMexico.Somemezcaldistilleriesareveryprimitiveandverysmall.ThebestknownmezcalscomefromthesouthernstateofOaxaca,althoughtheyareproducedinanumberofotherstates.Eightvarietiesofagaveareapprovedformezcal

production,butthechiefvarietyusedistheespadinagave(AgaveangustifoliaHaw).

Thefamouswormfoundinsomebottlesofmezcal(“congusano”)isthelarvaofoneoftwomothsthatliveontheagaveplant.Thereasonforaddingthewormtothebottleofmezcalisobscure.Butonestory,whichatleasthastheappealoflogictobackitup,isthatthewormservesasproofofhighproof:Thewormremainsintactinthebottleifthepercentageofalcoholinthespiritishighenoughtopreservethepickledworm.Consumingtheworm,whichcanbedonewithoutharm,hasservedasariteofpassageforgenerationsoffraternityboys.Top-qualitymezcalsdonotincludeaworminthebottle.

Barrelssetforagingtequilainawarehouse/tastingroom.

THEBLUEAGAVESTRIKESBACK

Fromthe1930sthroughthe1980s,thebulkofthetequilabeingproducedwasoftheblendedmixtovariety.Theoriginal100percentagavetequilaswerereducedtoaminorspecialtyproductinthemarket.Inthelate1980s,therisingsuccessofsingle-maltScotchandexpensiveCognacsintheinternationalmarketplacedidnotgounnoticedamongtequilaproducers.Newbrandsof100percentblueagavetequilaswereintroduced,andsalesbeganasteadygrowthcurvethatcontinuestothisday.

CincodeNoviembreMezcalbyKimoSabeMezcal.

BrendanMoylanholdsupacoupleofbottlesofJBWagoner’s100percentBlueAgaveSpiritsinfrontofhiswell-stockedbar.

THESPIRITOFMEXICOISMORETHANJUSTAGAVE

InthenorthernMexicanstatesofChihuahua,Coahulia,andDurango,alocalevergreenshrubcalledthedasylirionisusedtoproducesotol,acrispspiritwithdrymetallicnotes.Aguardiente(roughlytranslatedas“firewater”)isanunaged,frequentlyrawspiritthatisdistilledfromprettymuchwhateverfermentableorganicbaseproductisavailable.Drinkatyourownrisk.

NON-MEXICANAGAVESPIRITS

Federalexcisetaxrecordsindicatethattequila-likeagavespiritswereproduced

Federalexcisetaxrecordsindicatethattequila-likeagavespiritswereproducedinthe1930sinthesouthwesternUnitedStates.Recently,morethanadozenmoderncraftdistillershavebeguntoexperimentwiththeirownagavespirits,suchasElLadronAgaveSpiritbyVenusSpiritsinSantaCruz,California;AguaAzulbySt.GeorgeSpiritsinAlameda,California;andElKeyotebyCannonBeachDistilleryinCannonBeach,Oregon;TheWiseKingAnejoAgaveSpiritbyState38Distilling,GoldenColorado,andFronteraNorteAgavebyFlyingDutchmanSpiritsinEdenPrarie,Minnesota.

CLASSIFICATIONSOFTEQUILABeyondthetwobasicdesignationsoftequila—agaveandmixto—therearefourcategories:

STYLE DEFINITION HOWEVER…

SilverorBlanco Clear,withlittle(nomorethan60daysinstainlesssteeltanks)ornoaging.Theycanbeeither100percentagaveormixto.Silvertequilasareusedprimarilyformixingandblendparticularlywellintofruit-baseddrinks.

Onceyouhaveconfirmedthatitis100percentblueagave,afancybottleandahigherpricedonotnecessarilymeanthatitisabetterspirit.

Gold Unagedsilvertequilathathasbeencoloredandflavoredwithcaramel.Itisusuallyamixto.

Aproductcategoryproducedprimarilyforsillygringos.Serioustequiladrinkersgoforreposados.

Reposado/Rested “Rested”tequilaisagedinwoodentanksorcasksforalegalminimumperiodofatleasttwomonths,withthebetter-qualitybrandsspendingthreetoninemonthsinwood.Itcanbeeither100percentagaveormixto.

Reposadotequilasarethebest-sellingtequilasinMexico.

Añejo/Aged “Old”tequilaisagedinwoodenbarrels(usuallyoldbourbonbarrels)foraminimumof12months.Thebest-qualityanejosareagedfor18monthstothreeyearsformixtos,anduptofouryearsfor100percentagaves.

Agingtequilaformorethanfouryearsisamatterofcontroversy.Mosttequilaproducersopposedoingsobecausetheyfeelthat“excessive”oakagingwilloverwhelmthedistinctiveearthyandvegetalagaveflavornotes.

ElLadronAgaveSpiritbyVenusSpirits,SantaCruz,CA.

ElKeyoteAgaveSpiritfromCannonBeachDistilley,CannonBeach,OR.

TheWiseKingAnejoAgaveSpiritbyState38Distilling,GoldenColorado.

ASTHEWORMTURNS

Theupgradingandupscalingoftequilahas,inturn,inspiredmezcalproducerstoundertakesimilarmeasures.Inthepastfewyears,anincreasingnumberofhigh-endmezcals,includingsomeintriguing“singlevillage”bottlings,havebeenintroducedtothemarket.Mezcalnowseemstobecomingintoitsownasadistinctive,noteworthyspirit.

TEQUILACOCKTAILS

CLASSICMARGARITATakeashortglass.Wettherimwithlimejuice.Puttheglassupsidedownincoarsesalt,sothatthesaltclingstotherim.Inacocktailshaker,combine:

11/2ounces(45ml)silvertequila3/4ounce(23ml)triplesec

3/4ounce(23ml)limejuice

IcetofillShakeandstrainintothesalt-rimmedglassandgarnishwithalimeslice.

FROZENFRUITMARGARITATakeashortglass.Wettherimwithlimejuiceandputtheglassupsidedownincoarsesalt,sosaltclingstotherim(thisstepisoptional).CombinetheingredientsfortheClassicMargaritainablenderwithveryripefruit(6to7ounces[170to200g]freshor4ounces[115g]frozen).Add3/4cupice.Blenduntilsmoothandpourintotheglass.

TEQUILASUNRISE

Fillatallglasswithice.Add:

11/2ounces(45ml)silvertequila

OrangejuicealmosttofullSlowlypour1/2ounce(15ml)grenadinesyrupoverthetop.(Asittricklesdown,itcreatesthe“sunrise”effect.)

Chapter9

INFUSEDSPIRITS:LIQUEURS,SCHNAPPS,ANISE,ANDBITTERS

LIQUORScanrefergenericallytodistilledspirits,buttheycanalsobespecificallyflavoredspirits.Addasweetenerandtheybecomeliqueurs.Addcertainherbsandyounowhavebitters.Attheendoftheday,ifsomethingcanbefermentedandthendistilled,peoplewilldrinkit.

Liqueurs,schnapps,anise,amari,andbittersaretermsthatcoverawidevarietyoftypesofspirits.Whattheyallshareincommonisthattheyareinfused,orflavored,spirits.

NewColumbiaDistillersSummerCupisagin-basedcordialbasedonthepopularEnglishcocktailtheSummerFruitCup.

LIQUEURS

Alsoknownascordials,liqueursaresweet,flavor-infusedspiritsthatarecategorizedaccordingtotheflavoringagent(fruits,nuts,herbalandspiceblends,creams,andsuch).ThewordliqueurcomesfromtheLatinliquifacere(“todissolve”)andreferstothedissolvingofflavoringsinthespirits.Artificialflavoringsarestrictlyregulatedinmostcountriesandwhereallowedtheymustbeprominentlylabeledassuch.

Top-qualityliqueursareproducedbydistillationofeitherthefermentedflavormaterialsorthespiritinwhichtheyhavebeeninfused.ManyliqueursusefinishedspiritssuchasCognac,rum,orwhiskeyastheirbase.Othersmaceratefruitorotherflavoringsinaneutralspirit.Crèmes(crèmedementhe,crèmedecacao,etc.)areliqueurswithaprimaryflavor,whilecreamliqueurscombinedairycreamandalcoholinahomogenized,shelf-stableblend.

Liqueursarenotusuallyagedforanygreatlengthoftime,buttheymayundergorestingstagesduringtheirproductiontoallowthevariousflavorsto“marry”intoaharmoniousblend.SomeItalianamariarerestedinbarrelsforseveralyearsasthecomplexbotanicalmixturescombineintodeepflavors.

Townshend’sDistilleryinPortland,OR,producesalineofspirits,includingherballiqueurs,fromexcessalcoholextractedfromtheirBrewDr.Kombucha.

FreshlyfilledbottlesofRaspberryLiqueurawaitboxingandshippingattheSidetrackDistilleryinKent,WA.

Unripenedblackwalnutsareinfusedinhigh-proofalcoholintheprocessofmakingNocino,anItalian-stylebitterliqueuratSidetrackDistilleryinKent,WA.

BLENDEDFAMILIES

Allliqueursareblends,eventhosewithaprimaryflavor.Atouchofvanillaisaddedtocrèmedecacaotoemphasizethechocolate.Citrusflavornotessharpenthepresentationofanise.Herballiqueursmaycontaindozensofdifferentflavorelementsthatamasterblendermanipulatestoachievethedesiredflavorprofile.

MapleLiqueurbySalishSeaOrganicLiqueursearnedaGoldMedalintheAmericanDistillingIntitute’s2018InternationalJudgingofCraftSpirits.

RaspberryLiqueurbySkipRockDistillersearnedaGoldMedalintheAmericanDistillingInstitute’s2018InternationalJudgingofCraftSpirits.

HelgolanderGermanstyleHerbalLiqueurbytheDampfwerkDistilleryCo.earnedaGoldMedalintheAmericanDistillingInstitute’s2018InternationalJudgingofCraftSpirits.

BlackWalnutLiqueurbyWoodHatSpiritsearnedaGoldMedalintheAmericanDistillingIntitute’s2018InternationalJudgingofCraftSpirits.

A.vanWeesDeOoievaarfruitliqueurfromtheNetherlands.

RosolisZiolowyGorzkiisarose-flavoredstomachbittersfromtheLancutDistilleryinPoland.

Liqueurscanbehardtoclassify,butregardlessofflavortheycanbebroadlydividedintotwocategories.Genericsareliqueursofaparticulartype(crèmedecacaoorcuraçao,forexample)thatcanbemadebyanyproducer.Proprietariesareliqueurswithtrademarkednamesthataremadeaccordingtoaspecificformula.ExamplesofsuchliqueursincludeKahlúa,GrandMarnier,andSouthernComfort.

SCHNAPPSSchnappsisageneraltermusedforanassortmentofwhiteandflavoredspiritsthathaveoriginatedinnortherncountriesorregions,suchasGermanyorScandinavia.Schnappscanbemadefromgrain,potatoes,ormolassesandcanbeflavoredwithvirtuallyanything(watermelonandrootbeerschnappsfromtheUnitedStatesbeingproofofthat).Thedividinglinebetweenschnappsandflavoredvodkaisvagueandismoreculturalthanstylistic.

LabelforJohnnyZieglerBlackForestStyleAppleAuxPommelSchnappsEaudeViebyWine-gardenEstateinNewBrunswick,Canada.

LabelforBlackberryLiqueurbyClearCreekDistillery.

ANISE-FLAVOREDSPIRITSThesespiritscanvarywidelyinstyle,dependingonthecountryoforigin.Theycanbedryorverysweet,loworhighproof,distilledfromfermentedaniseedormaceratedinneutralspirit.

InFrance,anis(asproducedbyPernod)isproducedbydistillinganiseandavarietyofotherbotanicalstogether.Pastisismacerated,ratherthandistilled,andcontainsfewerbotanicalsthananis.InItaly,sambucaisdistilledfromaniseandbotanicals,butitisthenheavilysweetenedtomakeitaliqueur.Oiloffennel(alsoknownasgreenanise)isfrequentlyaddedtoboostthearomaofthespirit.Greecehasadrier,grappa-likeliqueurcalledouzo,whichisstylisticallyclosetopastis.

AbsentMindedisanorganicabsinthebyWigleWhiskey,inPittsburgh,PA.

WildcardAbsinthebyOregonSpiritDistillers,earnedaDouble-GoldMedal,BestofCategoryandBestofClassattheAmericanDistillingInstitute’s9thAnnualJudgingofCraftAmericanSpirits.

BlackNoteAmarobyTurinVermouth,Italy.

AbsintheVertebySt.GeorgeSpirits.

AbsintheVertebyLeopoldBros.

ABSINTHEMAKESTHEHEARTGROWFONDER

Modernpastisisthegenteeldescendentofitsmuchmoreraffishnineteenth-centuryancestorabsinthe,ahigh-(sometimesveryhigh)proofaniseliquor(technicallynotaliqueurbecausenosugarisadded)thatincludedextractofwormwoodinitslistofbotanicals.Wormwoodcontainsthechemicalcompoundthujone,whoseallegedpsychedeliceffectsmadeabsintheverypopularamongthebohemiancountercultureartistsandintellectualsofFranceandEurope(VincentvanGoghandOscarWildeweredevoteesofwhatwastermedtheGreenFairy).Conversely,socialconservativesandprohibitionistscampaignedagainstitasthecrackcocaineofitsdayandeventuallygotitoutlawedinmostEuropeancountriesandtheUnitedStates.Modernscientificanalysishasfoundthujone’spsychedelicpotencytobe,atbest,greatlyexaggeratedandmanydistillersclaimmostofthethujoneinabsinthecomesfromaniseandnotwormwood.

Forbiddenfruitisalwaysappealing,andstartinginthe1990s,absinthe,whichcontinuedtobecommerciallyproducedinEasternEurope,slowlystartedtoreturntothegeneralmarketplace,initiallyin“thujone-free”versionsfromFranceandSwitzerland.WhenabsinthewasagainlegalizedintheU.S,St.GeorgeSpiritsinAlameda,California,jumpedintobethefirstbrandapprovedandmanyothershavefollowedsuit.Onethingthathasnotchangedaboutabsintheisitshighalcoholcontent.

KevinHersonmakesthreedifferentstylesofabsintheatDocHerson’sNaturalSpirits,Brooklyn,NY.

BITTERSANDAMARIThemodern-daydescendantsofmedievalmedicalpotions,bittersaremarketedashavingatleastsomevaguelytherapeuticvalue(stomachsettlers,hangovercures,andsoon).Theytendtobeflavoredwithherbs,roots,andbotanicalsandcontainlowerquantitiesoffruitandsugarthanliqueurs.

TheFarmaceuticadiSantaMariaNovella,inFlorence,Italy,foundedin1612,producesamari(pluralofamaro:Italianbitterliqueurs)fromrecipesthatdatebacktothe17thcentury.SomeEuropeanaperitifsanddigestifshavebeenliftedfromobscurityinrecentyearsfromactivemarketingcampaigns.FernetBranca,anotherItalianamarofromMilanhasgainedpopularitywithAmericanbartendersforanend-of-the-nightshot.JägermeisterwasaGermanoldman’sdrink,mostoftenservedatroomtemperatureinsmallquantitiestowarmabodyoncold,dampwinterdays,untilaclevermarketingcampaignmadeitpopularasashooterservedcolderthananicecubetoAmericancollegestudents.

Thesedigestifs—rangingfromthedryUnicumfromHungarytothesweetBecherovkafromtheCzechRepublic—areproducedinalmosteverycountryinEurope,whilenewAmericanproducersaregettingintothegame.

ItalianimmigrantFrancescoAmodeofoundedDonCiccio&FigliwithrecipeshisfamilyproducedandsoldontheAmalfiCoastfrom1883untilanearthquakedestroyedtheproductionfacilityin1980.HisplantinWashington,DC,produceslimoncelloandavarietyofamari.AnotherDC-basedamaroproducer,FoundingSpirits,makesamaroatananodistilleryinsidetheFoundingFarmersrestaurant.FernetMichaud,byLiquidRiotinPortland,Maine,isanotherfineexampleofamoderncraftdistilleryproducingtheirownversionofaEuropeanclassic.UndergroundHerbalSpirit,producedbyOgden’sOwninUtah,isalsoanoteworthyexampleofthestyle.

Asbartendersscouredthrough19th-centuryrecipeslookingforclassiccocktailstorevive,spiritsproducershavescrambledtoresurrectlong-lostspirits,oftenfoundin19th-centurypharmacynotebooks.St.Germainelderflowerliqueurrocketedtopopularitywhenitcaughtthefancyofbartenders.TheWoodinville,Washington,distillerybroVoSpiritscreatedalineofmorethanadozenamaribyworkingwithindividualbartenderstocreatetheirdreamamaro.

Althoughtherearespecialtyliqueurproducers,mostbrandsareproducedbygeneraldistillersaspartofanextendedproductline.Amongthenewgeneration

generaldistillersaspartofanextendedproductline.Amongthenewgenerationofcraftdistillers,someofthestandoutliqueurproducersincludeLeopoldBrothersDistilleryofDenver,Colorado,withtheirdistinctivewhiskey-basedfruitliqueurs(theRockyMountainBlackberryisparticularlynoteworthy);FlagHillWineryandDistilleryinLee,NewHampshire,withtheirdelicatelytingedSugarMapleLiqueur;andSidetrackDistillery,inKent,Washington,whoproduceavarietyofeauxdevieandliqueursusingproducefromthefarmadjacenttothedistillery.

SomeoftheamarirecipesavailableforpurchasefromtheFarmaceuticadiSantaMariaNovella,Florence,Italy,datebackmorethan400years.

RockyMountainPeachFlavoredWhiskeybyLeopoldBros.

ToddLeopoldishighlyregardedamonghisfellowdistillersforholdinghighstandardsandrenovatingoldtechniques,includingfloormaltingandrecreatinga19th-centurystyleof

chamberedstill.LeopoldBros.fruit-flavoredwhiskeysareamonghishighlyacclaimedspirits.

FrancescoAmodeo,left,andJonathanFasanoatDonCiccio&Figli,arectifiermakingamariandotherItalianliqueursfromoldfamilyrecipes,inWashington,DC.

Chapter10

DISTILLINGRESOURCES

BEFOREyouaregoingtowalkthewalk,youfirstneedtolearnthetalk.

TheDistiller’sLibraryisabibliographyofEnglish-languagebooksondistillingandthevarioustypesofspirits.Ifyouhaven’talreadyfoundwhatyouwantinthisbook,well,hereareawholelotofalternativesources.

TheDistiller’sGlossarywillhelpyousortouttheindustryjargonthatissprinkledthroughoutthetextofthisbook.Learningthemeaningofthetermslobberbox,alone,isworththepriceofadmission.

Andfinally,theInternationalDirectoryofDistilleriesisalinktothemostcomprehensiveworldwidelistingofoperatingwhiskeyandcraftdistilleriesasmaintainedbytheAmericanDistillingInstitute.Somanytotsofwhiskeytosample,solittletime.

THEDISTILLER’SLIBRARY

WHENitcomestolearningaboutwhattheymake,craftbrewershaveitrelativelyeasy.SinceMichaelJackson’sfirstbookonbeercameoutintheearly1980s,therehasbeenasteadyfloodofconsumerandprofessionalbooksonbeerandbrewingarrivingonthemarket.Notsoforspiritsuntilfairlyrecently.Theselectionisbetterthanitusedtobe.Hereisabibliographicsummaryofwhatisavailable.

NOTE:Notallofthesebooksarecurrentlyinprint,butasofthisbook’spublication,theywereallavailablethroughAmazon.comorAlibrus.com.Thereviewcommentsaresolelytheopinionsoftheeditor,AlanDikty.

AbartendereyesherpourcarefullywhileservingthreeBloodonSandcocktails.

DISTILLEDSPIRITS,GENERALBlue,AnthonyDias.

THECOMPLETEBOOKOFSPIRITS.

NewYork:HarperCollinsPublishers,2004.

Wide-rangingreviewofallmajorcategoriesofspiritsbyawell-knownbeverageandlifestylewriter,withtastingnotesandcocktailrecipes.Itsusefulnessismarredbytrulyawfulcopyediting.

Dikty,AlanS.

BUYINGGUIDETOSPIRITS.

NewYork:SterlingPublishing,1999.

Concisebutdetailedchaptersonallspiritscategories,withthousandsoftastingnotes.UsedasatrainingmanualforthesalesforceofthelargestliquorwholesalerintheUnitedStates.Written,withacertaindrywit,bytheeditorofthisbook.

Henriques,E.Frank.

THESIGNETENCYCLOPEDIAOFWHISKEY,BRANDY&ALLOTHERSPIRITS.

NewYork:Signet,NewAmericanLibrary,1979.

CliffsNotesforbarmanagement:quickbutinformativereferencedescriptionsandexplanationsforthousandsofspirittypes,brandsandcocktails.Outofprint,butworthsearchingout.

Lembeck,Harriet.

GROSSMAN’SGUIDETOWINES,BEERS,ANDSPIRITS.

NewYork:CharlesScribner’sSons,1983.

Thegrandoldreferenceguidetoalcoholicbeverages:thespiritssectionisstillagoodintroductiontoallthemajorandmany,manyoftheminorcategoriesandbrands.

Owens,Bill,ed.

WORLDGUIDETOWHISKEYDISTILLERIES.

WhiteMulePress,2009.www.distilling.com

Acompletelistingofwhiskeydistilleries.

Price,PamelaVandyke.

ADIRECTORYOFWINESANDSPIRITS.

London:PeerageBooks,1986.

Morewinethanspiritsoriented,butanyreferencebookthattellsthetruthaboutSouthernComfort(itcontainsnobourbon)isworthwhile.

Hydrometersformeasuringalcoholcontentofdistillates.

DISTILLEDSPIRITS,HISTORYBarr,Andrew.

DRINK:ASOCIALHISTORYOFAMERICA.

NewYork:Carroll&GrafPublishers,1999.Breezybutwell-researchedhistoryofdrinkingintheUnitedStates,combinedwithdrollput-downsofprohibitionistspastandespeciallypresent.

Fleming,Alice.

ALCOHOL:THEDELIGHTFULPOISON.

NewYork:Laurel-LeafLibrary,DellPublishing,1975.

ShorthistoryofworldandAmericanspirits,followedbyanextendedessayonthephysicaleffects(positiveandnegative)ofalcohol.

Forbes,R.J.

SHORTHISTORYOFTHEARTOFDISTILLATION.

Leiden:E.J.Brill,1948.

WhiteMulePressreprintingofaDutchhistoryofdistillationfromPtolemaicEgypttotheadventofcolumndistillationinthemid-19thcentury.Many,manyillustrations.

Gately,Ian.

DRINK:ACULTURALHISTORYOFALCOHOL.

NewYork:GothamBooks,2009.

Excellentworldhistoryofthedevelopmentofthedrinkingofalcoholandhowitsproduction,includingdistilling,hasinfluencedvariouscultures.

Ganong,Niki.

THEFIELDGUIDETODRINKINGINAMERICA:ATRAVELER’SHANDBOOKTOSTATELIQUORLAWS.

Portland,OR:OvercupPress,2015.

Planningonsellingyourcraftspiritsacrossstatelines?Thisbreezy,graphic-heavyconsumerguidecontainsasurprisingamountofusefulinformationonthelocalquirksofsellingalcoholinall50states.

Heron,Craig.

BOOZE:ADISTILLEDHISTORY.

Toronto:BetweentheLines,2003.

AhistoryofliquorinCanada,writtenfromafeminist,politicallycorrect(!)pointofview.Lotsofinformativehistory,eh?

Lender,MarkEdward,andJamesKirbyMartin.

DRINKINGINAMERICA:AHISTORY.

NewYork:TheFreePress,1982.

Conventionalbutwell-writtensurveyofliquordrinkingintheUnitedStates,fromColonialtimestothepresent.Heavilyillustrated.

Logsdon,Gene.

GOODSPIRITS.

WhiteRiverJunction,VT:ChelseaGreen,1999.

AsocialhistoryofdistillationintheUnitedStates,andacallforhomedistillation.Theauthorisabitofacrank,butwriteswell.

Moss,RobertF.

SOUTHERNSPIRITS:FOURHUNDREDYEARSOFDRINKINGINTHEAMERICANSOUTH,WITHRECIPES.

Berkeley:TenSpeedPress,2016.

AsocialhistoryofdrinkingspiritsintheAmericanSouthfromColonialtimesthroughtothepresentbourbonwhiskeyboom,withmanycocktailrecipes.

Rorabaugh,W.J.

THEALCOHOLREPUBLIC:ANAMERICANTRADITION.

NewYork:OxfordUniversityPress,1979.

IntheUnitedStates,1790to1830wasthehightideofspiritsconsumption.Everyonedrank,therewerenoexcisetaxes,alldistilleriesweresmallandlocalandbestofall,therewasnoorganizedtemperancemovement.Ah,thegoodolddays!

Spivak,Mark.

ICONICSPIRITS:ANINTOXICATEDHISTORY.

Guilford,CT:LyonsPress,2012.

Abreezyhistoryofhowtwelvespirits,frommoonshinetotequila,influencedworldhistory,writtenbyanNPRpresenterfortheNPRcrowd—youknowwhoyouare.

Waxman,Max.

CHASINGTHEWHITEDOG.

Simon&Schuster,2009.

TracingthehistoricalrootsofmoonshinethroughthebackwoodsoftheUnitedStates.

Wilson,Jason.

BOOZEHOUND:ONTHETRAILOFTHERARE,THEOBSCURE,ANDTHEOVERRATEDINSPIRITS.

Berkeley:TenSpeedPress,2010.

Aveterannewspaperbeveragecolumnistsurveysthecurrentspiritsmarketscene,dishessomecocktailrecipes,andpricksmorethanafewmarketingbubbles.

DISTILLEDSPIRITS,MEDICINALEFFECTSCenterforScienceinthePublicInterest.

CHEMICALADDITIVESINBOOZE.

Washington,DC:CSPIBooks,1982.

TheCSPIisanotoriouscollectionofpublicscolds,andnofriendtodistilledspirits.Buttheirchemicalanalysisofassortedbrandsofwines,spirits,andbeersmakesinterestingreading.Hint:Stayawayfromanyliqueurwiththewordcrèmeinthebrandname.

Chafetz,MorrisE.

LIQUOR:THESERVANTOFMAN.

Boston:LittleBrown,1965.

Don’tletdrunkenfoolsscrewitupfortherestofus,explainedin223pages.

Ford,Gene.

THEBENEFITSOFMODERATEDRINKING:ALCOHOL,HEALTH,&SOCIETY.

SanFrancisco:WineAppreciationGuild,1988.

Listentoyourdoctor.Wine(andspirits)inmoderationaregoodforyou.

DISTILLEDSPIRITS,PHILOSOPHYAllhoff,Fritz,ed.

WHISKEYANDPHILOSOPHY.

JohnWiley&Sons,2009.

Philosophyofconsuminganddiscussionofwhiskey.

Amis,Kingsley.

ONDRINK.

NewYork:HarcourtBraceJovanovich,1972.

OneofBritain’sgreatpostwarnovelistsdiscussesthepurposeofdrinkinginaseriesofessayswherethewitisasdryashisrecipeforamartini.

DeVoto,Bernard.

THEHOUR.

Boston:HoughtonMifflin,1951.

OneoftheUnitedStates’sgreatliterarycriticsofthetwentiethcenturyexplainstheimportanceofgoodwhiskeyinacivilsociety,alongwiththeimportanceofaproperlymademartiniin“theviolettwilightofeachday—thecocktailhour.”

Edmunds,Lowell.

THESILVERBULLET.

Westport,CT:GreenwoodPress,1981.

ThemartiniasamirrorofAmerica’ssoul.Sevenmessagesfromthecocktailshaker.

Hundredsofbottlesofspiritslinethewallsintheultimatewell-stockedbar.

DISTILLEDSPIRITS,PRODUCTIONBarleycorn,Michael.

MOONSHINER’SMANUAL.

Hayward,CA:WhiteMulePress,2009.www.distilling.com.

Homedistillationforbeginners.

Byrn,M.Lafayette.

THECOMPLETEPRACTICALDISTILLER.

ChagrinFalls,OH:RaudinsPublishing,2002.www.raudins.com

Reprintingof1875distilleryoperationsmanualthatcontainsalotofstill-usefulinformationforasmall-scalepotdistiller.

Hall,Harrison.

THEDISTILLER.

SanFrancisco:KnowledgeArtsMedia,2013.

WhiteMulePress2015reprintofan1818professionaldistiller’smanual.Includesachapteron“TheImitationofForeignSpirits.”

Hoefling,BrianD.

DISTILLEDKNOWLEDGE:THESCIENCEBEHINDDRINKING’SGREATESTMYTHS,LEGENDS,ANDUNANSWEREDQUESTIONS.

NewYork:AbbevillePress,2016.

Whatgoesintoabottleofalcohol,andwhatitdoestoyourbodyandthatofthezebrafinch.

M’Harry,Samuel.

PRACTICALDISTILLER.

ChagrinFalls,OH:RaudinsPublishing,2001.

Reprintingof1809(!)Americandistillingmanual.Learnaboutdistillingtechniquesfromtheeraofthebirthofbourbon.Fascinatingreading.Orderatwww.raudins.com.

Goldsmith,DavidJ.

APRACTICALHANDBOOKONTHEDISTILLATIONOFALCOHOLFROMFARMPRODUCTS.

Amsterdam:FredoniaBooks,2001.

Reprintof1922distillingmanualfirstpublishedduringnationalProhibition.Justremember,folks:don’tdrinkit,becausethatwouldbeillegal,wink,wink.Orderatwww.fredoniabooks.com.

Murtaugh,Dr.JohnE.

THEALCOHOLTEXTBOOK.

Nottingham,UK:NottinghamUniversityPress,2003.

Commercial-scaleethanolandbeveragealcoholproductiontechniquesandreferencecharts.Notforlightreading.

Nixon,Mike,andMikeMcGaw.

THECOMPLEATDISTILLER.

Auckland,NZ:AmphoraSociety,2001.AdvancedhomedistillingfromNewZealand.Lotsofpracticalinformationfornewbies.

Owens,Bill.

CRAFTWHISKEYDISTILLING.

Hayward,CA:WhiteMulePress,2009.

www.distilling.com.Compactsummaryofthesmall-scaledistillingprocess.Heavilyillustrated.

Rogers,Adam.

PROOF:THESCIENCEOFBOOZE.

HoughtonMifflinHarcourt,2014.

Theproductionprocessingandeffectsofbeveragealcoholexplained.Geeky,butinagoodway.

Rowley,Matthew.

MOONSHINE.

LarkBooks,2006.

Howtobuildastillathome.

Russell,Inge,ed.

WHISKEYTECHNOLOGY.

AcademicPress,2003.

Handbookofalcoholicbeverages.

Smiley,Ian.

MAKINGPURECORNWHISKEY:APROFESSIONALGUIDEFORAMATEURANDMICRODISTILLERS.

AmphoraSociety,2003.www.home-distilling.com.

Acrashcourseinsmall-scaledistillingfromNewZealand,thehomelandofmodernmoonshining.

Stone,John.

MAKINGGIN&VODKA.

Vancouver,BC:JohnStone,1997.www.gin-vodka.com

Advancedhome-distillingtechniquesforwhitespirits.

Advancedhome-distillingtechniquesforwhitespirits.

BRANDYANDEAUDEVIEBehrendt,Axel,andBibianaBehrendt.

COGNAC.

NewYork:AbbevillePress,1997.

Detailedtastingnotesandhistoriesformorethanahundredproducers.

Behrendt,Axel,andBibianaBehrendt.

GRAPPA:AGUIDETOTHEBEST.

NewYork:AbbevillePress,2000.

ExtensivelyresearchedguidetoItalianpomacebrandy.Detailedtastingnotesandproducerhistories.

Boudin,Ove.

GRAPPA:ITALYBOTTLED.

Partille:PianoFortePublishing,2007.

Coffee-tablepicturebookcrossedwithasurprisinglydetailedexplanationofhowgrappaisproducedinItalyandwhodoesit.

Brown,Gordon.

HANDBOOKOFFINEBRANDIES.

NewYork:Macmillan,1990.

British-orientedguidetothebrandiesoftheworld.Oddbarchartproductratings,butstillagoodgeneraloverviewofthesubject.

Calabrese,Salvatore.

COGNAC:ALIQUIDHISTORY.

London:Cassel,2001.

Bigtype,lotsofprettypictures,butstillausefulreferencework,withintelligenttastingnotes.

APing-PongtableatSt.George’sSpiritskeepsthehardest-workingdistillersentertainedandontheirtoesinthedistillery.

Germain-Robin,Hubert.

TRADITIONALDISTILLATION:ARTANDPASSION.

Hayward:WhiteMulePress,2012.

ApioneerCaliforniabrandydistiller,withfamilyrootsinCognac,musesonbrandydistillationandproductiontechniques.

Germain-Robin,Hubert.

THEMATURATIONOFDISTILLEDSPIRITS:VISIONANDPATIENCE.

Hayward:WhiteMulePress,2016.

Asixth-generationnativeofCognacrevealscellarmasters’techniquesfornurturingflavorcreationinthebarrel.

Hannum,Hurst,andRobertS.Blumberg.

BRANDIESANDLIQUEURSOFTHEWORLD.

GardenCity,NJ:Doubleday,1976.

Well-writtenandstillusefuloverviewofthebrandiesoftheworld.

Herbert,Malcolm.

CALIFORNIABRANDYCUISINE.

SanFrancisco:WineAppreciationGuild,1984.

Primarilyacookingandmixed,drinkrecipebook,italsocontainshistoricalnotesontheCaliforniabrandyindustrypriortothearrivalofmoderncraftdistillers.

Mattsson,Henrik.

CALVADOS:THEWORLD’SPREMIERAPPLEBRANDY.

FlavourriderAB,2004.

ASwedishwriter’sintroductiontotheapplebrandiesofNormandy,France.Bothabrandyandtravelguide,andgoodatboth.

Neal,Charles.

ARMAGNAC:THEDEFINITIVEGUIDETOFRANCE’SPREMIERBRANDY.

SanFrancisco:FlameGrapePress,1998.

ExhaustiveguidetoeverycommercialdistilleryinArmagnac,mostofwhicharetinyfarmdistilleries.Theauthorloveshistopic,hatesinferiorproductiontechniques,andletsyouknowexactlywhathethinks.

Nicholas,Faith.

COGNAC.

London:MitchellBeazley,2005.

Typicalflashy-lookingMitchellBeazleybeveragebook.Quickhistory,lotsoftastingnotesonpriceyXOs.

Page,C.E.

ARMAGNAC:THESPIRITOFGASCONY.

London:Bloomsbury,1990.

Standard,British-centeredguidetoArmagnac.Tourandtastingnotes.

Ray,Cyril.

COGNAC.

NewYork:Stein&Day,1973.

Well-knownBritishwinewriterpresentsadrollhistoryofFrance’sbestknownbrandy.

GINCoates,Geraldine.

DISCOVERINGGIN.

London:NewLifestylePublishing,1996.

Flashygraphicsandhistorylitetextonthesocialhistoryofgin.

Dillon,Patrick.

GIN:THEMUCH-LAMENTEDDEATHOFMADAMGENEVA.

Boston:Justin,Charles,2003.

Thestoryoftheeighteenth-centurygincrazeinEnglandisevenstrangerthanyoucanimagine.

Emmons,Bob.

THEBOOKOFGINS&VODKAS.

Chicago:OpenCourt,2000.

Quickbutcomprehensiveintroductiontothetwoprimarywhitespirits.

Smith,DavidT.

FORGOTTENSPIRITS&LOSTLIQUEURS.

Hayward:WhiteMulePress,2015.

Non–LondonDryGinvarietiesandso-old-they’re-new-againtypesofbittersdescribedandexplained,pluslotsofcocktailrecipestoshowwhatyoucandowiththem.

Watney,John.

MOTHER’SRUIN:THESTORYOFGIN.

London:PeterOwen,1976.

ThesocialhistoryofgininEngland.Sloeginexplained!

LIQUEURANDBITTERSConrad,Barnaby.

ABSINTHE:HISTORYINABOTTLE.

SanFrancisco:ChronicleBooks,1988.

Thecrackcocaineofitstime,butintruth,muchmaligned.Asocialhistoryofthe“GreenFairy.”

Parsons,BradThomas.

BITTERS:ASPIRITEDHISTORYOFACLASSICCURE-ALL.

Berkeley:TenSpeedPress,2011.

Acrashcourseinbitters,whattheyare,whomakesthemandhowtousethem.

Walton,Stuart.

THENEWGUIDETOSPIRITSANDLIQUEURS.

London:LorenzBooks,2000.

Well-organizedreferenceguidetoliqueursandhowtomixthem.

White,Francesca.Cheers!

ASPIRITEDGUIDETOLIQUORSANDLIQUEURS.

London:PaddingtonPress,1977.

Capsuleexplanationsofmanyliqueurs,wellknownandobscure.

RUMArkell,Julie.

CLASSICRUM.

London:PrionBooks,1999.

Quick-movingsurveyofrumsoftheworld,withanemphasisontheCaribbean.

Ayala,Luis.

THERUMEXPERIENCE.

RoundRock,TX:RumRunnerPress,2001.

EnthusiasticguidetotherumsoftheAmericas.Highlyopinionated.

Barty-King,Hugh,andAntonMassel.

RUM:YESTERDAYANDTODAY.

London:Heinemann,1983.

Serioushistoryofruminallofitsmajormarkets.

Broom,Dave.

RUM.

London:MitchellBeazley,2003.

Morespecifically,rumsoftheCaribbeanforBritdrinkers.Lotsofprettypictures.

Coulombe,CharlesA.

RUM:THEEPICSTORYOFTHEDRINKTHATCONQUEREDTHEWORLD.

NewYork:CitadelPress,2004.

ThepoliticalhistoryofrumfromaCatholicperspective.(Really!)

Gelabert,Blanche.

THESPIRITOFPUERTORICANRUM.

SanJuan:DiscoveryPress,1992.

CookingandmixingdrinkswithPuertoRicanrum.

AbottleofNorthernComfortMassachusettsLiqueursitsonthecounteratNashobaDistillery.

Hamilton,Edward.

THECOMPLETEGUIDETORUM.

Chicago:TriumphPress,1996.

Ayacht-cruisingtouroftherumsoftheCaribbean.Agreatread.

Hamilton,Edward.

RUMSOFTHEEASTERNCARIBBEAN.

Culebra,PR:TafiaPublishing,1997.

TheMinisterofRumrecyclesTheCompleteGuidetoRum.

Pack,Capt.James

NELSON’SBLOOD:THESTORYOFNAVALRUM.

Annapolis:NavalInstitutePress,1983.

RumasatoolofsocialcontrolintheRoyalNavy.So,howmuchisatotofrum?

Plotkin,Robert.

CARIBERUM:THEORIGINALGUIDETOCARIBBEANRUMANDDRINKS.

Tucson:BarMedia,2001.

Many,manymixeddrinkrecipes,uniformlyenthusiasticproductreviews,andavery,veryannoyingpagelayoutfeaturingawingedheart(don’task).

Smiley,Ian;Watson,EricandMichaelDelevante.

THEDISTILLER’SGUIDETORUM.

Hayward:WhiteMulePress,2013.

Abriefhistoryofrum,followedbyadetailedexplanationoftheingredientsandvariousproductiontechniquesusedinthedistillationofrum.Agood,detailedintroductiontorumproductionforentry-leveldistillersanddetail-obsessedrumenthusiasts.

TheGeorgeWashingtonDistillery.

TEQUILA

Emmons,Bob.

THEBOOKOFTEQUILA:ACOMPLETEGUIDE.

Chicago:OpenCourt,1997.

Truthinadvertising.Excellentintroductiontothehistoryandproductionoftequila.Brandlistingsarenowsomewhatdated,butstillveryuseful.

MartinezLimon,Enrique.

TEQUILA:THESPIRITOFMEXICO.

NewYork:AbbevillePress,2000.Extensivelyillustratedconsumerguidetotheproductionandbrandsoftequila.

Sanchez,AlbertoRuy,andMargaritadeOrellana.

TEQUILA:ATRADITIONALARTOFMEXICO.

Washington:SmithsonianBooks,2004.

Breezy,lightweightguidetocurrentbrandsoftequila.Lotsofdrinkrecipes.

Valenzuela-Zapata,AnaG.,andGaryPaulNabhan.

TEQUILA!ANATURALANDCULTURALHISTORY.

Tucson:TheUniversityofArizonaPress,2003.

Tequilaasseenthroughtheeyesofplantbiologists.

VODKABegg,Desmond.

THEVODKACOMPANION.

Philadelphia:RunningPress,1998.

Quickhistoryofvodkawithextensivetastingnotes.

Delos,Gilbert.

VODKASOFTHEWORLD.

Edison,NJ:WellfleetPress,1998.

Excellentsurveyofvodkasandaquavit.

Wisniewski,Ian.

VODKA:DISCOVERING,EXPLORING,ENJOYING.

London:RylandPeters&Small,2003.

Astylishmagazinearticleonvodkaturnedintoaveryshortbook.

WHISKEY,GENERALGabanyi,Stefan.

WHISK(E)Y.

NewYork:AbbevillePress,1997.

EnglishtranslationofaGermanguidetothewhiskeysoftheworld.Thousandsofbrandsandtermslistedandexplained.Excellentquick-referenceguide.

Jackson,Michael.

WHISKEY.

NewYork:DorlingKindersley,2005.

Heavilydetailedandbeautifullylaid-outguidetothewhiskeysoftheworld,includingthenewcraftdistillers.Requiredadditiontoanyseriousdistiller’slibrary.

Jackson,Michael.

THEWORLDGUIDETOWHISKY.

Topsfield,MA:SalemHousePublishers,1988.TheBardofBrew’sfirsttakeonthewhiskeysofScotland,Ireland,Canada,theUnitedStates,andJapan.AworthycompaniontohisseminalTheWorldGuidetoBeer.

MacLean,Charles.

WHISKEY(EYEWITNESSCOMPANIONS).

London:DorlingKindersley,2008.

Lightweightbutup-to-datelistingofallmajorandasprinklingofsmallerwhiskeydistilleriesworldwide,withlimitedtastingnotes.HeavilyillustratedinthepatentDKpublicationstyle.

Murphy,Brian.

THEWORLDBOOKOFWHISKEY.

Chicago:RandMcNally&Co.,1979.

Interestingviewofthewhiskeysoftheworldjustbeforethelatetwentieth-centuryrashofmergers,closures,andbrandchanges.Aprèsmoi,ledeluge.

AnoldtruckoutsideStranahan’sColoradoWhiskey.

Murray,Jim.

THECOMPLETEGUIDETOWHISKEY.

Chicago:TriumphBooks,1997.

MoreproperlyaguidetoScotch,Irish,Canadian,andAmericanwhiskeys,andthedistilleriesthatmakethem.Goodcapsulehistoriesofthedistillerieswithminimaltastingnotes.

Murray,Jim.

JIMMURRAY’SWHISKEYBIBLE.

London:CarltonBooks.2006todate—Annualupdates.

Closetoall-encompassingpockettastingguidetotheworld’swhiskeysfromBritain’sotherleadingspiritswriter.

WHISKEY,AMERICAN—GENERALGetz,Oscar.

WHISKEY:ANAMERICANPICTORIALHISTORY.

NewYork:DavidMcKay,1978.

ExcellentpictorialhistoryofliquoranddistillinginAmericansociety.

Waymack,MarkH.,andJamesF.Harris.

THEBOOKOFCLASSICAMERICANWHISKEYS.

Chicago:OpenCourt,1995.

ConcisehistoryofAmericanwhiskeyandcurrentdistillerieswithdetailedtastingnotes.

WHISKEY,AMERICAN—BIOGRAPHYGreen,BenA.

JACKDANIEL’SLEGACY.

Nashville:RichPrinting,1967.

Quasi-officialbiographyofthefounderofAmerica’sleadingwhiskeydistillery.

Krass,Peter.Blood&Whiskey:

THELIFEANDTIMESOFJACKDANIEL.

Hoboken,NJ:JohnWiley&Sons,2004.

InterestinganalysisofthelifeofJackDanielandhisbusinessworld.

McDougall,JohnandGavinD.Smith.

WORT,WORMS&WASH-BACKS:MEMOIRSFROMTHESTILLHOUSE.

Glasgow:Angel’sShare,1999.

AsortofKitchenConfidentialoftheScotchdistillingindustry,withmanydrollandscore-settlinganecdotesfromaveterandistilleranddistillerymanager.

Pacult,F.Paul.

AMERICANSTILLLIFE:THEJIMBEAMSTORY.

Hoboken,NJ:JohnWiley&Sons,2003.

StandardrecapofAmericanwhiskeydistillinghistorywithanemphasisonthegrowthoftheJimBeanDistilleryanditsbrands.

Paterson,Richard,andGavinD.Smith.

GOODNESSNOSE:THEPASSIONATEREVELATIONSOFASCOTCHWHISKYMASTERBLENDER.

Glasgow:Angel’sShare,2010.

TheautobiographyofamasterblenderwhohasworkedatanumberofScotchdistilleriesandhasexperiencedtheboom-and-bustcyclesoftheindustry.

Taylor,Richard.

THEGREATCROSSING:AHISTORICJOURNEYTOBUFFALOTRACEDISTILLERY.

Frankfort,KY:BuffaloTraceDistillery,2002.

Well-writtencompanyhistorywithgoodinsightsintothedevelopmentofbourbondistillinginearlyKentucky.

VanWinkleCampbell,Sally.

BUTALWAYSFINEBOURBON:PAPPYVANWINKLEANDTHESTORYOFOLDFITZGERALD.

Louisville:LimestoneLanePress,1999.

Self-satisfiedfamilyhistorywithlotsofprettypictures.

WHISKEY,AMERICAN—BOURBON&TENNESSEECarson,Gerald.

THESOCIALHISTORYOFBOURBON.

Lexington:UniversityPressofKentucky,1984.

TheevolvingroleofbourboninAmerica’scollectivelifestyle.

Cecil,SamK.

THEEVOLUTIONOFTHEBOURBONWHISKEYINDUSTRYINKENTUCKY.

Paducah,KY:TurnerPublishing,1999.

County-by-countylistingsandcapsulehistoriesofeverydistillerytooperateinKentucky.Anobviouslaboroflove.

Cowdery,CharlesK.

BOURBON,STRAIGHT:THEUNCUTANDUNFILTEREDSTORYOFAMERICANWHISKEY.

Chicago:MadeandBottledinKentucky,2004.

AnindependentandfrequentlyirreverentviewoftheAmericanbourbonindustry.RequiredreadingforallseriousstudentsofAmericanwhiskeydistilling.

Cowdery,CharlesK.

BOURBON,STRANGE:SURPRISINGSTORIESOFAMERICANWHISKEY.

Chicago:MadeandBottledinKentucky,2014.

Acollectionofdroll,idiosyncratic,mostlyhistoricessaysonbourbonwhiskeyandtheAmericanwhiskeyindustry.

Crowgey,HenryG.

KENTUCKYBOURBON:THEEARLYYEARSOFWHISKEYMAKING.

Lexington:UniversityPressofKentucky,2008.

MoreproperlyaremarkablydetailedhistoryofthedevelopmentofcommercialdistillinginColonialAmericaandtheearlyUnitedStates.Substantialoriginalscholarship.WhoknewthatpeachbrandywasonceproducedbymostSouthernwhiskeydistillers?

BarrelsrolloutatWoodfordReserveDistillery.

Barrelssetforagingtequilainthewarehouse/tastingroomattheCasaCofradiaDistillery,inTequila,Jalisco,Mexico.

Givens,Ron.

BOURBONATITSBEST:THELOREANDALLUREOFAMERICA’SFINESTSPIRITS.

Cincinnati:ClerisyPress,2008.

Lavishlyillustratedcoffee-tablebookintroductiontobourbon.

Minnick,Fred.

BOURBONCURIOUS:ASIMPLETASTINGGUIDEFORTHESAVVYDRINKER.

Minneapolis:ZenithPress,2015.

Anditisindeedsimple.

Mitenbuler,Reid.

BOURBONEMPIRE:THEPASTANDFUTUREOFAMERICA’SWHISKEY.

NewYork:PenguinBooks,2015.

Abusiness-orientedhistoryoftheAmericanwhiskeyindustry.Notquiteanexposé,butcertainlyapeekbehindthecurtainsinthestillhousesofanumberofcommercialdistilleries.

Murray,Jim.

CLASSICBOURBON,TENNESSEEANDRYEWHISKEY.

London:PrionBooks,1996.

London:PrionBooks,1996.

AnEnglishmantastesAmericanwhiskeysandlikesthem.Extensivetastingnotes.

Murray,Jim.

JIMMURRAY’SWHISKYBIBLE.

Various:Various,2004todate.

Anannualtastingandratingguidetothewhiskeysoftheworld.Thetastedescriptorscansometimesbeabitexuberant,butthisis,farandaway,themostextensiveandcurrentguidetobrandsofwhiskeyinthemarketplace.

Regan,Gary,andMardeeHaidinRegan.

THEBOOKOFBOURBON.

Shelburne,VT:ChaptersPublishing,1995.

Extensivetastingnotes,somewhatdatedatthispoint,withrecipes.

Regan,Gary,andMardeeHaidinRegan.

THEBOURBONCOMPANION.

Philadelphia:RunningPress,1998.

CliffsNotesforvirtuallyallcurrentbrandsofbourbon.

WHISKY,CANADIANBingham,Madeleine.

KINGOFTHECASTLE:THEMAKINGOFADYNASTY:SEAGRAM’SANDTHEBRONFMANEMPIRE.

NewYork:Athenaeum,1979.

ThedirtonthenowvanisheddominantforceinCanadiandistilling.

Bronfman,Samuel.

FROMLITTLEACORNS:THESTORYOFDISTILLERS

Corporation-Seagram,Ltd.Montreal:DistillersCorporation-SeagramLimited,1970.

TheGrandOldManofCanadiandistillingtellsacleaned-upversionofthehistoryofSeagram’sandCanadianwhiskey.NaryamentionofJoeKennedyandbootlegging.

Brown,Lorraine.

200YEARSOFTRADITION:THESTORYOFCANADIANWHISKY.

Toronto:Fitzhenry&Whiteside,1994.

Anon-Seagram-centrichistoryofCanadianwhisky.Abitontheshortside.

Marrus,MichaelR.

SAMUELBRONFMAN:THELIFEANDTIMESOFSEAGRAM’SMR.SAM.

Boston:UniversityPressofNewEngland,1991.

AcademicanalysisoftheCanadiandistillingindustrythroughanoverviewofthenowdismantledSeagram’swhiskeyempire.

Rannie,WilliamF.

CANADIANWHISKY:THEPRODUCTANDTHEINDUSTRY.

Lincoln,ON:W.F.RanniePublisher,1976.

InterestingsnapshotoftheCanadiandistillingindustryontheeveofthelate-twentieth-centuryindustryconsolidation.

WHISKEY,ASIAVanEycken,Stefan.

WHISKYRISING:THEDEFINITIVEGUIDETOTHEFINESTWHISKIESANDDISTILLERSOFJAPAN.

Kennebunkport,ME:CiderMillPress,2017.

TherapidevolutionofgrainspiritsproductioninJapanfromratherrawwhitespiritssuchasshochutoverysmoothmaturemaltwhiskeysisdetailedinthisinstantstandardreferencework.

Sandhaus,Derek.

BAIJIU:THEESSENTIALGUIDETOCHINESESPIRITS.

Melbourne:PenguinViking,2014.

Theworld’sbest-sellingspirit,byvolumeatleast,isanacquiredtasteformostnon-Chinesedrinkers.Thisenthusiast’sguidetotheproduction,varieties,andmajorbrandsofbaijiuisbriskandtothepoint.

WHISKEY,MOONSHINE—HISTORYCarr,Jess.

THESECONDOLDESTPROFESSION:ANINFORMALHISTORYOFMOONSHININGINAMERICA.

EnglewoodCliffs,NJ:Prentice-Hall,1972.

Thehistoryofmoonshining,primarilyinSouthernstates.

Dabney,JosephEarl.

MOREMOUNTAINSPIRITS.

Asheville,NC:BrightMountainBooks,1980.

Thereismoretomoonshinethanjustcornwhiskey;peachbrandy,forexample.Chock-fullofrecipesandhomemadestilldesigns.

Dabney,JosephEarl.

MOUNTAINSPIRITS.

Asheville,NC:BrightMountainBooks,1974.

AsocialhistoryofAppalachianmoonshinedistillingwithanattitude.Cornwhiskey:good;sugardistillation:bad.

Keller,Esther.

MOONSHINE:ITSHISTORYANDFOLKLORE.

NewYork:WeathervaneBooks,1971.

MoonshineinKentuckyandsouthernIndiana.Lightweight,butentertaining.

Mauer,DavidW.

KENTUCKYMOONSHINE.

Lexington:UniversityPressofKentucky,1974.

Moonshiningasanindustry,fromColonialtimestothepresent.

Owens,Bill.

MODERNMOONSHINETECHNIQUES.

Hayward:WhiteMulePress,2009.

ThefounderoftheAmericanDistillingInstituteexplainshowtobuilda(very)simpledistilleryinyourgarageandmakemoonshine.

Spoelman,Colin,andDavidHaskell.

THEKINGSCOUNTYGUIDETOURBANMOONSHINING:HOWTOMAKEANDDRINKWHISKEY.

NewYork:AbramsBooks,2013.

Inthiscase,inNewYorkCity,ratherthanruralTennessee.Apioneercraftdistillerexplains,ingreatdetail,howahobbybecamealifestyle.

Rowley,Matthew.

LOSTRECIPESOFPROHIBITION.

NewYork:TheCountrymanPress,2015.

AnactualProhibition-eramoonshiner’sproductionmanualreproduced,withannotations.Bathtubginexplained!

WHISKEY,IRISHMagee,Malachy.

IRISHWHISKEY:A1000YEARTRADITION.

Dublin:O’BrienPress,1998.

ShortbutdetailedhistoryofIrishwhiskeydistilling,withcapsulehistoriesofeverycommercialdistilleryinIreland.

McGuffin,John.

INPRAISEOFPOTEEN.

Belfast:ApplegatePress,1978.

Moonshine,Irishstyle.Asisusuallythecase,romantichistoryisbetterthantherathersqualidcurrentstateofaffairs,withkitchenstillsinurbanhousingestatesdistillingfermentedsugarwater.

McGuire,E.B.

IRISHWHISKEY.

Dublin:Gill&Macmillan,1973.

Alast-hurrahviewoftheIrishdistillingindustry,justpriortothefinalindustryconsolidation.

Murray,Jim.

CLASSICIRISHWHISKEY.

London:PrionBooks,1998.

MoreorlesscompletetastingandbuyingguidetoIrishwhiskey,includinglocalbrands.Murraydoestendtolikeeverything,though.

Townsend,Brian.

THELOSTDISTILLERIESOFIRELAND.

Glasgow:NeilWilson,1999.

Companionbooktotheauthor’sScotchMissed:TheLostDistilleriesofScotland,onlysadder.Scotlandstillhasaroundahundreddistilleries,whileIreland,untilrecentindustryrevival,hadbeendowntoonlythree.

WHISKY,SCOTCHBarnard,Alfred.

THEWHISKYDISTILLERIESOFTHEUNITEDKINGDOM.

Edinburgh:Birlinn,2003.

Reprintof1887guidetothedistilleriesofScotland,England,andIreland.Wonderfulwindowintoalong-vanishedworldofdistilling,withmanyengravings.Amust-haveforthehistoricallymindeddistiller.

Brander,Michael.

THEESSENTIALGUIDETOSCOTCHWHISKY.

Edinburgh:CanongatePublishing,1990.

CompactreportonthestateoftheScottishdistillingindustry,circa1990.

Cooper,Derek.

ATASTEOFSCOTCH.

London:AndreDeutsch,1989.

TheroleofScotchwhiskyinvariousfacetsofBritishculture.Lotsofgreatgraphics.

Daiches,David.

SCOTCHWHISKY:ITSPASTANDPRESENT.

NewYork:Macmillan,1970.

TheworldofScotchwhiskydistilling,justpriortothelate-twentieth-centuryshutdowns.

Graham,Duncan,andWendyGraham.

VISITINGDISTILLERIES,2NDEDITION.

Glasgow:Angel’sShare,2003.

DoesyourfavoriteHighlanddistilleryhaveagiftshop?Howcleanistheloo?AllyourWhiskyTrailquestionsareansweredhere.

Greenwood,Malcolm.

ANIPAROUNDTHEWORLD:THEDIARYOFAWHISKYSALESMAN.

Argyll:ArgyllPublishing,1995.

StoriesfromthefrontofwhiskysellinginEurope.Interestingbutshort.

Gunn,NeilM.

WHISKY&SCOTLAND:APRACTICALANDSPIRITUALSURVEY.

Edinburgh:SouvenirPress,1988.

ScotchMaltWhiskySocietyreprintof1935classictomeonScotchwhiskyproductionandhistory.

Hume,JohnR.,andMichaelS.Moss.

THEMAKINGOFSCOTCHWHISKY,REVISEDEDITION.

Edinburgh:Canongate,2000.

AbusinesshistoryofScottishdistilling.Verydetailed,yetwellwritten.

Jackson,Michael.

MICHAELJACKSON’SCOMPLETEGUIDETOSINGLEMALTSCOTCH,5THEDITION.

Philadelphia:RunningPress,2004.

ThebenchmarkguidetosinglemaltScotchwhiskies,withmorethanathousandtastingnotes.Amust-havereferencebook.

Jackson,Michael.

SCOTLANDANDITSWHISKIES.

NewYork:Harcourt,2001.

AtravelguidetothevariousdistillingregionsofScotland.LovelyphotographsandlyricaltextfromBritain’sleadingspiritsandbeerwriter.

Lockhart,SirRobertBruce.

SCOTCH:THEWHISKYOFSCOTLANDINFACTANDSTORY.

London:Putnam,1970.

AstandardhistoryofScotchwhisky,muchused(quotedandotherwise)bysubsequentbooksonthetopic.

MacLean,Charles.

MACLEAN’SMISCELLANYOFWHISKY.

London:LittleBooks,2004.

Acollectionofwhiskey-themedessaysonawidevarietyoftopics.Greatbedsidebook.

MacLean,Charles.

THEMITCHELLBEAZLEYPOCKETWHISKYBOOK.

London:MitchellBeazley,1993.

Pocketguidewithratingsonsinglemalt,grain,andblendedScotchwhiskies.Nowsomewhatdated.

McDougall,John,andGavinD.Smith.

WORT,WORMS&WASH-BACKS:MEMOIRSFROMTHESTILLHOUSE.

Glasgow:Angel’sShare,2000.

Journeymanstillmaster’stalesoflifeinavarietyofScottishdistilleries.Oldslightsandscoresaresettledinamostamusingmanner.

McDowall,R.J.S.

THEWHISKIESOFSCOTLAND.

NewYork:Abelard-Schuman,1967.

Distilleries,blenders,andtheirwhiskeysofthetimearedescribedinextensivedetail,whileAmericanmixersaredenouncedasfoulpollutantsofpuremaltspirits.

Milroy,Wallace.

WALLACEMILROY’SMALTWHISKYALMANAC.

NewYork:St.Martin’sPress,1991.

LimitedtastingnotesonsinglemaltwhiskeysfromanearlyBritishadvocateofthestyle.

Morrice,Philip.

THESCHWEPPESGUIDETOSCOTCH.

Sherborne,UK:Alphabooks,1983.

All-encompassingguidetoeveryScotchdistiller,blender,merchant,bottler,andmarketinggroup.Somewhatoutdatednow,butstillausefulreferenceguide.

Reeve-Jones,Alan.

ADRAMLIKETHIS…

London:ElmTreeBooks,1974.

DrollsocialhistoryofScotchwithextensivemixed-drinkandfoodrecipes.

Townsend,Brian.

SCOTCHMISSED:SCOTLAND’SLOSTDISTILLERIES,3RDEDITION.

Glasgow:Angel’sShare,2004.

ThelifeanddeathofmorethanahundredScottishdistilleriesarechronicledwithphotographsanddirections.Trycross-referencingitwithBarnard’sTheWhiskyDistilleriesoftheUnitedKingdom.

THEDISTILLER’SGLOSSARY

Detailofacharredbarrel.

AGITATOR:Adevicesuchasastirrerthatprovidescompletemixinganduniformdispersionofallcomponentsinamixture.Agitatorsaregenerallyusedcontinuouslyduringthecookingprocessandintermittentlyduringfermentation.

ALCOHOL:Thefamilynameofagroupoforganicchemicalcompoundscomposedofcarbon,hydrogen,andoxygen;includesmethanol,ethanol,isopropylalcohol,andothers.

APPLEJACK:Initsoriginalmeaning,fermentedhardappleciderthatispartiallyfrozentoseparatethewaterfromthealcohol.Inmodernterms,itistheNorthAmericanversionofapplebrandy.

ATMOSPHERICPRESSURE:Pressureoftheairandatmospheresurroundingusthatchangesfromdaytoday.Itisequalto14.7psi.

AUGER:Arotating,screw-typedevicethatmovesmaterialthroughacylinder.Inalcoholproduction,itisusedtotransfergrainsfromstoragetothegrindingsitetothecooker.

BAKER’SYEAST:Standardrobustyeastusedopenlybybakersandquietlybymanydistillers.Thefermentationisquickandviolent,andtheresultingbeeriscloudy.Butthatreallydoesn’tmatterifyouare

goingtodistillit.

BALLING:Onahydrometer,themeasurementofthepercentofsugarinasolution,byweight.SeeBrix.

BARREL:Variesdependingoncountry.InU.S.terms,aunitofliquidmeasureequalto42Americangallonsorabout306pounds;onebarrelequals5.6cubicfeetor0.159cubicmeters.Thestandardbourboncaskusuallyholdsbetween53and55gallonsofspirit.

BATCHDISTILLATION:Aprocessinwhichtheliquidfeedisplacedinasinglecontainerandtheentirevolumeisheated,incontrasttocontinuousdistillation,inwhichtheliquidisfedcontinuouslythroughthestill.

BATCHFERMENTATION:Fermentationconductedfromstarttofinishinasinglevessel.

BATCHPROCESS:Unitoperationwhereonecycleoffeedstockpreparation,cooking,fermentation,anddistillationiscompletedbeforethenextcycleisstarted.

BATF:FormerlytheBureauofAlcohol,Tobacco,andFirearms;undertheU.S.DepartmentofTreasury.Responsiblefortheissuanceofpermits,bothexperimentalandcommercial,fortheproductionofalcohol.Thegunshavebeenremoved,andtheagencyhasbeenrenamedtheAlcoholandTobaccoTaxandTradeBureau(TTB).

BEER:Ageneraltermforallfermentedmaltbeveragesflavoredwithhops.Alow-level(6to12percent)alcoholsolutionderivedfromthefermentationofmashbymicroorganisms.Fordistillers,theinitialfermentedgrainsolutionthatisdistilled.SeeWash.

BEERSTILL:Thestrippingsectionofadistillationcolumnforconcentratingethanol.

BOILER:Aunitbasetoheatwatertoproducesteamforcookinganddistillationprocesses.

BOURBON:WhiskeyproducedwithintheUnitedStatesfromamashcontainingaminimumof51percentcornandthenagedforaminimumof2yearsinanewcharredoakbarrel.Bourboncanbelegallyproducedinanystate.

BRANDY:Generallyspeaking,theresultofdistillinganyfermentedfruitwine.Specifically,theresultofdistillinggrapewine.Fruitbrandiesaremadefromfruitsotherthangrapes,whilefruit-flavoredbrandiesareusuallygrapebrandywithaddedfruitflavors.SeeEaudevieandGrappa.

BREWING:Generically,theentirebeer-makingprocess,buttechnicallyonlythepartoftheprocessduringwhichthebeerwortiscookedinabrewkettleandduringwhichtimethehopsareadded.Afterbrewing,thebeerisfermented.Inagraindistillery,thefermentedwortorwashisfrequentlyreferredtoasbeer.

BRIX:Ameasurementofsweetnessinaliquid,usuallyfruitjuice.Specificallythemeasurementofdissolvedsugar-to-liquidmassratioofaliquid.Asanexample,ina100-gramsolution,a30Brixmeasurementis30gramsofsugarand70gramsofliquid.

BUBBLE-CAPTRAYS:Cross-flowtraysusuallyinstalledinrectifyingcolumnshandlingliquidsfreeofsuspendedsolids.Thebubblecapsconsistofcircularcupsinvertedoversmallvaporpipes.Thevaporfromthetraybelowpassesthroughthevaporpipesintothecapsandcurvesdownwardtoescapebelowtherimintotheliquid.Therimofeachcapisslottedorserratedtobreakuptheescapingvaporintosmallbubbles,therebyincreasingthesurfaceareaofthevaporasitpassesthroughtheliquid.

CACHAÇA:Unaged,rawsugarcanespiritfromBrazil,usuallymixedwithneutralgrainspiritfromothersources.

CANESPIRIT:Thebroadtermforspiritsdistilledfromfermentedsugarcanejuice.SeeCachaçaandRum.

COGNAC:Bylegal-definition,grapebrandyfromtheCognacregionofFrance.

COLUMN:Avertical,cylindricalvesselusedtoincreasethedegreeofseparationofliquidmixturesbydistillationorextraction.

COMPOUND:Achemicaltermdenotingacombinationoftwoormoredistinctelements.

CONCENTRATION:Theratioofmassorvolumeofsolutepresentinasolutiontotheamountofsolvent.Thequantityofethylalcohol(orsugar)presentinaknownquantityofwater.

CONDENSER:Aheat-transferdevicethatreducesathermodynamicfluidfromitsvaporphasetoitsliquidphase.

CONTINUOUSFERMENTATION:Asteady-statefermentationsystemthatoperateswithoutinterruption;eachstageoffermentationoccursinaseparatesectionofthefermenter,andflowratesaresettocorrespondwithrequiredresidencetimes.

COOKER:Atankorvesseldesignedtocookaliquidorextractordigestsolidsinsuspension;thecookerusuallycontainsasourceofheatandisfittedwithanagitator.

COOKING:Theprocessthatbreaksdownthestarchgranulesinthegrain,makingthestarchavailablefortheliquefactionandsaccharificationstepsofthefermentationprocess.

COPRODUCTS:Theresultingsubstancesandmaterialsthataccompanytheproductionofethanolbydistillation.

CORNWHISKEY(LIKKER):Legally:Minimum80percentcornmashwhiskey,agedaminimumof2yearsinusedwoodenbarrels.Illegally:thefresh-from-the-stilloriginalversionofmoonshine.SeeMoonshine.

CROSS-FLOWTRAYS:Liquidflowsacrossthetrayandoveraweirtoadowncomerthatcarriesittothenextlowertray.Vaporsrisefromthebottomofthecolumntothetop,passingthroughthetrayopeningsandthepoolsofcross-flowingliquid.

DENATURE:Theprocessofaddingasubstancetoethylalcoholtomakeitunfitforhumanconsumption;thedenaturingagentmaybegasolineorothersubstancesspecifiedbytheAlcoholandTobaccoTaxandTradeBureau.

DEWATERING:Toremovethefreewaterfromasolidsubstance.

DISTILLATE:Thatportionofaliquidthatisremovedasavaporandcondensedduringadistillationprocess.

LabelforCherryLiqueurbyClearCreekDistillery.

DISTILLATION:Theprocessofseparatingthecomponentsofamixturebydifferencesinboilingpoint;vaporisformedbyheatingliquidsinavesselandsuccessivelycondensingandcollectingliquidswithdiferentboilingpoints.

EAUDEVIE:ColorlessfruitbrandysuchasKirschwasserfromtheSchwartzwaldinGermany.

ETHANOL:Thealcoholproductoffermentationthatisusedinalcoholbeveragesandforindustrialpurposes;chemicalformulablendedwithgasolinetomakegasohol;alsoknownasethylalcoholorgrainalcohol.

ETHYLALCOHOL:Aflammableorganiccompoundformedduringsugarfermentation.Itisalsocalledethanol,grainalcohol,orsimplyalcohol.

EVAPORATION:Theconversionofaliquidtothevaporstatebytheadditionoflatentheatorvaporization.

FERMENTATION:Amicro-organicallymediatedenzymatictransformationoforganicsubstances,especiallycarbohydrates,generallyaccompaniedbytheevolutionofagas.Theprocessinwhichyeastturnsthesugarspresentinmaltedgrainsintoalcoholandcarbondioxide.

GASOHOL(GASAHOL):Registeredtradenamesforablendof90percentunleadedgasolinewith10percentfermentationethanol.

GASOLINE:Avolatile,flammableliquidobtainedfrompetroleumthathasaboilingrangeofapproximately29°to216°Candisusedforfuelforspark-ignitioninternalcombustionengines.

GIN:Whitespiritflavoredwithjuniperberryandotherbotanicals.

GRAPPA:Abrandydistilledfromgrapepomace.

HEAD:Theend(enclosure)ofacylindricalshell.Themostcommonlyusedtypesofheadsarehemispherical,ellipsoidal,flangedanddished(semispherical),conicalandflat.

HEADS:Theinitialrunofdistillateatthestartofthedistillationprocess.Headsareusuallyreturnedtothestillforredistillation.

HEATEXCHANGER:Aunitthattransfersheatfromoneliquid(orvapor)toanotherwithoutmixingthefluids.Acondenserisonetypeofheatexchanger.

HOPS:Thedriedblossomofthefemalehopplant(Cumuluslupus),whichisaclimbingherb.Agedhopsareusedbysomewhiskeydistillersinthemashingprocess.

LAUTERTUN:Thevesselusedinbrewingbetweenthemashtunandthebrewkettle.Itseparatesthebarleyhusksfromtheclearliquidwort.Thebarleyhusksthemselveshelpprovideanaturalfilterbedthroughwhichthewortisstrained.Thisfiltrationisfrequentlyskippedingraindistillation.

LAUTERING:Theprocessofstrainingwortinalautertunbeforeitiscooledinthebrewkettle.

MASH:Amixture,consistingofcrushedgrainsandwater,thatcanbefermentedtoproduceethylalcohol.

MASHING:Theprocessbywhichbarleymaltismixedwithwaterandcookedtoturnsolublestarchintofermentablesugar.Othercerealgrains,suchascornandrice,mayalsobeadded.Aftermashinginamashtun,themashisfilteredthroughalautertun,whereuponitbecomesknownaswort.

METHYLALCOHOL:Apoisonoustypeofalcohol,alsoknownaswoodalcohol.Producedasaby-productofthefermentationofstarchorcellulose.Methylalcoholisnotproducedbyfermentingsugarandonlyminimallyfromfruitwine.

MEZCAL:Distilledspiritfromthepulpoftheagaveplant,producedinMexicooutsideofthedesignatedtequilaproductionarea.SeeTequila.

MOONSHINE:OriginallyminimallyagedcornwhiskeyproducedillegallyintheAppalachianMountainregionofthesouthernUnitedStates.Modernmoonshineisusuallymadefromfermentedsugarwater.SeeCornwhiskey.

POT:Ahollowvesselmoredeepthanbroad.

PRESSUREVESSEL:Ametalcontainer,generallycylindricalorspheroid,capableofwithstandingvariousloadings.

PROHIBITION:Theprocessbywhichagovernmentprohibitsitscitizensfrombuyingorpossessingalcoholicbeverages.Specifically,Prohibitionreferstotheperiodbetweentheeffectivedateofthe18thAmendmenttotheU.S.Constitution(January16,1920)anditsrepealbythe21stAmendment.RepealtookeffectonDecember5,1933,althoughitwasratifiedbyCongressinFebruary,andthesaleofbeerwaspermittedafterApril7,1933.

PROOF:Alcoholcontaining50percentalcoholbyvolume(ABV)iscalled100U.S.proofspirit.U.S.proofistwicethepercentageofspiritbyvolume.

RECTIFICATION:Withregardtodistillation,theselectiveincreaseoftheconcentrationofthelowervolatilecomponentsinamixturebysuccessiveevaporationandcondensation.

RECTIFYINGCOLUMN:Theportionofadistillationcolumnabovethefeedtrayinwhichrisingvaporisenrichedbyinteractionwithacountercurrentfallingstreamofcondensedvapor.

RUM:Adistilledspiritmadefromfermentedmolassesorsugarcanejuice.

RYEWHISKEY:Whiskeycontainingaminimumof51percentryegrain,agedforatleast2yearsinanewcharredoakbarrel.Ryewhiskey,whichwastheoriginalwhiskeyinColonialAmerica,hasadry,hard-edgedpalate,andisnowadaysprimarilyblendedintoothertypesofwhiskeytogivethemmorecharacter.

SHELL:Structuralelementmadetoenclosesomespace.Mostshellsaregeneratedbytherevolutionofaplanecurve.

SHOWER-TYPETRAYS:Thesetraysdonothavedowncomers.Theliquidlevelresultsfromthepressuredropcausedbythecounter-flowingstreams.

LabelforBardenayRum

SIEVETRAYS:Sievetraysareusuallycross-flowtypeperforatedwithsmallholes.Sievetraysaresometimesusedforfeedsthattendtodepositsolidsorpolymerizeinthecolumn.

SIGHTGAUGE:Aclear,calibratedcylinderthroughwhichliquidlevelcanbeobservedandmeasured.

SLOBBERBOX:Pressurereliefandparticulatematterfilterchamberlocatedbetweenthestillandcondensercoilsonapotstill.

STILL:Anapparatusfordistillingliquids,particularlyalcohols;itconsistsofavesselinwhichtheliquidisvaporizedbyheat,andacoolingdeviceinwhichthevaporiscondensed.

STRIPPINGCOLUMN:Thesectionofthedistillationcolumninwhichthealcoholconcentrationinthestartingbeersolutionisdecreased.Thissectionisbelowthebeerinjectionpoint.

STRIPPINGSECTION:Thesectionofadistillationcolumnbelowthefeedinwhichthecondensateisprogressivelydecreasedinthefractionofamorevolatilecomponentbystripping.

TAILS:Thefinaldischargeofthedistillationprocess,tailscontainundesirableflavorelements(congeners)andfuseloils,andtheyareusuallydiscarded.

TANK:Avesseloflargesizetocontainliquids.

TEQUILA:Distilledspiritfromthefermentedpulpoftheagaveplant,producedbylegaldefinitiononlyincertaindesignatedareasinandaroundtheMexicanstateofJalisco.SeeMezcal.

TUNNEL-CAPTRAYS:Tunnel-captraysaresimilartobubble-captraysexceptthattheyarerectangular.

VALVETRAYS:Valvetraysarecross-flowtrayswithlargeperforationsthatarecoveredwithflatplates.Thecoverplatesarefreetomoveverticallyandthuspermitthepassageofascendingvapors.

VAPORIZATION:Theprocessofconvertingacompoundfromaliquidorsolidstatetothegaseousstate.Alcoholisvaporizedduringthedistillation.

VESSEL:Acontainerorstructuralenvelopeinwhichmaterialisprocessed,treatedorstored;forexample,pressurevessels,reactorvessels,agitatorvessels,andstoragevessels(tanks).

VODKA:InU.S.terms,colorless,odorless,tastelessneutralspirit.Foreignvodkascanretainflavorelements,particularlyifpotdistilled.

WASH:Indistilling,theliquidproducedbythefermentationprocess,whichisthendistilledtoconcentratethealcohol.SeeBeer.

WORM:Coppercondensercoilssuspendedinavesselofcontinuouslyflowingcoldwater,usedaspartofapotstill.

WORT:Anoatmeal-likesubstanceconsistingofwaterandmashbarleyinwhichsolublestarchhasbeenturnedintofermentablesugarduringthemashingprocess.Theliquidremainingfromabrewingmashpreparationfollowingthefiltrationoffermentablebeer.Ingraindistillation,thewortormashisfrequentlyfermentedandthendistilledwithoutfiltration.

YEAST:Theenzyme-producingone-celledfungiofthegenusSaccharomycesthatisaddedtowortbeforethefermentingprocessforthepurposeofturningfermentablesugarintoalcoholandcarbondioxide.

INTERNATIONALDIRECTORYOFDISTILLERIESWaytoomanytolistinprintthesedays.ForareasonablycurrentupdatepleasegototheAmericanDistillingInstitutewebsite:www.distilling.com

ABOUTTHECONTRIBUTORS

ALTHOUGHitmayseemthatAlanDiktywroteeverywordinthisbookandthatBillOwenstookeveryphotograph,thatisnotthecase.Thefollowingcollectionoftheusualsuspectshadahandinitall,forwhichweareverygrateful.

MIKEMCCAW

MikeMcCawisacofounderanddirectoroftheAmphoraSocietyandthecoauthorofTheCompleatDistiller,widelyrecognizedastheprimarytechnicalpublicationconcerningallaspectsofsmall-scaledistillation.McCawnowspendsmostofhistimeconsultingwithstart-upcraftandmicrodistillersanddesigningandbuildingequipmentfortheiroperations.Hiscurrentresearchisonfurtherincreasingtheefficiencyandloweringthecarbonandwaterfootprintsofdistillingprocesses.Abookisinpreparationdetailingsomeofthesetechniques.Heisworkingtocreateaseriesofhands-onworkshopsforaspiringdistillersandalsoonstirringupgrassrootsinterestinlegalizationofprivate,noncommercialdistillationintheUnitedStates.

MATTHEWB.ROWLEY

MatthewRowleyisanadvertisingexecutive,formermuseumcurator,andpastboardmemberoftheSouthernFoodwayAlliance.Hehastraveledextensivelyinsearchofamateurandcraftdistillerstouncoverlocalliquorand,whenpossible,promotethosewhomakeit.

Hehasspokenondistillingandcocktailcultureforuniversities,radio,television,andtheannualTalesofCocktailinNewOrleans.HisessaysandrecipeshavebeenpublishedbytheUniversityofNorthCarolinaPress,theUniversityofGeorgiaPress,Simon&Schuster,theTauntonPress,LarkBooks,andothers.Hehasconsultedondistilling-relatedbroadcastsfortheFoxnetworkandtheNationalGeographicChannelintheUnitedStatesandRTEinIreland.

RowleylivesinSanDiego,California,wherehemaintainsa2000-volumeculinarylibraryopentochefs,bartenders,distillers,historians,journalists,andstudents.HeistheauthorofMoonshine!(2007),asmallbatchdistillinghistory/practicumfornovicesandpublishesRowley’sWhiskeyForge(www.whiskeyforge.com),ablogdevotedtothehistoryandpracticeofdistilling,mixology,andgoodeats.

IANSMILEY

IanSmiley,BSc,isaresearchdistillerandtheauthorofMakingPureCornWhiskey,anAmphoraSocietypublication,andtheownerofSmiley’sHomeDistillingatwww.home-distilling.com,awebstorededicatedtohomeandlaboratorydistillers.Hehasbeenexploringsmall-scalebeverage-alcoholdistillationallhisadultlife,andheisacard-carryingmemberoftheAmericanDistillingInstitute(ADI).He’swrittenarticlesfortheirmagazine,TheAmericanDistiller,andwasamajorcontributortotherecentlypublishedADIbook,CraftWhiskeyDistilling.HeisnowpartownerofawhiskeydistilleryinChina,L.S.Moonshine,whichiscurrentlyproducingacornwhiskeywhitedogtosatisfytheChinesepeople’scuriosityfortraditionalAmericanmoonshine.L.S.MoonshinehasotherspiritsplannedfortheChinesemarket.Inthefuture,Smileyplanstowritebooksonmakingschnapps,brandy,andrum,andtocontinuehisactivitiesincommercialartisandistilling.HelivesinNepean,Ontario,Canada.

MAXWAXMAN

MaxWaxmanistheauthorofChasingtheWhiteDog:AnAmateurOutlaw’sAdventuresintheMoonshineTrade,whichwillbepublishedbySimonandSchusterinearly2010.HisbookRaceDay:ASpotontheRailwithMaxWatman(IvanR.Dee)wascalled“agreattributetoAmericanthoroughbredracing”andwasanEditors’ChoiceinTheNewYorkTimesBookReview.

HewasthehorseracingcorrespondentfortheNewYorkSun,andwrotefrequentlyonbooks,music,food,anddrinkfortheirArts&Letterspages.HehaswrittenfortheNewYorkTimes,TheNewYorkTimesBookReview,ForbesFYI,TheWallStreetJournal,FortuneSmallBusiness,Gourmet,andParnassus.

HewasraisedinthemountainsofVirginia,andhasworkedasacook,afarmer,asilversmith,atutor,agreenskeeper,andawarehouseman.Forashorttime,hetaughtgoatmilking.HewaseducatedatmanyschoolsandmanagedtograduatefromVirginiaCommonwealthUniversityandColumbiaUniversity.

In2008,WaxmanwasawardedaNationalEndowmentfortheArtsliteraryfellowship.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

EARLIERVERSIONSofsomeofthetextinthisbookpreviouslyappearedinvariouspublicationsoftheBeverageTestingInstitute,anditisusedherewiththepermissionofBTIdirectorJeraldO’Kennardandourgratefulthanks.

BillOwenscannotdrawworthadamn,sowehadCatherineRyanredohisprimitivesketchesinamuchmorepolishedmanner.Theylookgreat.

AmberHasselbringservesasBill’sassistantandcaregiver.Whateverheispayingher,itisnotenough.Thewomanisasaint.

Mixingaproperdrinkistrulyanart,andMarkGruberofSouthernWine&Spirits,Illinois,confirmedhisartistictalentbyreviewingandcorrectingourmixeddrinkrecipes,asneeded.Themanevenwritestasty.

ABOUTTHEAUTHORS

ALANS.DIKTY

AlanistheauthorofTheBuyingGuidetoSpiritsandnumerousarticlesondistillingandbrewing.Inhissparetime,hemanagesAlliedBeverageTanks,Inc.,acompanythatbuildscraftbreweriesanddistilleries.HiscurrentchoiceforadesertislanddramiseitherMacallan18-Year-OldScotchWhiskyorRittenhouse23-Year-OldRyeWhiskey,butheisopentoalternatives.

ANDREWFAULKNER

FaulknergrewupinCarmel,California,readingthedaybooksofEdwardWeston,keepingjournals,visitingAnselAdams,andstudyingotherblack-and-whitemasterphotographers.Hisphotocareerdivertedintojournalism,gettingaBAfromCaliforniaStateUniversity,Northridge,in1993andworkingforadozenyearsinnewspapersandmagazines.Faulknerthoughthehadcomefullcirclein2005whenhestartedworkingforBillOwens,oneofthephotographerswhosearthefollowedasateenager.HisresponsibilitiesattheAmericanDistillingInstitutegrewashebecamethemanagingeditorofDistillermagazinein2013andpublisherin2018.Hehascomefullcircleintojournalism.WhenFaulknerisnotconcernedwithdeadlines,punctuation,andcorrectspellingofnames,helikestoplaychesswithhisson,dancewithhisdaughter,ridebikeswithhiswife,andmakeprettypictures.

BILLOWENS

Whenhewasnotbusybeinganaward-winningphotographerorthefounderofthebrewpubindustryintheUnitedStates,hesomehowalsofoundthetimetobetheauthorofanassortmentofbooksandpamphletsonbreweryanddistilleryoperations,publishedbyADI.Inhissparetime,hetrieshisbesttoavoidpersonalresponsibilities.www.distilling.com

INDEXAbleforth’sBathtubGin,95AbsentMinded,144Absinthe,144AbsintheVerte,144Acetaldehyde,42ActofUnion(1707),68Agavespirits,132Agavetequila,137Agedatedblendedrums,124Agitator,38Aguardiente,138Air-conditioning,rumand,122AlambicArmagnacais,108,109,114Alambiccharentaisstill,36,106Alberta,Canada,58,62AlcoholandTobaccoTaxandTradeBureau(TTB),16Aldehydes,42Alembicstills,30,36,37,91.SeealsoAlambiccharentaisstillAmari,146AmericanCaskStrengthSingle-MaltWhiskey,57AmericanDistillingInstitute(ADI)foundingof,10JudgingofCraftSpirits,52,87,92,96,99,101,105,107,109,114,119,122,123,125,142,143

Amodeo,Francesco,146,147AnchorBrewing,15AndalusiaWhiskeyCo.,62Añejo/Agedtequila,71,138Anise-flavoredspirits,144Antigua,130Anti-SaloonLeague,50Applebrandy,71,105,113,117,118,119Applejack,119Aristotle,13

ArmagancCastaredeReservedelaFamille,108Armenia,115Arrack,91TheArtofDistillation(French),13Asia,87,91,131.SeealsospecificcountrynamesAspiringandaccomplishedartisans,23AtelierVie,145Australia,14,15,73,74,75,76,77,87,131Austria,78,130Azeotrope,29,33

Babylon,12

Backins,46Baijiuvodka,89BalconesDistilling,57Balkans,117Barbados,128,130Barley-basedwhiskey,70,74Barrelaged/aging,67,99,127,136BarreledGrapeImmatureBrandy,110Batch-stillprocess,35,42Bathtubgin,95Bayrum,129BeaverPondDistillery,118Becherovka,146Beer,18,19,49Beerstripper,44Beer-strippingrun,44Begin-cut,46Belarus,86Belgium,94,96,100BelleRoseDoubleBarrelRum,123BelmontFarmDistillery,19,20Bignell,Peter,77Bitters,140,146BlackberryLiqueur,143BlackNoteAmaro,144BlackWalnutLiqueur,143Blancotequila,138Blanton’sDistillingCompany,50BlendedAmericanwhiskey,56,60,65Blendedrums,124BlendedScotchwhiskey,68,70,73Blends,liqueursas,141BloodyButcherredcorn,52BloodyMary,88Blueagavetequila,137Boilingpoints,27,29,42Bondedwhiskey,66BonnyDoonVineyards,114BottledinCanadawhiskies,61“BottleinBond,”66Bouilleursdecru,107Bouilleursdecru(travelingstills),14Bourboncraftdistilleries,52,62Bourbondistilleries,55,64,119BourbonRubenesque,53Bourbonwhiskey,34,49,50,51,54,60,66,71

Bourbonwoodenbarrels,75,138Boyd&BlairPotatoVodka,85Brandy,104cocktails,119contemporarybrandies,114fruitbrandies,105,117grapebrandies,105,113,114groupingsof,105origins,104pomacebrandies,105,116regions,106typesof,105

BrandyAlexander,119BrandydeJerez,111Brandydistillation,33,36,44,71Bridges,Jeff,17Britishsettlers,30,58BroVoSpirits,146Bubble-captrays,31,34,38,39,41BuffaloTraceDistillery,50,51BulkCanadianwhiskies,61BulleitRye,51Butts,111

CajunSpiritsDistillery,131CaledoniaSpiritsBarrHillVodka,87,96Californiabrandies,114,117Calvados,117Campbeltdown,Scotland,78Canada,15,16,62,87,116,130.SeealsoNorthAmericaCanadianwhiskey,58,61,71CaneLandDistilling,122CannonBeachDistillery,139CantonCooperage,59CarcdeGewurztraminer,116Caribbeanmolasses,50,58Caribbean,the,87,121,122,128,129CaskStrengthBloodyRedCornBourbon,52Catalyzer,38,41CentralAmerica,129CentralStandardCraftDistillery,55CentralStandardSpiritsWisconsinRyeVodka,87CharboneauDistillery,131Charboneau,Doug,131Charboneau,JeanLuc,130ChardonnayBarrelReserveGin,98ChateaudeManiban,107

ChateaudeTriacSingleVineyardFiinsBois,107Chemicalflavorcompounds.SeeCongenersCherrybrandies,117China,13,89ChivasBrothersLtd.,68CincodeNoviembreMEzcal,137CitadelleReserveGin,99CivilWar,14ClassicMargarita,139ClassicMartini,103ClassificationsNorthAmericanwhiskey,60tequila,138vodka,84

ClearCreekDistillery,15,116,119,143Cocktails,79,88,94,103,119,125,139CodeofFederalRegulations(CFR),60Cognac,36,106,107,109,111ColkeganSingleMaltWhiskey,57ColoradoPureDistilling,84Columbus,Christopher,121Columnstillsbourbonand,50brandyproducedin,106,114,115continuous-runcolumnstill,34ginproducedin,97,102Irishwhiskey,76Japanesewhiskey,76rumproducedin,128Scotchwhiskey,68vodkaand,83,84

Commercialdistillation,14,49,82.SeealsoCraftdistilleriesCondenser,14,25,28,31,32,33,34,36,37Condensorcoil(moonshinestill),31Congeners,42,44Contemporarybrandies,114Continuous-runcolumnstill,24,34Continuous-rundistillationprocess,42,47CooleyDistillery,70CopperFoxDistillery,62,63,64Copper,stillsmadeof,41Cordials,141CoreVodka,87“Cornlikker”moonshine,16Cornwhiskey,49,56,57,61,71CorsairArtisan,96CorsairDistillery,54

Cotton&Reed,129Craftbrewers,19Craftdistilleries,15agavespirits,138bourbon,52,62brandy,114cornwhiskey,57gin,99,102grappa,116legalmoonshineand,21inNewZealandandAustralia,74rum,129whiskey,54,62,64,65,69

Craftpomacebrandies,116Crèmes,141Croatia,96CubaLibre(RumandCoke),125Cuba,rumproductionin,128CzechRepublic,146

Daiquiri,125DampfwerkDistilleryCo.,110,142DarkNorthernReserveStraightWhiskey,55Darkrums,124Dasylirion,138Degens,Sebastian,117Demerararums,128Dephlegmator,28,40DepthCharge,79DestillerieWeidenauer,78Diablo’sShadowBourbonWhiskey,53Diablo’sShadowNavyStrengthRum,124Distillation/distillingbasicstepsinprocessof,42batch-stillprocess,42chemistryof,29continuous-runprocessof,47definition,26distillingtimeline,71earliestwrittenrecordof,12earlyhistoryof,12evolvingtechnologyof,13ofgin,97governmentregulation,14asahobby,15,19process,27

ofrum,127single-rundistillation,45taxationon,14tequila,136two-rundistillation,44ofvodka,84

DistilledSpiritsPlant(DSP),87Distilleries/distillers.SeealsoCraftdistilleriesbourbon,55,65,119networkingamong,20primaryjobof,26Scottishwhiskey,68whiskey,51,52,64,78

Distiller’sGin#6,102DocHerson’sNaturalSpirits,144DomaineCharbay,116DominicanRepublic,121,128DonCiccio&Figli,146,147Dornkaat,100DoubleBarreledBourbon,51DoubleGoldMedal,87Drouin,Christian,107Drygin,71,94,98,100,102DrySpicedRum,129Dunedin,NewZealand,74

EasternEurope,81,83,86,117,145Eaudevie,25,105,117Eauxdevie,117,146Economicdistillers,23ElKeynoteAgaveSpirit,139ElkRiderBourbonWhiskey,53ElkRiderCrispGin,101End-cut,45,46England,13,14,15,68,69,94,96,98,99EpicofGilgamesh,12Esters,42Estonia,86Ethanol,29,42,44Ethylcarbamate(urethane),41EtterDistillerie,78Europe,15,100,130.SeealsoindividualcountrynamesEuropeanUnion,75,78ExciseActof1823,68

FarallonGinWorksGinFarallon,92Farber,Daniel,114

FarmaceuticadiSantaMariaNovella,146Fasano,Jonathan,147Feints,44Fermentation,18,34,42,43,66,91,136FernetBranca,146FernetMichaud,146Fiji,131Finland,86FlagHillWineryandDistillery,146Flavors/flavoringbathtubgin,95fruitbrandy,105gins/genever,94,96,97,99,100,102liqueurs,141tequila,136vodkas,88

Forsythswhiskeystill,33France,13,14,50,86,105,106,117,130,144FremontMischiefDistillery,55FrenchCharentaisalembicstill,30,36French,Jonathan,13FrozenFruitMargarita,139Fruitbrandies,105,117Fruitbricks,18Fruitmashes,38

Gabriel,Alexendre,107Gaelicculture,67Genericliqueurs,143Genever-styledgins,71,94,96,97,98GeorgeDickelRye,51Georgia(country),115Georgia(state),50Germain-Robin(craftdistillery),15,105,114Germain-Robin,Hubert,115Germanimmigrants,49,55Germany,13,78,86,100,112,117,119,143Gerrymandering,15Gin,92barrel-aged,99basisof,94,96bathtubgin,95cocktails,103distillationof,97distillingtimeline,71historyof,93

regions,100styles,98

GinandTonic,103GinCraze,14GinLane(Hogarth),93Glenora,NovaScotia,62Goldenrums,124,130,131Goldtequila,138Gooseneckstill,32,46Grainmashes,38,91Grainwhiskey,69,73,75,76GrandMarnier,143Grapebrandy,104,105,113,114Grapepomace,37,114Grappa,37,71,116“GreatBallsofFire”(Wolfe),17GreatBritain,14,122.SeealsoEngland;ScotlandGreatLakesDistillery,102GreatSouthernDistillingCompany,74Greece,115,144Greece,ancient,13GreenBrierTennesseeWhiteWhiskey,54GreenFairy,144GreenHatGin,93Guyana,123,128

Haik,Ed,131Haiti,121,128HarvestSpiritsCoreVodka,87Heads,27,28,34,35,42,44,45,47Hearts,34,35,42,44,45,46,47HelgolanderGermanstyleHerbalLiqueur,142Helmet,36,38,39HeritageDistillingCo.,53,85,101Heron,Joe,114Heron,Lesley,117Herson,Kevin,145HeubleinCompany,83HighCouncilBrandy,113HIghlandmaltwhiskeys,78Historyofdistilling,12bourbonwhiskey,49brandy,104craftdistilleries,15earliestknownuseofdistillation,12gin,93Irishwhiskey,70

Japanesewhiskey,72moonshine,16NewZealandandAustralianwhiskies,74NorthAmericanwhiskey,59regulationofdistilling,14rum,121Scotchwhiskey,67spreadofknowledgeandtechnologyon,13vodka,81,90,91whiskey,67

Hobbyistdistillers,15,19.SeealsoHomedistillingHogarth,William,93Hokkaido,Japan,77Holland,86,91,92,94,96,100Homebrewers,19Homedistilling,14,16,20,21,23,31,82Honshu,Japan,77Hopibluecorn,52,57Howell,Gillian,70HudsonBayBourbon,50Hungary,146Hybridpotstill,30,38,45,85,102

ImmigrantsinNorthAmerica,49,55India,15,75,91Indiana,50,52,55,62,65India,whiskeyin,75,76Indonesia,91Infusedspirits,140Inlanderrum,130Internalsteamcoil,25InternationalJudgingofCraftSpirits,87Ireland,13,15,49,70,104.SeealsoIrishwhiskeysIrishDistillersCompany(IDC),70Irishimmigrants,49,55Irishmaltwhiskey,73Irishpotstillwhisky,73Irishwhiskeys,32,70,73,75,76,77IslandOrchardEaudeVieAppleBrandy,105,118Islaywhiskeys,77Israel,115Italy,13,86,96,111,116,144,146

JackDaniel’sDistillery,54JacksonHoleStillWorksHighwaterVodka,87Jägermeister,146Jamaica,128Japan,13,48,72,73,75,76,77,87,91

Japanesemaltwhiskey,73JaxonKeysWinery,114Jenever,94JepsonOldStockBrandy,114JepsonVineyards,15,114JohnnyZieglerBlackForestStyleAppleAuxPommelSchnappsEaudeVie,143Johnson,RobertGlenJr.(JuniorJohnson),17Jos.A.Magnus&Co.Distillery,56Juniper-flavoredgin,92,93,94,96,97

Kahlúa,143KaruizawaNumberOneSingleCaskWhisky,72Kentucky,49,50,51,52,55,62Kettle,32,33,36,37,38KillDevil,121KimoSabeMezcal,137KittlingRidge,Ontario,62Kiwihomedistillers,20Kneiper,Rich,118Korbel,114Korea,sojuin,91Korn,Germany,78Kubanskaya,88KweichowMoutai,89KymarFarmWineryandDistillery,118

Labrot&GrahamDistillery,50Laird&Co.,113Laird’sDistillery,119Lampglass,28LancutDistillery,143Laokhao,91LatinAmerica,15,115Latvia,86Lawrenceburg,Indiana,51Legislation,20,93.SeealsoRegulationLeopoldBros.,115,144,147LeopoldBrothersDistillery,146Leopold,Todd,147Libya,ancient,13LimeburnersSingleMaltWhisky,74Limonnaya,88Liqueurs,140,141LiquidRiot,146Lithuania,86LondonDryGin,98,102LouisianaSpirits,130

Lowe,Michael,93Lowlandmaltwhiskeys,77“Lowwine”spirits,42,43,44,45Lynearm,25,28,32

MacallanDistillery,68Madagascar,131MadRiverDistillers,119Maggie’sFarmRumDistillery,130MaisonFerrand,107MakersMarkBourbon,49MalahatSpiritsCabernetBarrelRum,122MalahatSpiritstastingroom,130Maltedbarley,18,68,74,75Malting,91Maltwhiskey,68,69,72,73,74,75,76,77,78MalvadosAppleBrandy,119Manhattan,79Manitoba,Canada,62ManueleDistillersKoHanaKohoHawaiianAgricoleRum,122Maotaivodka,89MapleLiqueur,142Margarita,139Martini,103Martinique,123,127,128Maryland,49,55Mashbills,52,58,59Mashing,91Mash/mashing,18,33,34,37,38,42,43,50,66,81Mashtun,43Mauritius,131Maysville,Kentucky,51Maytag,Fritz,15McCool,Clark,115McMenaminsCorneliusPssRoadhouse(CPR)Distillery,104McMenaminsCPRDistillery,113,115Melazas,121Methanol,42Mexico,115,133,134,136,138Mezcals,133,134,136,137,139MGPofIndiana,51MiddleWestSpirits,53Miller,Chuck,20Missouri,50Mixtos,136,138Modern“moonshiners,”Mixtos,19

Moersch,Rick,113Molasses,50,58,81,121,122,127MontanyaDistillers,130Moonshine,16,61cornwhiskey,57defined,21distillingtimeline,71JuniorJohnsonand,17making,18modernproductionof,16,19,23NewZealand,74duringProhibition,16,18,52still,31

Moor’scap,40Morris,Chris,52MosbyVineyards,116MoscowMule,83MountGayDistillery,128Moylan,Brendan,137Moylan’sBrewingCo.,57Mrs.Beeton’sBookofHouseholdManagement,94MurrayHillClubSpecialReleaseBlendedBourbon,56

NASCARracing,17Nelson’sGreenBrierDistillery,54Neutralgrainspirit(NGS),83,84NewColumbiaDistillers,93NewDealDistillery,105NewJersey,113,119NewZealand,15,20,75,76,78NewZealandblendedwhiskey,73NewZealandSinglemaltwhiskey,73NikkaWhiskeyDistillery,72NorthAmerica,15,87,102,122,129.SeealsoCanada;UnitedStatesNorthAmericanwhiskeyblendedAmericanwhiskey,56bourbon,49Canadianwhiskey,58,62classificationsof,60cornwhiskey,57craftdistilleries,65overview,48,59regions,62Ryewhiskey,55Tennesseewhiskey,54

NorthCarolina,17,50NorthShoreDistillery,102

NotchNantucketIslandSingleMaltWhiskey,57NovaScotia,Canada,62

Oceanarum,131Ogden’sOwn,146Ogee,28Ohio,50Okhotnichya,88Olathecorn,52Olbracht,KingJan,82OldGristmillAuthenticAmericanCornWhiskey,78OldPogueDistillery,51OldTomGin,98,99OldTomstyleofgin,94Onlineforums,20Ontario,Canada,58,62OrcasIslandDistillery,105,118Oregon,99,117,138OregonSpiritDistillers,144Orr,Prentis,85OsocalisDistillery,114Ouzo,144OYOSherry-FinishedBourbonWhiskey,53

Pakistan,13,75,76PappyVanWinkle’sbourbon,50,51ParkCognac,107Pastis,144,145Pearbrandies,117PearBrandy,105Peatedbarleymalt,75Peatfires,68Peat-smokedcharacter,72,73,74,75PenderynWhiskyDistillery,70Penedèsbrandy,111Pennsylvania,49,50,55PennsylvaniaPureDistillery,85Pernod,144Pertsovka,88Philippines,the,131Phylloxerainfestation,69,113PiedmontDistillers,17Pilgrims,50PiscoPunch,115PiscoStyleBrandy,115Planter’sPunch,125

Plumbrandy,117PlymouthGin,98PogueDistillery,51Pogue,John,51Poland,13,82,84,86Pomacebrandies,105,116Poteen,70Potstills,20anatomyof,24bourbonand,50brandyproducedin,114,115ginproducedin,102Irishwhiskey,76Japanesewhiskey,76NewZelandandAustraliawhiskey,76rumproductionin,128Scotchwhiskey,76usedbyartisans,23vodkaand,83,84

Preheater,36PrezydentVodka,82Prichard’sDistillery,51,130Privatedistillation,14.SeealsoHomedistillingProhibition,15bourbonindustryand,50,52fruitbricksand,18ginand,95grapebrandyand,113Irishwhiskeyand,70moonshineand,16rumand,122ryewhiskeyand,55vodkaand,83

Proprietaries(liqueurs),143PuertoRico,128Purifier(dephlegmator),28

Qu,91Quakers,94Quebec,Canada,62

RansomOldTomGin,99Raspberrybrandies,117RaspberryLiqueur,142Recipes.SeeCocktailsReflux(condensation),31,32,33,40Regions

brandy,106gin,100rum,128vodka,86whiskey,77

Regulation,14,59,99,141RehorstPremiumMilwaukeeGin,102Reposado/Restedtequila,138Revere,Paul,94Reynolds,Burt,17RhumAgricoleLARum,122Richards,Andrew,118RichlandDistillingCo.,126RMS,114RockyMountainPeachFlavoredWhiskey,147RosolisZiolowyGorzki,143Rum,120basisof,120,127cocktails,125distillationof,33,127distillingtimeline,71historyof,121regions,128stylesof,124

RumandCoke,125Rummanger,33Rumverschnitt,130Ruqude,91Russel,Jimmy,52Russia,13,81,84,86,88RustyNail,79Ryan,Bob,124Ryan&WoodDistillers,124Ryewhiskey,48,49,55,60,71

SagaponackFarm,87SalishSeaOrganicLiqueurs,142SanteFeSpirits,57Sazerac,79Schnapps,33,38,55,143Scotchgrainwhiskey,73,76Scotchmaltwhiskey,69,76Scotchwhiskey,67,71Scotland,13,15,48,49,69,77Scottishimmigrants,49,55Scottishmaltwhisky,gooseneckstillfor,32,33

Scottishwhiskey,75,76Screech,130Screwdriver,88Seagram’sExtraDrygin,102Seagram’splant,51SexOnTheBeach,88ShadyKnollOrchardsandDistilling,118Sidecar,119SidetrackDistillery,146SidetrackDistilleryRaspberryBrandy,117,141SiegriedHerzogDestillate,112Silvertequila,138Sinedrius,13Singlebarrelbourbon,60SingleBarrelTennesseeSingleMaltWhiskey,54SingleMaltScotchWhisky,69,73SkipRockDistillers,123,142SlivovitzPlumBrandy,118SloeGin,95SLYRSdistillery,112Smallbatchbourbon,60,123Smirnoffbrand,83Solerasystem,111,114,115Sotol,138Sourmash,50,66SouthAfrica,15,115SouthAmerica,115,122,129SouthernComfort,143SouthHollowSpirits,125Spain,13,88,96,100,111Spentwash,29Spicedrums,124Spigot,14Spiritrun,44,46Spiritstill,44StarkSpirits,118,123State38Distilling,139Steamjacket,14,33,38St.GeorgeSpirits,15,116,144Still(s)anatomyofacraftwhiskey,33blueprintof,14,28continuous-runcolumn,34designofwhiskey,30dimensionsofatypical,24FrenchCharentaisalambic,36

gooseneck,32moonshine,31partsofawhiskey,28forproducingCognac,106

Stinger,119StoneBarnBrandyworks,117StraightBourbonWhiskey,53Straightwhiskey,66StrykerSmokedSingleMaltWhiskey,62Sugarcane,75,120,121,122,127,131Sugarcanejuice,127,128,131SugarHouseDistillery,53Sugar-maplecharcoal,54SunshineOrangeBrandy,118SuntoryCompany,72SutherlandDistillingCo.,53,124Swanneck,onpotstill,25,28Sweden,13,76,82,86

Tahiti,131Tails,28,34,35,42,44,45,46,47Taiwanwhiskeys,75,76Taketsura,Masataka,72Taliskerwhiskey,69Taxation,14,49,57,66,70,74Taxila,13Technicaldistillers,23Temperancemovement,50Temperature,boilingpoint,27,29,42TempletonRye,51Tench,Keith,70Tennessee,49,50,52,62Tennesseewhiskey,53,54,60,71Tequila,132basisof,134cocktails,139distillationandagingof,136distillingtimeline,71evolutionof,133fermentationstage,136upgradingandupscalingof,139

TequilaSunrise,139Terra-cottadistillationsystem,13Thailand,91,131Thujone,145Tito’sHandmadeVodka,84

TomCollins,103Tom’sFooleryRyeWhiskey,55TormoreDistillery,68Townshend’sDistillery,141Travelingstills,14Trinidad,128TripleEightDistillery,57TrueBlueCornWhiskey,57TullamoreDrew,70TurinVermouth,144TuthilltownSpirits,50TwentyBoatAmberRum,125TwoJamesDistilleryBarrelReserveOldCockneyGin,98Two-rundistillation,44

Ukraine,86UndergroundHerbalSpirit,146Unicum,146UnitedKingdom,15,86,100,130.SeealsoEngland;GreatBritain;Ireland;ScotlandUnitedStates.See

alsoNorthAmerica;NorthAmericanwhiskeyapplebrandyin,119brandyproducedin,113craftdistilleries,15ginproductionin,95moonshineproduction,16pomacebrandies,116rumproductionin,122,129vodkain,83,87

Uralt,112Urethane,41

VanWinkleIII,Julian,51VattedMaltScotchWhiskey,73Vietnam,90,91VINNBaiju,90VINNDistillery,90,91Virginia,49,50,52,58,62,64,113,119VirginiaLightningCornWhiskey,19VirginiaSweetwaterMoonshine,21VirginIslands,129VirginiaLightningMoonshine,19VirginiaSweetwaterDistillery,21Vodka,80baijiu,89basisof,81classificationsof,84

cocktails,88distillationof,84distillingtimeline,71flavored,88flavors,88history,81producedinAsia,89regions,86technicaldistillersand,23

Vonk,ErikandKarin,126VS(verysuperior)industrystandard,107VSOP(verysuperioroldpale)industrystandard,107VSP(verysuperiorpale)industrystandard,107

Warof1812,14Wash,25,28,31,33,38,43,47Washington,George,14,15,49,94WashingtonRye,55Wasmund,Rick,64Wasmund’sSingleMaltWhiskey,65Weidenauer,Oswald“Ossie,”78Weinbrand,112Whiskey,48.SeealsoMoonshineAustralian,74basisof,75blendedAmericanwhiskey,56,60bonded,66bourbon,49,60Canadianwhiskey,58,61cocktails,79cornwhiskey,57,61craftdistilleries,54,62,64,65,69definition,67historyofNorthAmerican,59Irish,32,70,73,75,76,77Japanese,72,75labeling/labels,50,51mash,66NewZealand,74NorthAmericanregions,62overview,48PappyVanWinkle,51regionalflavors,65regions,77ryewhiskey,48,49,55,60,71Scotchwhisky,67,71,73,76

spelling,49straightwhiskey,66Tennesseewhiskey,54

Whiskeydistillationbatch-stillprocess,44distilleries,51,52,64byregion,76Tennesseewhiskey,54timeline,71

WhiskeyRebellionof1791,14WhiskeySour,79Whiskeystill,25,28,30,32,33“Whitedog,”21WhiteLightning(film),17Whiterums,122,124“Whitewhiskey,”21WigleWhiskey,144WildcardAbsinthe,144WillettDistillery,62WinegardenEstate,143Winters,Lance,71WiseKingAnejoAgaveSpirit,139Witblits,115Wodo,Dave,124Wolfe,Tom,17Women’sChristianTemperanceUnion,50WoodfordReserveDistillery,9,32,50,52,63WoodHatSpirits,52,53,143WoodinvilleWhiskeyCo.,53Worm(condenser),13,25,28Worm(mezcal),136Wormwood,145

XO(extraold)industrystandard,107

Young,Barry,85

Zubrowka,88

DEDICATIONInfondmemoryofourfriendMichaelJackson,whois,wehavenodoubt,nowenjoyinghis

well-deservedangel’sshareoftheworld’sbarrelsofmaturingwhiskey.