Le Paradis

LE PARADIS D`EAUX DE VIE www . marussiabeverages . c o . U K

M A R U S S I A B E V E R A G E S U K LT D

B ri n gi n g T raditi o n s

Ni c h o las Fait h M eets

OAK & TH E CAS K

t o A M o der n W o rld

t h e B ra n dy masters

AG E I N G O F S P I R ITS

of RUM

V I E W S O N S a k e f r o m t wo

N i c h o l a s Fa i t h m ee t s M a r t ine

D r A l a n R u t h e r f o r d g ives h is

Re l a x a n d Fin d o u t a b o u t t h e

in d u s t r y e x p e r t s

L a f f i t t e , e t ienne d u p on t & Annie

insi g h t in t o o a k & t h e wo r l d o f

h is t o r y o f r u m

R a g n a u d - S a b o u r in

a g ein g S P I R I T S

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YO HO HO & A B o ttle

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LE DPARADIS `EAUX DE VIE

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Y O U AR E TH E G I N T O

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C I V I L I S AT I O N B E G I N S W I TH D I S T I LLAT I O N Separating and concentrating; the world of distillation.

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MY T O N I C English troops, Dutch courage and London Dry Gin.

S AK E Japan’s national drink. Le Paradis meets Mr Yonezawa, Anna Greenhous & Masayuki Kikuchi.

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L I QU E UR S Find out about the story of Liqueurs. Monks, heritage and closely guarded secrets.

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TH E BRA N DY MA S T E R S O F FRA N C E Nicholas Faith meets leading names in the brandy market.

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t h e d r in k s y o u se l e c t. S in c e 1 9 8 4 we h ave b een so u r c in g r a r e a n d won d e r f u l s p i r i t s f r o m a r o u n d t h e g l o b e . O u r se a r c h f o r q u a l i t y is c ons ta n t.

V O DKA The history of vodka. From humble beginnings to the world’s most consumed spirit.

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M a r u ssi a Beve r a g es UK a r e i m p o r t e r s a n d d is t r i b u t o r s o f so m e o f t h e wo r l d ’ s f ines t s p i r i t s. we a r e d e d i c at e d t o h e l p in g y o u m a k e in f o r m e d c h oi c es a b o u t

O AK A N D TH E CA S K AG E I N G O F S P I R I T S Dr Alan Rutherford on the importance of barrels and ageing.

AM E R I CA N W H I S K E Y The story of Whiskey’s relationship with America.

L E PARAD I S D ’ E AUX D E V I E I S PR O DUC E D BY MARU S S I A B E V E RAG E S UK LTD

C O N TR I BUT O R S

MARU S S I A B E V E RAG E S

N i c h o l a s Fa i t h The Brandy masters of France

M a n a g in g Di r e c t o r N E I L MATH I E S O N N E I L m at h I E son @ MARU S S I AB E V E RAG E S. C O M

Ann a G r een h o u s / M a s ay u k i Ki k u c h i B r in g in g t r a d i t ions t o a m o d e r n wo r l d M r Yone z awa Le Pa r a d is Ta l k s t o M r Yone z awa

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YO HO HO AND A B O TTL E O F RUM Relax and read about the history of rum.

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S AK E S E R V I C E I N S T I TUT E I N T E R N AT I O N AL To j i O r N o t To j i ?

Dr Alan Rutherford OBE O a k & T h e C a s k A g ein g O f S p i r i t s

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S a l es Di r e c t o r B r u c e Pe r r y B r u c e p e r r y @ MARU S S I AB E V E RAG E S. C O M Gene r a l E n q u i r ies in f o @ MARU S S I AB E V E RAG E S. Co m Orders +44 (0) 20 7724 5009 O r d e r s @ M a r u ssi a b eve r a g es. C O M

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WE RECOMMEND

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nglish troops fighting in the Low Countries were perhaps the first importers of gin to British shores. In 1585 the Earl of Leicester’s troops took some Dutch Courage (a tot of gin) prior to battle as they allied themselves to The Netherlands in their conflict with Philip II of Spain.

The English were in need of this courage once again before fighting in Holland, this time during the 30 Years War. These troops undoubtedly returned home with some gin. In the 1660’s the famous diarist Samuel Pepys wrote of “strong water made with juniper” used as a treatment for colic; although whether this was for his own ailment or for infants remains unclear.

The story continues with William of Orange who ascended the British throne in 1689 and immediately

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BR I E F

H I S T O RY

banned French imports. In addition he passed laws encouraging all his new subjects to distil... an edict that was wholeheartedly endorsed ! It is hard to over-estimate the effect this had on the country. In London by 1720 a quarter of all houses were actively distilling lethal concoctions masquerading as gin. It would appear the working classes seemed permanently without their faculties, public health suffered, people became simply unemployable, vice reigned and for some an early death predictably came none too soon.

The middle of the 18th century saw laws passed to combat these problems: gin was taxed and made available for sale only in public houses. Gin was transformed from a beverage of escapism for the working class to one of moderation for the middle class.

The subsequent invention of the

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continuous still in the 19th century moved the quality of gin into a new league. Prior to this gin bore no resemblance to the gins of today; it was a thick, sweet, full, rich drink with heavy juniper notes. With the advent of the continuous still and the improvement in both the understanding of distillation and the quality of the distillate there was no longer a need for sugar and glycerine to mask the rank spirit.

Gradually, gin became drier, with delicate, complex flavours courtesy of a wide range of exotic botanicals; more like the drink we know today.

It became known as London Dry Gin simply because most distillers were based in the capital city. In fact, there has never been a requirement to be geographically connected to London; the term then referred to a style, which later became a defined production method.

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Gin is made from a high-strength, rectified, neutral spirit and flavouring ingredients known as botanicals, with EU regulations stating that juniper must be the most prominent flavour.

Botanicals are the very heart of a gin and each producer’s recipe is a closely guarded secret. Distillation in pot or short column stills is the best method of extracting the essential oils from most botanicals and efficiently combines their flavours with the spirit.

The flavour can also be simply added and sometimes both these methods are combined to add flavours not suited to distillation.

Up to a point, it is fair to say that a gin will be more complex if a greater number of botanicals are used. However, any gin should be judged on its balance and length of finish rather than subject to mere arithmetical analysis.

When distilling a mash or wash all the congeners (the elements in alcohol that give a spirit its aromas and flavours) have different boiling points, botanicals are no exception, their congeners vaporise at different times, creating a haze of congeners for the distiller.

Distilling gin is an art, what to capture and what to discard differentiates the various gins. It is not just the botanicals chosen but also how they react to one another when combined that affects the end result. Roots, for example, are often used not just for their own intrinsic qualities but because they highlight those of a citric nature as well.

GIN DEFINITIONS all gins are made with ethyl alcohol, flavoured with juniper berries and other optional flavourings. in all types of gin, the predominant flavour must be or have been juniper.

in the eu gin must have a minimum retail strength of 37.5% abv. many countries outside of the eu have different alcohol thresholds and there are some geographical and cultural derogations which give common descriptors to other styles. there are three types of gin:

GIN

Includes gin styles such as Old Tom and fruit gins such as Sloe. Gin is made from:

1.

2.

3.

4.

Suitable ethyl flavourings.

alcohol

and

The ethyl alcohol does not have to be re-distilled.

The flavouring can be either approved natural or artificial flavourings.

The flavourings can be simply mixed together with the ethyl alcohol to form the gin (compounded).

1.

2.

Re-distilling neutral alcohol in the presence of natural flavourings.

There is no minimum strength laid down for the resultant distillate.

3.

4.

After distillation, further ethyl alcohol of the same composition may be added.

Additional flavourings may be added after distillation and these can be either natural or artificial flavourings.

5.

6.

7.

6.

Water is added to reduce the gin’s strength to the desired retail level.

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Distilled gin is made in a traditional still by:

5.

There is no restriction on the addition of other approved additives such as sweetening.

WE RECOMMEND

DISTILLED GIN

There is no restriction on the colouring of gin with an approved colouring.

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The distillate can be further changed by the addition of other approved additives since there is no prohibition on their use in the definition.

Water may be added to reduce the strength to the desired retail level.

7.

There is no restriction on the colouring of distilled gin with approved colourings.

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LONDON GIN

London Gin is made in a traditional still by re-distilling ethyl alcohol in the presence of all natural flavourings used.

1.

The grain ethyl alcohol used to distil London Gin must be of a higher quality than the standard laid down for ethyl alcohol. The methanol level in the ethyl alcohol must not exceed a maximum of 5 grams per hectolitre of 100% vol. alcohol.

2.

The flavourings used must all be approved natural flavourings and they must impart the flavour during the distillation process.

Unlike other famous spirits where quality is indicated by industry standard terms such as VSOP, branded quality names such as Paradis or simple age statements, the gin drinker must be on the look out for different quality indicators. The most meaningful are:

3.

4.

5.

6.

The use of artificial flavourings is not permitted.

A bra n d n ame The development of branded gin was due to several famous distilling families, all of whom were based in London. Their secret recipes for the botanicals remain the foremost indicator of style and flavour. No two famous brands taste alike, with each preferring a different influence from the next.

The resultant distillate must have a minimum strength of 70% abv.

No flavourings can be added after distillation.

Further ethyl alcohol may be added after distillation provided it is of the same standard.

P r o du c ti o n M et h o d This could also influence the flavour, with some methods favouring heavier juniper or citrus elements.

7.

A small amount of sweetening may be added after distillation provided the sugars do not exceed 0.1 grams/ litre of finished product (the sugar is not discernible and is added to some products purely for brand protection purposes).

8.

9.

T h e st y le o f gi n The ubiquitous London Dry Gin, Plymouth, Old Tom and the various types of Dutch jenever will each indicate to the drinker the style of gin one should expect.

The only other substance that may be added is water.

T h e stre n gt h o f al c o h o l More so than in some other spirits, the strength of gin will also indicate how prominently the botanicals will feature. This is a direct function of the amount of water added during the reduction process. Some would argue that the ideal is between 40–55 % abv. Below this range a gin is less able to hold its flavours and the complexity and balance could be adversely affected.

London Gin cannot be coloured.

D E F I N I T I O N S PR O V I D E D BY W W W . G I N V O DKA . O RG

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Gin Botanicals popular botanicals and flavouring agents for gin often include citrus elements such as lemon and bitter orange peel, as well as a combination of other spice, the more popular of which include anise, angelica root and seed, orris root, liquorice root, cinnamon, almond, cubeb, savory, lime peel, grapefruit peel, saffron, frankincense, coriander, grains of paradise, nutmeg, cardamom, cassia bark, ginger... the list is almost endless.

Juniper

Coriander

Dried Angelica

Anise Seed

Dried Liquorice

Ginger

Lavender

Grains of Paradise

Dried Citrus Peel

Juniper: Featured Botanical

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Juniperus Communis or the common juniper grows in many forms from low spreading shrubs to trees exceeding 10 meters in height. The female berry or seed cone is what we need for gin and these, depending on the climate where the juniper grows, take up to 18 months to ripen and have a range of flavours. It is the vital ingredient in gin, in fact it would be literally criminal to leave it out. By law, juniper has to be the dominant flavour of any alcoholic beverage which is seeking to be classified as gin. Gin is so tied with this particular berry that the name itself derives from the Dutch word jenever.

In short; gin cannot exist in the absence of juniper.

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Brad Estabrooke, founder of the Breuckelen Distilling Company, was a typical Wall Street banker. That is, until he got laid off in December 2008 and decided he'd rather make gin than find another office job. The 31-year-old began working on his Brooklyn distillery in March 2009. BD first crafted gin in 2010 with one mantra, everything they sell was to be made entirely from scratch at their distillery on 19th Street in Brooklyn. From scratch means they process all of their ingredients themselves, from milling whole grains, making the alcohol, redistilling the botanicals and then bottling, every step of production occurs in the one room distillery. That is exactly what they continue to do to produce Glorious Gin.

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Distilled inLondon original recipe

FiftygPounds in

© fifty pounds gin – all rights reserved

A genuine English Small Batch distilled Gin where the careful selection and

The Gin Act 1736

IW

imposed during the reign of his majesty king george ii

n the early Eighteenth Century William of Orange prohibited the hen William of Orange prohibited importing of alcohol to England. the importing of alcohol to England So began the production and in the early Eighteenth Century, so began consumption of domestic English gin by the production and consumption of domestic huge numbers of distillers, the majority English gin by huge numbers of distillers, being of dubious quality. the majority being of dubious quality.

Its popularity was such, especially amongst

Its popularity was such, especially amongst poor, that gin was distilled and sold in thethepoor, that gin was distilled and sold in fifth of all London homes. This excessive oneone fifth of all London homes. This excessive uncontrolled consumption provoked a andanduncontrolled consumption provoked a rapid degradation of society, a period given rapid degradation of society, a period given name the ‘Gin Craze’. thethename the ‘Gin Craze’. In trying to In trying curb this the was curb this ‘socialto evil’, the ‘social Gin evil’, Act 1736 gin act 1736 was introduced the introduced during the reignduring of George II, reign ofan George II, whereby annual whereby annual levy ofan£50 waslevy imposed £50 was imposedtoonproduce those wishing on ofthose wishing and to sell gin. produce sell gin.

After sixand years, just two distilleries had agreed to pay this tax.

and

rare handcrafted london dry gin

T

he specialist traditional methods employed in the creation of this superior gin means that production is limited, obtaining approximately one thousand bottles from each ‘batch’. Each bottle of Fifty Pounds Gin is presented in an exclusive bottle, with a design inspired by the first gin bottles, known as ‘case gin’. Each bottle bears the individual distillation batch number, together with the year that it was distilled.

The specialist traditional methods em-

ployed in the creation of this superior gin means that production is limited, obtaining approximately one thousand bottles from After six years, just two distilleries had agreed to pay this tax.

each ‘ batch’.

Each bottle of

Fifty Pounds Gin is

presented in an exclusive bottle, with a de-

perfect combination of its natural ingredients give this gin an exceptional Smoothness Only in this way is the unique and complex personality of

Fifty Pounds Gin achieved.

fruits and flowers, together with grain spirit 1 (a neutral alcohol, previously distilled four times to achieve a greater purity) is distilled.

The Original Recipe

t h e b e s t g r a i n s p i r i t a n d b o ta n i c a l s

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further key to this centuries-old recipe is in the combination of

the grain spirit, distilled four times to guarantee its purity, with the perfect proportion of botanicals used in each distillation.

T

he distiller, Master of the Worshipful Company of Distillers, has made use of the process used centuries ago, known as ‘batch process distillation’, which is the purest and most efficient way of obtaining ‘the finest gin spirit’. This is a delicate and painstaking process, involving botanicals, from away four different the MasterThe Distiller throwing both the been distillate, bespoke selected by ‘heads’ continents, and ‘tails’have of the selecting the plant expert, depending on the season, only the ‘heart’, right at the point when always highest are quality plants the taste andchoosing alcoholthe content optimum. at all times, wherever theyreducing are sourced.

Distiller throwing away both the ‘ heads’ Then the spirit isfrom thrice filtered, any Some of the usedoptimum in the and ‘tails’ of the distillate, selecting further only impurities andbotanicals achieving elaboration of Fifty Pounds Gin are: the ‘ heart’, right at the point when the smoothness. taste

T

and alcohol content are optimum. Then

1 Juniper Berries

further impurities and achieving optimum

principal ingredient fabrication of to settle for innotheless than three

the spirit is thrice filtered, reducing any smoothness.

From he the resulting hills of Croatia.

Juniper,is the distillate left gin, imparts traces of pine. the weeks,an aroma thuswithallowing

Seed 1 Coriander botanicals’ essentials oils to From the Middle seedsspirit. accentublend perfectly with East. the The grain The hortlyA after gin act 1736 a family Ginthe Called ate towards the exoticachieving flavours, spicy hints, citric distillation batch number, together with the final step the precious gin of independent London Distillers elements anddistillate freshness. obtained with the year that it was distilled. is to balance the a s m oup o t h with d i s c o v ean r y original gin came of Paradisealcohol, together with 1 Grains same type of neutral 1 ifty Pounds Gin is produced in recipe, known ironically amongst demineralised achieve theAfrica. perfect hortly after the gin act 1736 a family From the water, Gulf of to Guinea, Eastern a small and legendary distillery themselves as ‘Fifty Pounds’ in honour of balanceAand content.

Theimparting resulting of independent London Distillers rare, alcohol hard to source variety, b a t c h d i s t i l l e d t o p e rlocated f e c t i o n in South East London, thecame GinupAct which was characterised bottle-ready hasflavour an alcohol content with levy, an original gin recipe, known subtle, gin peppery with hints of lav- of a tradition of more than two by ironically its particular 43.5% ender.

- the ideal percentage for drinking, is produced amongst smoothness themselves asand ‘Fiftyflavour. ur Fifty Pounds Ginwith behind it. The method is carried out ThePounds’ recipeinremained whether1neat, Savorywith tonic, or in a dry martini. in a small centuries and legendary distillery honour of hidden the Ginfor Actgenerations, levy, in a London, pot stillwith manufactured the legendary until thewas descendants pioneering higher alcohol content riskswith distorting the From the South of France, a delicate located in South East a trawhich characterised of by those its particular The by resulting distillate is left to settleAfor John & Co. Ltd, no in less which perfectly master distillers rescued it from oblivion and andtraces a lower percentage would aroma and of mint, affording extra dition of more than twoDore centuries behind smoothness and flavour. than athree weeks, thus allowingcombinations the combination of herbs, spices, rediscovered itsremained extraordinary qualities. rob thefreshness. combinations of character.

The recipe hidden for generait. The method isbalanced, carried outsecret in a pot still botanicals’ essentials oils to blend perfectly

SS

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sign inspired by the first gin bottles, known as ‘case gin’. Each bottle bears the individual

f if t y p o un d s

tions, until the descendants of those pioneering master distillers rescued it from oblivion

I N Fand O @rediscovered M A R U S Sits I Aextraordinary B E V E R A Gqualities.

ES.COM I N F O @ M A R U S S I A B E V E R A G E S . CO M

F

Distillation Process

O

manufactured by the legendary John Dore

& Co. Ltd, in which a perfectly balanced,

with the grain spirit.

The final step towards achieving the pre-

8 cious gin is to balance the distillate obtained and flowers, together with grain spirit - a 8 with the same type of neutral alcohol, tosecret combination of herbs, spices, fruits neutral alcohol, previously distilled four times

gether with demineralised water, to achieve

1 Orange & Lemon Peel

From the East of Spain and Southern

Spain respectively, creating subtle +44 ( 0 ) 2 0a 7 7 2 4 bal5009

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ance between the citric aromas and flavours, enhancing the gin’s superb dryness.

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The Tuxedo BR O UGHT T O Y O U BY A d a m S p in k s

F E ATUR I N G F I FTY P O U N D S G I N

37.5ml Fifty Pounds Gin 15ml Violet Bitters 15ml Dry Vermouth 10ml Lemon Juice Shake ingredients and strain over ice in to an old fashioned glass Add the violet and absinthe foam Garnish with lime peel

This first section will be a description of the person and their achievements in the drink industry. Followed by a few words from the mixologist about why they have selected this cocktail, Could take the form of an interview.

W h y h ave y o u se l e c t e d t h is c o c k ta i l ?

Followed by a few words from the why they havetaste but I can’t remember the bar.

After a day mixologist exploringabout London's selected this cocktail, the is the case a lot of the time. For Knightsbridge and the Kings Road, it’sCould takeThat form an interview. time for a drink.

TheofBelgrave Hotel me, when drinking a good cocktail serves exquisite cocktails and cuisine the flavour is the most memorable W Hselection E N D I D Y Oof U vintage D I S C O V E R TH E as well as a wide experience and The Tuxedo really N T B O R S H Adam MARY ?

Cuban cigars. MAM Bar Omanager stuck with me. a few words from the Spinks talked toFollowed us about by his favourite gin cocktail.

Why is Fifty Pounds Gin the perfect

choice for this cocktail?

If you could only have one last gin cocktail what would it be? And why?

Hmmm, I will always go with The Tuxedo. As a gin fanatic, I love vintage & forgotten recipes. The Tuxedo is one of those forgotten recipes that I believe has unfinished business and it remains one of the most delicately balanced gin cocktails imaginable.

The botanicals of Fifty Pounds gin harmonise perfectly with the absinthe, vermouth & maraschino liquor. I love the complexity of flavours and aroma Fifty Pounds provides. It is a perfect match for The Tuxedo, and is my first choice in most of the gin cocktails I create. visi t T h e Te a m at TH E B E LGRAV E H O T E L t o s a m p l e t h e T u x e d o.

Do you remember the first time you had the Tuxedo?

Yes, back in 2002 I remember the

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www. t h o m p son h o t e l s. c o m / h o t e l s / b e l g r aves

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P h o t o g r a p h y: N I KLA S HALL E ’ N

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wi l l i a m Fa u l k ne r A m e r i c a n W r i t e r & N o b e l P r i z e l a u r e at e

TH E

W O RLD

I

n the world of wine and spirits, alcoholic distillation is the process of separating and concentrating the ethyl alcohol from a fermented liquid. It works on the basis that ethyl alcohol, with a boiling point of 78.3°C, is more volatile than water.

Thus when a fermented wine, or grain wash/mash is heated, the alcohol in it vaporises before the water (a separation rather than a reaction) and these alcoholic vapours are collected through condensation allowing other vapours and solids to be rejected.

During this process the vapours which are collected mainly consists of:

E THYL ALC O H O L

Also known as ethanol (C2H6O, with a boiling point of 78.37 °C); it is the intoxicating ingredient.

Produced during fermentation and concentrated during distillation, this is the percentage we are talking about when we measure the strength of an alcoholic drink.

M E THYL ALC O H O L

Also known as methanol (CH4O, with a boiling point of 64.7 °C); the lightest of alcohols and more volatile than ethanol. It is poisonous in quantity and discarded to a great extent with the heads. Due to a lower boiling point it is easier to collect.

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O F

D I S T I LLAT I O N

S MALL AM O U N T S O F O TH E R ALC O H O L S

Fusels, organic compounds produced when carbon and hydrogen atoms are rearranged during fermentation and distillation; a source of isoamyl (C5 alcohol), isobutyl (C4 alcohol) and isopropanol (C3 alcohol) compounds which can have characteristic rank odours, varying degrees of volatility and the propensity to produce pungent esters when they oxidise.

ALD E HYD E S

Highly reactive organic compounds produced during the dehydrogenation of alcohols; which can give a pleasant character on the nose and develop more complexity through the ageing process.

ESTERS

Organic compounds that react with water to produce acids; they have pleasant odours giving fragrance and flavour.

PH E N O L S

Similar to, but with a higher boiling point than alcohols; Natural phenols oxidise easily and undergo autoxidation during the ageing process. Simple natural phenols are acidic in nature, initially are sharp and spicy on the nose, but become more complex as they oxidise.

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All of these latter compounds, commonly known as congeners, provide the spirit with its identity, its nose and its palate. If one is aiming at a neutral distillation, there would be less than 1 % of higher alcohols, fusels and congeners in the resulting distillate. However, the amount of congeners in a spirit can vary dramatically, with 30–35mg/ltr the average for vodka and as many as 2,500mg/ltr in a very old Armagnac, much of which is as a result of the distillation strength.

When producing spirits for consumption, some of the vapours are undesirable (such as Methanol) and will be rejected; depending on the end product, the distiller will take great care to collect only the required elements from the condensed vapours to make spirit. Remove them all, however, and the remaining congeners may not hold together properly. Controlling the distillation, in order to separate these congeners, and enable decisions about what to keep and what not to keep, is not easy.

When you consider that all the congeners have different boiling points and as the vapours rise they are condensed and collected at different moments, you begin to appreciate the art involved.

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H I S T O RY Many cultures assert that theirs was the first to distil alcohol as a beverage, but it would appear that there is insufficient historical documentation to bestow the honour definitively on any one group. It was neither a Greek nor a Roman invention and there is absolutely no evidence of any distillation in France before the 14th century. The Moors and distillation are almost synonymous with many believing that the Moors discovered its secrets around 900AD. However, they used the resultant alcohol for antiseptic and medicinal purposes rather than for imbibing.

The Moors legacy lives on in today’s nomenclature: al-kohl whence alcohol and al-ambiqs anglicised to alembic.

T h e C O PP E R F O X Dis t i l l e r y. A C O MB I N AT I O N O F I N N O VAT I O N A N D TRAD I T I O N T O PR O DUC E A W H I S KY THAT I S TRULY U N I QU E

100% IMPOSSIBLE It is not possible to achieve 100% ethanol by distillation, as this would require each remaining component in the mixture to have a zero partial pressure so that they do not form an azeotrope (a liquid that cannot be altered by boiling). If we wanted to take it further, then chemical or molecular separation methods must be used. The simplest method of achieving this is by adding an agent that combines with the remaining water molecules and forms crystals which can then be extracted. So, in the normal spirits world 96% is generally deemed to be the best that can be done‌leaving just a few tasty bits!

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On the other hand, monasteries in Ireland (oases of wisdom during the stagnation of the Dark Ages) may also have a claim. Legend has it that King Henry II of England found spirits produced in Ireland, which would date their spirit production from the 12th century.†Monks in Salerno were also involved in distillation around this time although in all likelihood they learnt the art from the Moors. Another legend gives the honour to the Chinese with travellers bringing news of the methodology to Egypt, which subsequently spread as alchemy (derived from al-khem).

Distillate became known generically as the water of immortality because of the preservative effect it had on

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anything of an organic nature.

This translated into many different languages and eventually evolved into names with which we are familiar today including uisge beatha from the Gaelic, whence whisky; eau de vie from French; aqua vitae from the Latin and interestingly elixir from Old Roman. In English the expression became spiritual water and subsequently what we now refer to as spirits.

What we can say with conviction is that treatises on distillation were openly printed by 1500 in Germany and in 1651 a great deal of the collected practise was published by English physician John French in his book ‘The Art of Distillation’.

I N GR E D I E N T S & PR O C E S S The most important factors in the distillation process are the ingredients, the size & shape of distilling apparatus and the resultant distillate’s alcoholic strength.

T h e I N GR E D I E N T S For our purpose, here, we will simplify matters and limit the ingredients to what we will cavalierly call beer (a wash or mash made from grains) or wine (a ferment made from fruit or vegetables). Both of these must firstly produce alcohol through the process of fermentation…a conversion of natural sugars, and those drawn from carbohydrates, to alcohol.

Under normal conditions this will achieve a maximum alcohol content of about 20% abv, at this point, the yeast reproduction cycle is inhibited by the levels of alcohols and fermentation ceases. For those of a technical persuasion…here we would say that ethanol fermentation is the breakdown of one glucose molecule into two pyruvates (the organic acid intersect in the aerobic respiration path); the two pyruvates are then broken down into two acetaldehydes; the two acetaldehydes convert to two ethanol…all very simple!

TH E S T I LL In order to extract the alcohol we can use the following methods of distillation:

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TH E P O T S T I LL O R R E T O RT

Both alembics and retorts started as glass vessels with a neck pointing to the side at a downward angle which allowed the condensing vapour to drip for collection. Latterly, when we moved from capturing essential essences to larger scale production of potable spirits, the collection method had to grow and become more stable, thus the development of the copper alembic.

The copper did not add anything from a creative standpoint but it did lend a helping hand to proceedings, because it was available for shaping, was an excellent and even conductor of heat and did not corrode with acid contact. It was also found to help neutralise the acids in the ferment

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as well as any naturally occurring sulphurous elements in the vapours, unwanted by the distiller.

Early distillation used one vaporisation and one condensation, but it was found that purity was enhanced by further distillation of a selection of the condensate. In those days larger volumes simply meant more stills or repeated distillation. These days, this batch method is usually done at least twice to obtain spirit of the right quality, character and strength and we are able to manufacture stills of much greater size.

So, the alcoholic wash is placed in the pot and heated; the vapours rise up through the neck and are condensed and collected. The first distillation

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is essentially a light concentration resulting in alcohol between 20 –30 % abv depending on the original strength of the ferment and the size and shape of the still. These low wines are then distilled again and the distillate condenses in the following order:

h

- He a d -

The first to appear are the most volatile such as methanol; these are discarded or mixed with either the ferment or the low wines ready to return to the pot with the next batch.

However, the last of the heads can be light, elegant and delicate in character and some of them may be desirable.

- He a r t -

Deciding when the heart has begun to reveal itself and when it has finished are vital. Collect too many heads and the

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result will be too volatile, start collecting the heart too late and the elegant, fruity, floral elements so desirable in the character of a quality spirit will be lost.

-

t Ta i l

-

Gravity dictates that these are the last to appear as these are the heaviest compounds. They contain larger molecular combinations, some of which may actually be beneficial with rich, powerful aromas adding body to the distillate. On the whole, they are mostly undesirable, containing many fusels and other compounds that, if collected, would taint the final spirit.

In order to make a proper selection, an even heat is very important; too hot and all the vapours rush together in a blinding haze preventing any kind of discernment, too low and a dilute, somewhat bitter distillate will emerge. Thus the speed of distillation has an effect on both the character and the quality of the spirit; controlling it, gives the distiller the opportunity to

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separate the congeners and produce the type of spirit desired.

The size and shape of the still and its head are very important in deciding the character of the end product. If the pot is shaped more like a fat onion than an olive then the wash circulates violently inside like a tornado as it tries to escape whereas the olive type is a lot calmer resulting in vapours of different character rising more easily up to the neck. If the neck is longer and taller then only the lighter vapours containing the more elegant, delicate characteristics will be able to rise to the top and ultimately be condensed and collected. The heavier, richer elements will rise some of the way, but fall back to be re-vapourised. This continued process is called reflux and various adaptions including a small condenser are often used to increase the purity of the distillate.

Con t in u o u s or column Dis t i l l at ion A vertical cross-section of a continuous still would show linked columns, in

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the basic two column set they are known as an analyser and a rectifier and each is divided by perforated plates. The cool wash enters the still through a pipe, which snakes its way through the rectifier, playing a role in a heat exchange. This pipe empties the now warm wash into the top of the analyser, which then tumbles down through the plates. Meanwhile, steam is introduced at the bottom of the same column and when it and the ferment meet, the alcohol vaporises and this alcoholic steamy vapour rises to the top of the column. The wash, which remains in liquid form, continues its descent becoming progressively weaker in alcohols. The process continues until all the ferment has been distilled.

The steam and alcohol vapours rise up through the pipe, which leads them back to the bottom of the rectifying column where they continue to rise. Its journey takes it through the perforated plates in the rectifier and also into contact with the pipe taking the cool wash to the analyser; thus a heat exchange occurs whereby the vapours are cooled and the wash warmed. This is an efficient way of

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achieving two desired elements: warm wash to charge the analyser, and a start to the vapours condensing.

As the vapours rise, the congeners begin to separate which continues until the vapours hit a point at which the spirit can be collected.

This point can actually be anywhere in the rectifier allowing various styles of spirit to be produced by the same still. Again, good control of the heat source, which in most cases is steam, enables a proper separation of all the elements and a collection of the desired style of spirit.

There are many variations of continuous stills and they are known by many different names. They may have many rectifying columns or just one, they may sit on top of pot stills (sometimes known as a hybrid or lomond) and they frequently allow for the heads and the tails to be recycled into the ferment or be drawn off.

In general, to produce lighter spirits such as vodka, light rum and neutral grain bases, the apparatus may be as a high as a four-storey building with possibly four or more rectifying columns and

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one analyser. A column with a high reflux ratio may have fewer stages, but it produces a large amount of liquid, giving a wide column that can hold up a large liquid volume. Conversely, a column with a low reflux ratio must have a large number of stages or plates, thus requiring a taller column. A very small column still with just one rectifier and perhaps as few as three perforated plates might be used in the Armagnac region to produce a heavier, richer, more powerful spirits with earthy notes.

Vacuum columns can be used where the wash enters under pressure (such as with grappa or acquavite production) ; here less heat is required and a more aromatic distillate can be obtained.

Today complex computer programmes have been devised that allow simulation of distillation columns, the calculation of the collection or equilibrium points and the reflux ratios which means that the total operation of the process can be computerised. What is sure is that the alcohol concentration desired can be achieved by maximising the potential alcohol from the ferment at the lowest cost.

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V DKA A

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hich country warrants the accolade of first producing vodka? The answer to this question is unclear. The general consensus is that knowledge of distillation travelled north and then east from Salerno and thus perhaps Poland has the strongest claim. Russia can, however, lay claim to the title of first to export vodka with records showing a shipment to Sweden in 1505 and Poland’s first exports a century later.

In 1546 Polish King Jan Olbracht, exhibiting a remarkable degree of egalitarianism for the time, permitted all his subjects to produce vodka. Sadly, by 1572 the landed gentry revoked this, thus acquiring sole rights to both production and sale.

The 18th and 19th centuries saw two big improvements : the discovery of charcoal filtration and the invention of the continuous still.

The remarkable young Swede, Lars Olson Smith, emerged at this time.

A prodigy, a distilling obsessive and a perfectionist. Before he was 20 he had successfully taken on the

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BR I E F

H I S T O RY

Stockholm establishment with his Absolut Rent Brannvin. Sweden’s first vodka from a continuous still was such a triumph that Smith had to invest in more distilleries and wheat fields in order to meet demand.

of distilleries in Russia and Poland, the global market has expanded.

During this time we have also seen the birth of premium and super premium vodkas from traditional countries and others, most notably France and the USA.

The 20th century was the era of state monopolies in eastern Europe. In 1917 Russia, the Bolsheviks took everything into state ownership.

This included the distillery which had previously held the Royal Warrant. Its owner, Piotr Smirnov (who later changed his name to the now famous Smirnoff) barely escaped with his life, and after exile in both Paris and America, two distinct styles of vodka emerged.

HOW IS V O DKA MAD E ?

Eastern European vodkas always had some character ; a taste of the raw material from which they were distilled. Smirnoff’s new set up in America produced completely neutral vodka which ultimately found huge success as a mixer— leaping to fame with the post-war Moscow Mule cocktail.

Over the last thirty years, and especially since the re-privatisation

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The first requirement is to convert the starch to sugar in order to effect an alcoholic fermentation. Grains are milled and potatoes shredded thus releasing the starch. Whatever the raw material, it is then cooked in hot water thereby breaking up the starch, which enzymes then convert to sugar.

Yeast is added, converting the sugar to alcohol, resulting in a wash of normally below 10 % abv. Primarily this wash contains ethyl alcohol ; however aldehydes, fusels, esters and acids are also found . These combine to give nose and palate and are known as congeners.

Today, the vast majority of vodkas are produced in column stills. Alcoholic distillation works on the basis that alcohol, with a boiling point of 78.3 ˚C, is more volatile than water and thus

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when an alcoholic wash is heated, the alcohol vapourises first. The wash is introduced into the rectifier and heats up as it flows downwards, it then enters the analyser where it meets the hot steam and begins to vapourise.

The vapours then flow back into the rectifier where the distiller collects the portion he wants at the un-perforated spirit plate.

It is worth noting that the congeners have different boiling points too and as the vapours rise through the rectifier the congeners are separated; therefore, the higher the number of rectifications, the purer the spirit may be.

F I LTRAT I O N Filtration is the vodka equivalent of cask maturation ; it tames the spirit’s power, ideally replacing it with mellowness and balance.

Generations of experience have shown that charcoal from either silver birch or alder, which has been treated, is one of the best mediums.

This activated charcoal is extremely absorbent.

Limousin charcoal, however, has recently been used to very good effect in France and quartz sand is also used in many countries.

Filtration is usually effected by pumping through columns containing the filtering medium; however, cheaper vodkas may simply gravity feed through a tank of it. Although it is less expensive, channels start to form with this latter method, reducing the filtration’s effectiveness. The vodka can also be reduced in many stages during the filtration process to help marry the demineralised water and the spirit.

world, with over four billion litres being drunk annually. The excellent mixability vodka offers led to its huge popularity and the explosion in cocktail popularity has meant that vodka consumption continues to rise.

FLAV O UR E D V O DKA Flavoured vodkas are often thought of as a modern trend.

However, it was how vodka was originally drunk. Centuries ago the understanding of distillation was not what it is today (nor was the quality of raw materials) which resulted in a virtually undrinkable spirit full of toxic elements and excessive fusels. Flavouring was one way of making it palatable and more pleasing aromatically. Nowadays, in order to flavour vodka a producer can either choose the cheaper option of adding extracts or the quality route of macerating the flavouring ingredients in the vodka at an ambient temperature. Some ingredients yield unique flavours, others labelled simply with one flavour may be totally different from another.

In some instances the flavourings, such as honey or fortified wines, are added in a blending process just before bottling, whilst in others, the flavoured vodka is aged in cask.

ON THE

LABEL In the world of vodka there are few industry standards to determine a drinks quality. Terms such as VSOP or age statements simply do not exist.

The vodka drinker must look for different quality indicators on the label. The most meaningful are: B ra n d Name Many well established brand names are globally available and are produced under strict quality control processes P r o du c ed fr o m The indication of what base ingredient was used.

Certain vodka’s have a residual taste from their original, base—rye is the most distinctive.

C o u n tr y o f Origi n / D istillati o n The country of origin will influence the flavour. For example, Polish producers favour rye, Russians wheat and so on.

F lav o urs

P O PULAR I TY O F V O DKA

No two pepper or lemon vodkas are the same, again the brand influence and the flavouring ingredients will be different - the best way to get

Despite its humble medieval origins, vodka has become the most highly consumed spirit in the

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WHAT CAN

BE FOUND

WE RECOMMEND

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to know your favourites is simply by tasting.

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MAKE MINE A VODKA WHAT IS VODKA MADE FROM

WHEAT

RYE

MAIZE

BARLEY, OATS & SORGHUM

Most common in Sweden and some parts of Russia giving vodkas of delicacy with undertones of aniseed and a subtle, layered, almost textured, creaminess.

The grain of choice in Poland and some parts of Russia giving more pungent vodkas with a distinct peppery kick on the finish; they have a subtle nutty middle palate with good body.

Used in the USA and other countries, often when the distillery also produces whiskies.

Smooth and light on the palate with a sweet finish.

Used singly, these grains impart a smooth, nutty character to the vodka.

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i n t h e o r y , v o d k a c a n b e m a d e f r o m a n y o r g a n i c m at e r i a l w h i c h f e r m e n t s . traditionally, the material selected for making vodka was determined by what was grown in the various producing regions. therefore, individual styles and methods of production developed in different regions. economics also often played a role in deciding what was used to make vodka. wheat, for example, has more starch than the other options, thus it produces more alcohol which results in lower production costs.

MIXED GRAINS

POTATOES

MOLASSES

GRAPES

A blend of different grains whose sum is, in the opinion of the producer, greater than the total of the parts.

Comparatively new to Europe ; by the 19th century special high-starch varieties were grown near the Baltic Coast for the purpose of making vodkas ; they have a rich, oily creaminess and are full-bodied.

Obtained from sugar cane or sugar beet and used in many neutral and inexpensive vodkas.

Wine rectified through distillation until neutrality is achieved, creating a fresh and smooth taste.

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MAMONT DISCOVE

S

iberia is a remote and mysterious land. Stretching from the Urals to the Pacific and from the borders of China, Mongolia and Kazakhstan to the Arctic. Few have experienced its uncommonly wild and haunting beauty, unspoilt forests, lakes, rivers, and mountains.

In 2001, after surviving an emergency landing, a group of 12 explorers found themselves trapped by glaciers in the South Pole. While waiting for a rescue team to arrive, they warmed themselves up with vodka and soon came up with the idea of organizing an expedition to find the great mammoth.

They

couldn’t

believe

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their

luck

VODKA

ADVENTU PIRIT OF R YOUR S

RE

when in 2003, an original mammoth tusk was discovered peaking out from the melting ice of the frozen tundra in Russia. Hearing about this breakthrough, one of the 12 explorers, Frederick Paulsen, organised for a team of scientists to go to the site.

Remarkably the layers of ice revealed a whole mammoth with hair still attached. The Yukagir Mammoth turned out to be one of the most important recent scientific discoveries. To honour this wonderful adventure and the heritage found in Siberia, Mr Paulsen created Mamont Vodka. A vodka that is elegant, timeless and full of character. Mamont vodka is produced in one of Russia’s oldest distilleries at the foot of the famous Altai Mountains. It is made by

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skilled craftsmen using only traditional methods, natural ingredients and a sustainable production.

The Altai Mountain springs supply the water, which is renowned throughout Russia for its purity. Mamont first selects the finest Siberian white winter wheat and conducts a carefully controlled fermentation to produce an exceptional alcohol. The spirit is then, distilled six times. A small proportion of cedar nut spirit is added to the liquid before being carefully filtered through silver birch charcoal.

MAM O N T TH E S P I R I T O F AD V E N TUR E

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Mamont Alexander BR O UGHT T O Y O U BY Pie Pa n a h

F E ATUR I N G MAM O N T V O DKA

50ml Mamont Vodka 15ml White Cacao 15ml La Grande Josiane 25ml Double Cream 1 Brown Sugar Cube Garnish with Orange Zest

This first section will be a description of the person and their achievements in the drink industry. Followed by a few words from the mixologist about why they have selected this cocktail, Could take the form of an interview.

W h y h ave y ocanteen u se l e cin t e d t h is Forge & Co is a unique social could taste was the fruit or the other c o c k ta i London. l? the heart of Shoreditch, They ingredients so they requested a drink by apremium few words from the place emphasisFollowed on serving where they could taste the vodka. So, about why beverages frommixologist early morning until latethey haveI twisted the Brandy Alexander with selected this Bartender cocktail, Could takeMamont the evening. We talked to Head vodka. I further developed form an interview.

Pie Panah about hisoffavourite vodka this idea and played with the ingredients a little bit, finally creating creations.

W H E N D I D Y O U D I S C O V E R TH E the Mamont Alexander.

N T B O R S H MARY ?

If you could onlyMAM haveOone last vodka Followed by a few words from theis Mamont Vodka the perfect choice Why cocktail what would it be? And why? for this cocktail?

For me, it would be a Brandy

Mamont vodka is a smooth and silky vodka which works well with the other ingredients. It is a spirit which stands up to strong flavours and is not easily lost. Unlike other spirits in the vodka category it is one of the few vodkas that you want to recognize throughout the cocktail.

Alexander but twisted with my vodka of choice. This cocktail is particularly well balanced, it is one of very few vodka based cocktails where all the elements are prominent throughout the drink. None of the ingredients are overpowered by the other components.

Do you remember the first time you had a Mamont Alexander?

I f T h e M a m on t A l e x a n d e r ta k es y o u r fa n c y t h en visi t T h e t e a m at

I once had a group of Russian customers who were tired of having vodka based drinks where all they

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Fo r g e & Co. www. f o r g e a n d c o. c o. u k

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P h o t o g r a p h y: N I KLA S HALL E ’ N

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R

ice has always been a very important part of Japanese culture, dating back seemingly to the dawn of time. It is of course a staple food, has even been used as currency and, importantly for us, crucial to the production of sake.

Legends regarding the genesis of sake are varied, with some suggesting that rice brewing began in China.

Others, that it was the rise of wet rice cultivation in 3rd Century Japan (the Yayoi Era) that gave rise to moulds, which subsequently paved the way for fermentation. However; what is known is that around 300BC ‘kuchikamino sake’ (chewed sake) was made by people chewing rice and spitting it into collective containers. Not particularly appetizing I'm sure you'll agree, but it had to start somewhere. The enzymes from the saliva saccharified the starch and the repulsive concoction was then fermented. Happily, ‘koji-kin’ (the mould Aspergillus oryzae) was subsequently discovered and its enzymes effected the conversion of starch to sugar in an altogether far more appealing manner. Rice inoculated with koji-kin becomes ‘kome-koji’ (malt rice); the only difference between this process and the conversion of barley to malted barley is that with barley the necessary enzymes are naturally already present.

Further improvements came between 800AD and 1200AD (the Heian Era); notably the three step addition – a starter mash known as ‘moto’ (root)

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or ‘shubo’ (mother of sake) was used and brewers finally managed to isolate koji-kin for the first time giving them greater control and consistency.

Jumping forward a few hundred years saw a need to increase production dramatically during the Second World War. This was effected by the addition of pure alcohol and glucose to the mash resulting in a threefold increase.

Today, much sake is still made this way in large and small breweries throughout Japan.

W HAT I S S AK E ?

Firstly; sake is not a rice wine, as this would imply the fermentation of fruit sugars. It is really a sort of strong Japanese rice beer with an alcohol by volume as high as 20%. Having concluded that it is not a wine it is, however, immediately noticeable that the complexity and range of aromas, flavours, fragrances, characters and styles found in sake are more reminiscent of wine than beer.

Sake literally translated is “alcoholic beverage” which has been taken in the West to mean a Japanese alcoholic beverage fermented from rice. ‘Nihon-shu’ is the word in Japanese that distinguishes it from other beverages and is the real word for what we know as Sake. However, to add to the confusion, filtered or clear sake is correctly known as ‘Seishu’ whilst cloudy sake is known as

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‘Nigori-shu’. But in the West, it will forever be known as Sake.

Japanese Law defines 'shu' or sake as, “made from rice, rice koji and water using fermentation and filtration processes”.

H O W I S S AK E MAD E ?

Traditionally, sake is produced during the winter, with premium sakes only made between December and March. Thanks to advancements in brewery technology it is now possible to produce sake throughout the year but premium sakes are still only made during the coldest months. The type of rice used is vital to the quality of the final product. Examples of superior sake rice grains include: Yamada-nishki, Nihon-baré and Miyama-nishki.

Water is crucial. It is the reason that Kobe and Kyoto emerged as the brewing capitals of Japan – and a high content of potassium, magnesium and phosphoric acid and low levels of iron are ideal. Different types of water result in different styles of sake; for example Hyogo has hard water giving full-bodied, complex sake whilst Kyoto has softer water resulting in soft, light sake. Sakes from these two regions are often described as male and female.

Approximately 60 special strains of high

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starch rice are used and the degree to which the rice is milled also plays a major role. Milling removes proteins, fats, minerals and vitamins from the exterior of the grain leaving only the white starch heart; more thorough milling results in fewer congeners, therefore a cleaner brew and a finer product.

The milled rice is then soaked. This process is a very precise element in proceedings, scrupulously timed to the second in order to ensure perfectly soaked rice. The rice, now containing the ideal amount of water, is then steamed for up to an hour (depending on the brewery master and the prevailing weather) until the rice is firm on the outside and soft in the middle; an ideal condition for koji production and fermentation. The rice is then cooled.

Simple Sake Guide

Sake A Japanese alcoholic drink made

from fermented rice, water and koji (form of mould).

Classifications are key to distinguishing different types of sake.

Get to know the classifications, this will help you roughly predict the taste and aroma of a sake. It will also guide you on whether the sake should be served chilled or warmed. Here are 6 useful classifications to know:

The koji is then combined with steamed rice, water and kobo (yeast) in a small tank. The type of kobo has a considerable bearing on the resultant sake with some strains giving floral pear like aromas in the sake and others earthier, more mushroom-like characters.

A type of Ginjo-shu. Rice is milled to half of its original size for a clean elegant taste. Extremely fragrant with a full complex body.

The mixture is then left to ferment for up to two weeks. This ‘moto’ or yeast starter (also known as ‘shubo’) is highly concentrated, hugely yeast rich, has an abv of about 11% and greatly aids the next stage of fermentation. Virtually all the glucose will have been converted to alcohol at this stage and so more koji, steamed rice and water are added in three stages over a four-day period giving a final mash mixture known as ‘moromi’. This unique method with simultaneous saccharification and fermentation is known as multiple parallel fermentation.

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Pure Sake with no brewer's alcohol added. Full, rich, earthy with savoury notes such as steamed rice and mushroom. Best served warmed or chilled.

Ginjo-shu

Fermented at low temperatures in a labor-intensive process. Light and delicate, the flavour profile is best enjoyed chilled.

Daiginjo-shu

Honjozo-shu

Made by adding brewer's alcohol.

Which creates a light smooth sake.

Can be served chilled or warm.

Nigorizake Coarsely filtered sake

with small amount of rice solids left in the liquid.

Tends to be cloudy or white in colour and often sweet in flavour. Serve chilled.

Namazake Unpasteurised sake. All types of sake can be categorized as Namazake if they have not been pasteurised.

Keep refrigerated

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To legally qualify as a Ginjo (premium) sake, the rice has to be polished to at least 60% of its original size.

Daiginjo

For Daiginjo (super premium sake) the rice has to be polished to at least 50% of its original size.

Serving. Hot or Cold*

Whether to serve sake chilled or warm is really a question of personal preference. Sake was served warm to mask harsh flavours, imperfections and grainy textures.

However, developments in brewing technologies led to higher quality sake being produced with delicate flavour profiles. These profiles would be destroyed if served warm. As a general rule fruity sakes like ginjo and daiginjo are served chilled and earthy, savoury sakes like junmai and honjozo are more versatile and can be warmed. However, this is heavily dependent on the individual and type of sake.

Serve chilled Serve warm

Koji

Sake is produced in a brewing process which has more similarities to beer production than wine. One of the fundamental differences between sake and beer is this: sake rice does not contain the kinds of enzymes that barley does, so an additional ingredient is needed to help convert the rice's starch into sugar. The ingredient used is Koji.

This is the magical mould which makes the sake brewing process possible. When koji is combined with the rice, enzymes are produced which break up the starch in the rice and turn it into sugar.

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SERVED AT ROOM TEMPERATURE

Junmai-shu

Ginjo

*THE MAJORITY OF SAKE CAN ALSO BE

The rice is taken into the hot, humid ‘kojimuro’ (cultivation room) and is sprinkled with koji mould, or Aspergillus oryzae, spread out and put on a table top. It is then wrapped and left in the kojimuro. About 12 hours later the brewery staff will massage the tightly packed cultivating rice relaxing the solid mass and ensuring an even exposure to the koji mould. After up to 48 hours the now fuzzy looking rice will be unwrapped and spread out to prevent further mould growth. The mould visible on the outside will also have penetrated the heart of the kernel and the koji is now prepared.

Polishing

Rice grains are polished in order to remove fat and proteins; to reveal the starchy component at the core.

The polishing process greatly influences the final taste of a sake.

Generally, the more fat and proteins are removed during the polishing process the cleaner and fruitier the sake. In contrast, a low polishing ratio will result in savory, grainy, rice-like flavours which are full-bodied. High polishing rates are classified as:

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Sake Production Mi l l in g

Ko j i M a k in g

F E RM E N TAT I O N

The rice is milled down to the desired size. This process is hugely influential to the final flavour and texture of the sake.

Koji mould, in the form of a dried powder, is sprinkled on freshly steamed rice. It is then taken to a room where a high temperature and humidity are maintained. The process takes from about 35 to 45 hours to complete during which the rice is constantly checked. When ready it has the aroma of sweet chestnuts.

When more freshly steamed rice and koji is added to the moromi, the koji keeps converting the starch in the steamed rice into sugar while the yeast feeds off the sugar and turns it into alcohol. This system is called Multiple Parallel Fermentation and is very unique to sake production. The fermentation can take anywhere from 4 weeks to 8 weeks to complete depending on the flavour and style.

Res t Pe r io d The rice is given time to absorb a little moisture from the air. This is so it doesn’t crack when washed with water.

S HUB O Wa s h in g The rice is washed to remove residual milled powder. This unwanted residue is sold off to confectioners, cracker makers and to farmers as animal feed.

The Soak To hydrate the rice it is soaked. This can take as little as a minute for highly polished rice but lightly milled is left overnight. The water content of the grain needs to be just right for the next step.

S t e a m in g The rice is then steam-cooked. This is a very carefully controlled process as the amount of water absorbed by the rice has a huge effect on the taste and texture of the final product.

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( S ta r t e r m a s h )

This is made by adding the Koji, water and yeast together along with some lactic acid, which inhibits the growth of unwanted bacteria. Fresh steamed rice is added and the yeast is cultivated over 10 to 15 days. This completes the starter mash at which stage the concentration of yeast cells is approximately 100 million in a teaspoon.

P r essin g Occurs after fermentation has finished in order to separate the liquid from the solids. This freshly pressed sake could be consumed as Namazake but usually it is pasteurised and stored in the tank to mature for several months or more. For those sake with added brewers’ alcohol such as honjozo and ginjo, the alcohol is carefully blended right before pressing.

MOROMI ( M a in m a s h )

When the Shubo is complete more steamed rice, water and koji are added once a day for 3 days, roughly doubling the volume each time.

These gradual additions enable the yeast to tolerate the increases in alcohol levels. This entire process is how the starch in the rice is converted to sugar.

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B O TTL I N G After being matured in the tank for several months the sake is ready to be drunk, it is typically watered down to achieve the desired alcohol percentage, then pasteurised once again before being bottled. The tank used for sake production is typically stainless steel or enamel coated.

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T h r ee c r u c i a l e l e m en t s a r e invo lve d in b r ewin g s a k e : C l i m at e , I n g r e d ien t s a n d p r o d u c t ion m e t h o d s.

Howeve r , t h e p r o c ess r e m a ins so m ew h at m y s t e r io u s, es p e c i a l ly t o W es t e r n c u lt u r es.

S in c e r i c e d oes no t c on ta in a n y s u g a r , i t c a nno t b e f e r m en t e d As is. I t h a s t o f i r s t b e c onve r t e d in t o s u g a r wi t h t h e h e l p o f en z y m es f o u n d in a pa r t i c u l a r m oU l d c a l l e d k o j i . I t ’ s f r o m t h is e x t r e m e ly e l a b o r at e a n d c o m p l e x p r o c ess t h at we g e t s a k e .

Kuramoto Brewery owner – Responsible for the property, finances and raw materials.

To j i Head brewer – Responsible for overseeing the brewing and managing the Kurabito.

was to be done before the Autumn Equinox. This meant that the brewers had to employ farmers and fishermen who had a lot of free time in the winter. This is still the case. Travelling for seasonal work in Japan is called Dekasegi. Although dekasegi isn’t limited to sake workers, they tend to be the best paid and so competition for the work is strong.

determine if various compounds are sufficiently present. However, the Toji will not rely on this alone. He uses experience and most importantly his senses to judge the condition of the moromi. He looks at the amount and appearance of the foam as it churns and pops as well as listening to the sound the bubbles make as they burst. This is known as “talking to the moromi”.

Le a r nin g T h e T r a d e Kurabito Brewery workers. Sake is only brewed in the winter so often the Toji and Kurabito are seasonal contract workers.

Kura The brewery and surrounding land is referred to as the Kura.

To j i S c h oo l s ( Ry u h a )

A Toji is generally associated with only one Ryuha of brewing. These Ryuha are tied closely to the particular region they are situated in Japan.

There are roughly 25 in existence currently. They are generally situated in the snowy regions of Japan like the northern Hokoriku region. Each Ryuha has its own style.

In 1798 the Shoganate formalised an economic system based upon rice.

They decreed that no sake making

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A Toji will mainly learn through on the job training. In the old days noone taught anyone else by direct instruction; you had to watch and learn! This was felt to give a pupil a more natural intuition about each situation. As a result if you gathered 100 Toji you would find 100 different brewing styles.

In modern times however this system has changed somewhat and prospective Toji are encouraged to study chemistry and fermentation techniques.

After checking the moromi and koji breakfast is taken. This is followed by preparations for the sake that is to be brewed that day. There are usually several different types of sake to be brewed in any one day so care must be paid to keep the various rice types separate. Also any sake that is ready will be pressed. These tasks will last until the evening and dinner. After dinner one last check and mix of the koji is made and then to bed around 10pm.

T y p i c a l W o r k in g D ay The Kurabito will wake up at around 5am. The first thing to do will be to check the status of the koji, an extremely important part of the day. Next is the status of the various tanks of fermenting moromi. These will also be checked daily. This often means making a chemical analysis to

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WE RECOMMEND

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Bringing Traditions to a Modern World Le Paradis compares the opinions of Anna Greenhous, Drinks Journalist, & Masayuki Kikuchi, Owner and Chef at Kikuchi, on sake and the UK market.

Anna Greenhous Drinks Journalist W h at is y o u r I d e a l way o f d r in k in g s a k e ?

I generally prefer it slightly chilled in a wine glass if I’m trying to taste and enjoy all the aromas it has to offer. Wine glasses taper in at the top, capturing the aromas better than traditional, small sake cups. However the traditional way of drinking it out of a Japanese ochoko cup is also fun and has a place, putting sake into the context of Japanese culture and creating a new experience for non-Japanese consumers.

Do y o u t h in k t h e t r a d i t ion a l way should be protected?

a refreshing change from wine.

"

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I don’t think sake should only be served the traditional way. There is a place for it, however with more fusion menus appearing across the UK market, I think cold sake is best served in a wine glass. It brings out the flavours and aromas and makes it easier for people to differentiate between sake styles.

Warm sake is better served in ceramic sake cups though, as they retain the heat better.

How wo u l d y o u pa i r s a k es ?

I would drink different sakes depending on the stage of the night. A daiginjo, sparkling sake or a light sake cocktail for an aperitif, a honjozo or a junmai with food and an aged sake or an umeshu as a digestif.

Sparkling Sake is appearing on the UK market. How do you think it will do?

Very well. It is a good introduction to sake, easy to drink and low in alcohol, a perfect aperitif or celebratory drink.

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Do y o u see s a k e b ein g a n in t e g r a l

and its light and refreshing taste, it is particularly popular as an aperitif.

pa r t o f a h o m e d r in k s c a b ine t in a f ew y e a r s ’ t i m e ?

I would like it to be and I believe real foodies probably will start to drink it more at home, partly because it is unique and doesn’t fit into any wine, beer or spirit category, so once you know about it, you realise there isn’t really a substitute for it. The UK market still has a long way to go however, supermarkets need to increase the quality of the sakes on offer for this to happen.

W h at d o y o u t h in k p eo p l e ’ s p e r c e p t ion o f s a k e is ?

Most people have a bad experience the first time they have sake, usually because they drink a low quality, overheated sake. The heat makes the alcohol evaporate off first, it hits and burns your nose before you even get to try it which is not a pleasant experience and gives the impression the alcohol is higher than it is. A lot of work is needed to introduce sake properly to the consumer to ensure they have a good experience.

Do y o u see s a k e b ein g a n in t e g r a l

Masayuki Kikuchi Owner of Kikuchi W h at is y o u r I d e a l way o f d r in k in g s a k e ?

Most Japanese will have a glass of beer first before drinking sake. When moving on to sake, often drunk in the traditional Sake glass. The temperature often depends on the season. Usually I will drink the sake cold however if it’s a cold day, I like to warm it up.

pa r t o f a h o m e d r in k s c a b ine t in a f ew y e a r s ’ t i m e ?

Unlike a wine, you can’t age sake in a bottle.

(Except a few aged sake) Sake needs to be drunk within a few days of opening the bottle. This message needs to be clear to the consumer before they purchase a bottle.

However I do get a lot of customers asking where they can buy a bottle of the sake they tasted in my restaurant so hopefully the presence of sakes in homes will increase.

W h at d o y o u t h in k p eo p l e ’ s p e r c e p t ion o f s a k e is ?

Do y o u t h in k t h e t r a d i t ion a l way should be protected?

Japanese food culture is becoming increasingly popular in the UK. The attraction is not only due to the freshness, health benefits or exotic nature but also the way they are served. Most like to eat their sushi using chop sticks. The same can be said about drinking sake. The traditional method of drinking sake is part of why people enjoy it and it should be kept.

In 1986, when I first arrived in the UK, sake was shipped in very bad conditions and would arrive quite often oxidised. In those days, most people tasted a bad sake or got awful headaches the following day. Now, even though the quality of sake imported is exceptional, people still think that sake is a strong alcohol, much higher than wine and therefore would not automatically drink it much during a meal.

How d o y o u t h in k c ons u m e r s

How d o y o u t h in k c ons u m e r s r e c o g nise a b o t t l e o f s a k e ?

The branding of the label is very important with one side preferably in Japanese and the other in English.

It helps when the name is easy to remember.

Sake brands should also ensure the suggested serving temperature as well as the tasting note is clear on the back label. A lot of people look for this information.

Do y o u t h in k s a k e h o l d s a p l a c e on a wine l is t ?

Yes, very much so. It works with lots of different types of food. Non-Japanese restaurants like The Fat Duck, Hixter and Toasted have sake on their wine lists. It’s a refreshing change from wine.

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How wo u l d y o u pa i r s a k es ?

Fresh sashimi goes perfectly with a light, fresh sake such as a Daiginjo or Ginjo. A stew or strong meat or fish dish should be served with a more pungent sake such as a Honjozo or Junmai. At Kikuchi , I offer a sampler of sakes to allow guests to choose their favourite sake before ordering a bottle. Some clients have never tasted sake before and even if they have, they may not be certain which sake is their favourite so it is important they try the different profiles of the drink.

Sparkling Sake is appearing on the UK market. How do you think it will do?

Sparkling Sake is growing in popularity in the UK and I believe this trend will continue. Due to the low alcohol content

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r e c o g nise a b o t t l e o f s a k e ?

The more information on the back label, the more consumers’ interest will rise. I notice clients looking for details on the back labels of the sakes I serve. They would enjoy the sake further if there was information about sake and its flavours on the label. The front label does not tell you how a sake should taste, however the back should.

Do y o u t h in k s a k e h o l d s a p l a c e on a wine l is t ?

It is starting to trickle through in a few nonJapanese venues however the market still has work to do. In my restaurant I offer a full sake, Shochu and wine list for my clients. I hope that one day Sake will become a staple drink on all menus.

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Koji

definitions sourced from

Toji or not Toji?

Since its introduction to the western market, sake has steadily grown in global popularity. However, there is still an air of mystery surrounding Japan’s national tipple. See how many terms below you know the definitions to, and find out if you could be a sake master...

a)

Daiginjo

Local sake, the countryside, microbreweries.

or sake from produced by

b)

Super premium grade of Sake with a rice polish rate of at least 50%; usually light and highly fragrant.

c)

Brewer’s alcohol, referring to the alcohol added to the moromi.

I N F O@M AR U S S IAB EVE R AG E S.C O M

a) The process of drying polished

rice for 14 to 30 days to level out moisture. The step before washing the rice.

b) A process involved in sake rice cultivation, where water is drained out from the rice paddy to strengthen rice plants.

c)

A fungus used in producing a number of foods that are both fundamentally and distinctively Japanese. Examples include soy source, miso and sake.

Honjozo

a)

The Brew-Master who manages the entire staff and sake brewing process.

b)

Related to Junmaishu, it refers to sake which has been distilled in a single brewery and no distilled alcohol was added.

c)

First step involved in rice koji production, where steamed rice is wrapped for 1-2 hours to equalise temperature.

a)

Ginjo

The sediment from freshly pressed sake, which settles at the bottom of the ageing tank.

The yeast starter, also known as shubo, containing a high concentration of yeast created by combining steamed rice, rice koji, water and yeast.

b)

b)

c)

c)

a)

A grade of sake classification.

Indicates that a very small amount of pure distilled alcohol was added

Sake filtered without the use of carbon material.

a)

Premium grade classification of sake with a rice polish ratio of at least 40%; usually light and fragrant.

Refers to pressing of the sake mash to separate liquids (sake) from the solids (sake lees).

Genshu

A sake made without any additional water. Usually water is added to adjust aroma, flavour and alcohol content. Because water is not added to this type of sake, the alcohol content is around 20%, with a deeper flavour which can be enjoyed on the rocks.

b)

Quality spring water from the Nada region of Hyogo Prefecture, renowned for producing masculine character sake.

c)

One of the four classification types, established by the Sake Service Institute. Referring to highly fragrant and light sake.

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Moromi

a) Brewery workers, often seasonal

workers who leave their hometowns from fall until springtime.

b)

The multiple-parallel fermentation process, where rise koji converts rice starches into fermentable glucose, and simultaneously in the same tank yeast converts glucose into alcohol.

c) Sake mash produced by adding

rice koji, water and steamed rice into the shubo.

Answers: Daiginjo (b), Koji (c), Honjozo (b),

by the sake service institute

Toji

Genshu (a), Toji (a), Ginjo (b), Moromi (c)

master of sake

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THE PERFECT PAIR A few great dishes to go with the akashi-Tai Range

HONJOZO15%

An extemely versitile sake with lemon and lime notes. Delicious served both chilled or warm (up to 60째C).

(Cold) Cured Meat or Cheese Also try... Chicken and Beef Teriyaki (Warm) Grilled Aubergine with Sweet Miso Also try... French Onion Soup

Junmai Daiginjo17%

An extremely balanced sake with notes of lemon, grass and sage. Best served chilled.

HONJOZO GENSHU19%

A strong but surprisingly creamy sake.

Serve chilled to enjoy a dry crispness or warm (up to 40째C) for a sweeter experience.

Grilled Sardines or Mackerel Also try... BBQ Spare Ribs

UMeshu14%

A sweet plum alcoholic drink.

Rich with plum, cherry and date. A refreshing dry finish. Serve over ice or with hot water.

Steamed Lobster

Also try... Fresh Oysters, Octopus Carpaccio

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Warm apple tart with vanilla sauce Also try... cheese /Yuzu Sorbet, Vanilla Ice Cream

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DAIGINJO17%

Elegant with aromas of honey, lily and pear. Delicate floral flavours with a lemon dry finish. Serve chilled.

Sashimi and Sushi Also try... White fish ceviche, fresh oysters (Mr Yonezawa's personal recommendation!)

Genmai15%

Pungent with lime, marzipan and bitter cocoa. A balanced but complex sake.

Serve at room temperature.

Dark Chocolate Lava Cake Also try... Vegetable and Shrimp Tempura

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L E PARAD I S TALK S T O MR Y O N E ZAWA

T

the bottling line in 2005. It is a truly novel concept using unpolished (brown) rice for the first time and unlike all other styles is aged for several years before being introduced to the market.

he Yonezawa family commenced sake production in 1886 in Akashi, one of the major fishing towns in western Japan. The region is famous for its quality seafood especially sea breams (tai in Japanese) and octopuses.

The fertile soil is ideal for rice growing and plenty of clean fresh springs supply the region with water. These conditions mean it has become as famous for sake as it is for seafood.

This innovative approach to sake brewing is revolutionary. We caught up with the man behind Akashi-Tai, Mr Yonezawa, to discuss all things sake.

Yonezawa is obsessed with retaining as much of the character of the high quality rice Akashi-Tai use as possible.

He also puts great emphasis on sensory analysis controlling the quality and consistency of his sake rather than using hi-tech wizardry.

is

J a p a nese c u lt u r e ; i t

is

m y

h is t o r y a n d

m y

m i r r o r

Despite this approach, modern innovations have been embraced as well and temperature controlled fermentation has been introduced in recent years. The real revolution, however, was Genmai Aged Sake. Japan’s first ever brown rice sake was brewed in 2002 and rolled off

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S a k e

Akashi Sake Brewery had always been a small artisanal brewery producing sake for the local populace using only the finest local ingredients. It was only when the current president, Kimio Yonezawa, took over the reins that Akashi-Tai became a quality kura with a difference.

W h at a r e y o u r f i r s t m e m o r ies o f S a k e ?

In Japan we drink a special Sake called “Otoso” on New year’s days to celebrate the year. After the age of 4 you are allowed to drink one cup of Sake every year on the 1st and 2nd of January. These moments are my first memories of Sake.

Do y o u r e m e m b e r y o u r ve r y f i r s t S AK E si p ?

Honestly, I never liked Sake when I was little. It tasted very bitter and I didn’t enjoy it at all.

I tried Sake again when I was a little older and had a different experience. I clearly remember both the lovely fragrance and taste.

W h at d oes S a k e m e a n t o y o u ?

For me Sake is very important since it reminds me of my Japanese heritage.

Sake is Japanese culture; it is my history

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differences. The type of rice and polishing rate also influences fermentation time.

It is not necessarily true that more time is better for fermentation. However, at Akashi-Tai we take our time and make sure we get the best results possible.

and my mirror. When made with good ingredients, good care and love Sake is a thing of beauty. The Sake I create is a reflection of me, my passion and my heritage.

Do y o u h ave a n y t i p s on

W h y d o y o u p r e f e r Ya m a d a nis h i k i

h ow t o se r ve s a k e ?

ove r o t h e r r i c e va r ie t ies ?

For a cerebration, I would recommend using a highly fragrant or sparkling Sake and serve it chilled. Daiginjo or Junmai Daiginjo are also best enjoyed chilled. You do not want your Sake to be too cold; left to chill in the refrigerator for 2-3 hours is perfect.

During cold weather a warming Sake can be a real treat. I would highly recommend a lightly warmed Honjozo on a cold winter’s day.

Although it is quite expensive, Yamadanishiki is the perfect type of rice for Sake making. There are Yamadanishiki rice fields less than one hour form our brewery and I strongly believe this local rice suits our needs perfectly and is vital to making the best Sake possible. It’s all about quality.

W h at wo u l d y o u s u g g es t a s t h e ne x t b i g t h in g on t h e S a k e

I h e a r y o u g e t u p at 4 a m

h o r i z on ?

t o c h e c k on t h e k o j i .

In the past, I have always attempted to make Sake which would be the best possible accompaniment for food. Now I believe the Sake should shine on its own. In life I have two aims.

Firstly, to create a Sake which can be the benchmark for all other Sake producers. A Sake which when tasted, is so delicious it leaves you speechless. The second aim is world peace!

I s t h is t r u e ? W h y ?

Yes it is true and we observe at midnight as well. This is also the case when making Koji for Daiginjo and Junmai Daiginjo, when extra care is needed while making the Koji. We observe throughout the day and night to get better results and achieve delicate flavour profiles. The reason why this is necessary is that the length of observation needed is not always the same. It all depends on how Koji has been processed and the condition of the Koji. It is somewhat of an artform.

Do y o u h ave a favo u r i t e s a k e a n d f oo d pa i r in g y o u wo u l d r e c o m m en d to our readers?

Daiginjo with fresh oysters. For me, this combination is absolute perfection!

Does t h e f e r m en tat ion t i m e d i f f e r f r o m s a k e t o s a k e ? I f so ; w h y ?

To find out more about Akashi-Tai and their

The fermentation time differs depending on the kind of sake and temperature

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products please visit akashi-tai.com/eng

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BEPI TOSOLINI FRAGOLA Produced in the Friulian hills of Italy by the Tosolini family, this infusion and distillate of wild strawberries offers a softness to the palate and delicious ripe strawberry notes.

Best served cold, on strawberries & cream, in a summer cocktail or in a glass of prosecco.

www.bepitosolini.it

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queurs .Liqueurs . Liqueurs .Liqueurs .Liqu

P

robably the oldest of all high-strength alcoholic beverages, liqueurs were originally the preserve of monks who produced them primarily for medicinal purposes. The first written record of a liqueur belongs to Kummel in 1575; but it was known that certain religious orders had been producing elixirs for centuries before this date.

Some liqueurs sold today still retain their ancient heritage and their recipes are often closely guarded secrets. In some instances they are not even written down but passed on by word of mouth from one generation to the next. The holders of these secrets have even been known to refuse to fly on the same plane as one another!

It is important to make a distinction between liqueurs and spirits even if this distinction can on occasion become somewhat blurred. A liqueur is a spirit that has been sweetened

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and flavoured, whereas natural sugars are fermented into alcohol and subsequently distilled to make a spirit.

In order to make a liqueur, one needs something with which to sweeten the spirit (generally sugar or honey) and something soluble with which to flavour it. The character of a liqueur will always come from these flavouring agents rather than from the base spirit. Hence the derivation of the word liqueur from the Latin liquefacere, meaning to dissolve.

According to a 1989 European law, liqueurs must have a minimum of 15 % alcohol and a minimum 100 grams of sugar per litre (250g/litre to be called crèmes de fruits). Additionally, they can be made with fruits, natural flavourings, naturally synthesised aromas and flavourings—where the fruit molecule has been recreated.

However, the latter is forbidden with blackcurrant, cherry, raspberry, blueberry, citrus fruit, pineapple and

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plant liqueurs—such as mint—where natural flavourings must be used.

W HAT AR E L I QU E UR S MAD E FR O M ?

From their historical development to today’s famous proprietary brands most liqueurs and alcoholic cordials have an existing spirit as their base. In no particular order, these are derived from:

Neutral spirit Grain, fruit or molasses.

Brandy Grape wine or fruit wine.

Rum Sugar cane juice or molasses.

Wine Grape or fruit wine to give softer flavour.

Whisky, famously Scottish or Irish.

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The range of liqueurs is diverse but can be broadly categorised as:

Fruit Brandies

Such as cherry and apricot brandy.

Despite being called brandy these are not actually brandies at all; they are by definition liqueurs. A real cherry brandy would be a spirit of cherry such as Kirsch.

Fruit Crèmes

Notably Crème de Cassis and Crème de Peche.

Citrus

For example, triple sec and Curaçao.

Mixed & Single Herb or Flower

Petals, seeds or roots (for example, caraway, mint, aniseed, violet, rose and compounded bitters, which have more than 100g/litre of sugar added).

Beans & Kernels

For example cocoa beans, coffee beans, vanilla pods, nuts.

Dairy Creams

Often based on Irish whiskey, brandy, toffee or peppermint.

Mistelles

Fresh fruit juice with its fruit distillate and a minimum of 100g/litre sugar are classified as mistelles; in this case the addition of high-strength alcohol prevents the juice from fermenting whilst stabilising the character and natural sugars of the fruit. Some are based on grapes normally grown to make wine; such as Pineau de Charentes from Cognac, Floc de Gascogne from Armagnac and the many Ratafias produced in French wine regions; and were historically drunk at the ratification of treaties, these are classified separately by the EU. H O W AR E L I QU E UR S MAD E ?

Firstly one selects the base (often supplied by a neutral spirit rectifier), for its neutrality or inherent flavour,

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and secondly one collects the flavouring matter. These materials are often from all over the world, selected for pungency, colour and depth of aroma.

The base and flavourings can then simply be combined and requisite sweetening added. The methods of extracting flavour often dictate its depth and breadth:

Cold maceration

This can take a long time, in fact as long as a year in some cases, and is the only method that can be used in the case of some aromatic plants to truly retain their character and colour.

Hot infusion

worldwide production and variable flavourings. Two examples that illustrate the parameters are:

Curaçao

The original Curaçao was a liqueur flavoured with the dried peel of citrus fruit grown on the island of Curaçao in the Dutch West Indies, the peel being macerated in alcohol to release its flavour and oils prior to blending with other herbs/spices, sweetened to the required degree and then bottled. It was sometimes known as triple sec as the maceration or subsequent distillation of the orange flavour was completely dry and it was completely colourless.

The material is directly distilled in a pot still with its alcohol base, or the vapours of the distillate are passed through filters containing the crushed flavouring matter.

Today, both terms Curaçao and Triple Sec tend to represent generic liqueurs whose predominant flavour is derived from citrus peel and these are made all around the world. Mostly now produced from flavour-type concentrates, it may be coloured (hence the availability of orange and blue styles), have an alcoholic content from 15 to above 40 % and may have a sugar content from as little as 100g to 300g/litre. The huge popularity of Curaçao is helped as it is an essential ingredient in some of the world’s favourite cocktails such as the Margarita.

Mechanical pressure

Cassis

A method not dissimilar to a coffee percolator whereby the crushed flavouring agent is placed in a filter and hot liquid poured through it.

Unlike the coffee machine, however, it works on a cycle and the liquid is passed and re-passed through the filter.

Distillation

The flavouring substance, such as fruit peel, is milled and pressed to extract the flavour.

Sugars in syrup form will normally be added post distillation to the spirit, or combined with the drawnoff macerate and then added to the spirit. In many cases, such as with cream liqueurs, this may involve the use of a stabilising agent at the same time. The product then rests to encourage harmonisation. Often the marrying time is quite short, but some liqueurs are aged in tank or cask to allow the deepening of the flavour or the influence of oak.

The liqueur world is less governed than most spirit types due to its

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Within the Cassis family, Crème de Cassis de Dijon is different from other crème de fruits because it is more heavily regulated as a product of geographical designation.

The liqueur must be made from only a maceration of blackcurrants, of which 25% must be the ‘Noir de Bourgogne’ variety, and it needs to contain a minimum of 400 grams of sugar per litre. This gives a perfect marriage between the acidity of the fruit and the depth and sweetness of the alcoholic syrup it is blended with.

The whole process must take place within the city of Dijon, France and the quality is inspected and certified by independent verifiers.

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A bra n d n ame Many of the most famous liqueurs stand on their own as brands; others include the name of the proprietary spirits they are based on. These should always guarantee the user of quality.

P r o du c er Name Many of the world’s biggest producers have big ranges of flavours covering all types of liqueur. To them, their name is the most important and the flavour is generic.

F lav o uri n gs Here the liqueur world is confusing. One man’s violet could be similar to another’s Parfait d’Amour, both of which often contain vanilla, or rose petal. Oriental melon liqueurs may use the same ingredient but call themselves by what the fruit is known as in the local language.

However, in general the predominant flavour will be indicated by its name or a picture of the fruit, flower or spice.

A refined liqueur obtained following the original Bepi Tosolini recipe. Fifteen different alpine herbs are macerated with acquavite and pure alpine water in ash barrels to create this superb digestif.

C o u n tr y Of Origi n The traditions and palate of the indigenous population can also have an influence on the flavour. This is most evident with regard to levels of sweetness with some countries preferring sweeter or drier liqueurs to others.

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BR IOTTET

A f amil y b u s i nes s created i n 1836

M

aison Briottet is a family business, founded in 1836.

Originally, the family were negociants of Burgundy wine, involved with ageing, blending, bottling and selling the wines.

Following the development of the Blanc Cassis aperitif (white wine with Crème de Cassis), the company progressively focused its activities on producing fruit crèmes, liqueurs, brandies and marcs de Bourgogne.

During the nineteen hundreds, Edmond Briottet took over the Demontry business. His father-in-law, Jules Theuriet, who was also a wine merchant set up at 12 Rue Berlier in Dijon, left him his business and the two firms became one. Faced with the increasing popularity of the aperitif Blanc Cassis in Dijon, Edmond Briottet gradually abandoned the wine merchant side of his business to focus on the production of Crème de Cassis de Dijon.

Generation succeeded generation: Jules, Edmond, André, Jean, Gérard, the present manager and recently his children, Vincent and Claire. Maison Briottet is one of the last families to produce Crème de Cassis de Dijon.

The ancestral knowledge combined

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with a continuously strict selection of the best products enables Briottet to offer Crèmes de Cassis de Dijon and fruit liqueurs of the highest quality.

It is the selection of the ripest fruit from the most suitable cultivars that results in the finest flavours ; therefore contracting the right growers to produce the correct fruit is crucial.

Subsequently, properly observed maceration with very pure neutral alcohol, and blending with the correct proportion of sugars to achieve the balance between fruit flavour, sweetness, acidity and alcohol create these excellent crèmes and liqueurs.

Each batch of fruit is delivered fresh into the distillery where it is hand checked for ripeness and quality. The fruit is then macerated in extremely pure alcohol. Maceration is strictly controlled. First, the fruit is carefully checked and then lightly crushed to allow the alcohol to penetrate right to the heart of the berries. Then the fruit is added to the maceration vats where it rests for up to 75 days as the maximum flavour is extracted.

During this period, a number of processes (part of the Briottet secret recipe) are carried out to ensure the resulting infusion is as homogeneous

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as possible. Finally, a pure sugar solution is carefully blended with different proportions of the infusion and bottled to ensure no oxidation can occur. This process is one where extreme care must be taken to extract and fix the flavours and aromas, without ‘burning’ the fruit with an alcohol that is too high in strength.

The next step is to carefully filter the fruit solution without losing any of the flavour and blend with the purest of sugars for depth and stability. The correct balance must be achieved between the aroma, the freshness of acidity of the fruit flavours and the sweetness of the liqueur. Imagine capturing the delicacy of the melon, the intensity of the coconut and the acidity and freshness of the green apple!

Still based in the shadows of the ancient Cathedral, in the heart of Dijon, Briottet Liqueurs may well be produced by traditional methods but with their modern vision they represent the very finest fruit liqueurs and for this reason are sold only through traditional wine merchants and the finest hotels, bars and restaurants.

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A S e l e c t i on of Fl a vou rs Av ai l able F rom Bri ot t et

Crème de fruits & noix

Crème de Cassis de Dijon 15% Crème de Cassis de Dijon 20% Crème de Pêche 18% Crème de Myrtille 18% Crème de Framboise 18% Crème de Mûre 18% Crème à la Fraise des Bois 18% Crème de Cerise 18% Crème de Châtaigne (Chestnut) 18% Crème de Noisette (Hazelnut) 25% Crème de Prune (Plum) 18% Crème de Figue 16% Crème de Cacao 25% Crème de Cacao Blanc 25% Crème de Banane 25% Crème d'Abricot 25% Crème de Bergamote 18%

The King of Orange 15ml Briottet Figue 50ml Great King Street Whisky Teaspoon of Orange Marmalade The subtle perfumes of Briottet

figue liqueur

delicately accompanies cocktails and deserts.

Build ingredients in a jam jar.

The Chestnut Manhattan 5ml Briottet Crème de Chataigne 15ml Sweet Vermouth 50ml Evan Williams Bourbon 2 Dashes bitters Garnish with a twisted orange peel

Liqueur de fruits & noix

A twist on a classic cocktail. Delicate sweetness

Liqueur de Melon (Cantaloupe) 18% Liqueur de Poire William 25% Liqueur de Coco 20% Liqueur Caramel 18% Liqueur de Mangue 18% Liqueur de Kumquat 18% Liqueur de Lychee 18% Liqueur de Figue de Barbarie 18% Liqueur Pamplemouse Rose 18% Liqueur de Fruits de la Passion 18% Liqueur de Coing (Quince) 18% Liqueur de Cranberry 18% Liqueur de Rhubarbe 18% Manzana Verde 18% Mandarine 25% Maraschino 25%

and nuttiness coming out with a touch of spice – great after dinner. Stir all the ingredients with ice and serve in a chilled martini glass.

Kir Royale Crème de Cassis Champagne A classic cocktail which is extremely easy to make. Add the champagne first and then slowly add Crème De Cassis until the drink has the appearance of Rosé champagne.

Liqueurs de fleurs & d'epices

Liqueur de Menthe Verte 21% Liqueur de Menthe Blanche 24% Liqueur de Rose 18% Liqueur de Violette 18% Liqueur de Pain d'Epices (Gingerbread) 18% Liqueur de Coquelicot de Nemours (Poppy) 18% Liqueur de Gingembre 18% Liqueur Thé Vert Hibiscus (Green Tea) 18% Liqueur de Sureau (Elderflower) 18%

Acapulco Daiquiri 20ml Briottet Triple Sec 60ml shot Doorly’s 3 yo Rum 30ml shot Fresh Lime Juice 30ml shot lime cordial 1/2 Egg White A smooth citrus Daiquiri. Dry shake all ingredients to emulsify. Add Ice and shake again. Strain into a chilled glass.

Curaçao

Blue Curaçao 25% Triple Sec Curaçao 40% Orange Curaçao 35%

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P h o t o g r a p h y: Devin Ains l ie

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Key To The Royalty BR O UGHT T O Y O U BY A m i r J ava i d

F E ATUR I N G Hee r in g C h e r r y L I QU E UR

25ml Heering Cherry Liqueur 35ml Compass Box Great King Street Artist Blend 7.5ml Chai Tea Syrup 3 Drops Chocolate Bitters 3 Drops Plum Bitters Garnish with lime slices

This first section will be a description of the person and their achievements in the drink industry. Followed by a few words from the mixologist about why they have selected this cocktail, Could take the form of an interview.

W h yinh2005, ave yEpernay o u se l ehas c t e d t h is Since its conception Blood & Sand really got me thinking c o c k ta il? welcomed discerning champagne and about flavour combinations; what Followed by a few from the cocktail connoisseurs throughout the words UK. works and why. Years later I started to mixologist about why they haveexperiment with this classic combination Their carefully selected menu comprises this70 cocktail, the of more than 30selected wines, over cocktailsCould take(Cherry Heering and Scotch) and came form of anofinterview. and an extensive array spirits. We up with my own version. Key To The stepped behind the bar to talk to Amir Royalty replaces orange juice for WH E N D I D Y O U D I S C O V E R TH E Javaid at Epernay, Manchester. chai tea syrup which compliments the MAM O N T B O R S H MARY ?

Cherry and scotch beautifully. by liqueur a few words from the If you could onlyFollowed have one last

cocktail what would it be? And why?

It would definitely be a Blood & Sand.

For me, the rich, natural cherry flavour of Cherry Heering combined with a great scotch whisky is perfection.

Those are bold flavours and you have to take some real care to balance them. When done with care it is truly special.

Do you remember the first time you had a Blood & Sand?

It was about 4 years ago. I remember just starting out on the cocktail scene and experimenting in Manchester. The

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Why is Heering Cherry Liqueur the perfect choice for this cocktail?

I’m certainly of the opinion that Cherry Heering is the best cherry liqueur available to man (or woman). The flavour is rich, sweet and perfectly compliments bold scotch flavours.

If you are making a cherry liqueur cocktail why not have the best? l i k e t h e so u n d o f K E Y T O TH E R O YALTY ?

T h en M a k e s u r e y o u visi t Yo u r N e a r es t E p e r n ay C h a m pa g ne B a r . www. e p e r n ay c h a m pa g ne b a r s. c o m

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PeterF. Heering Copenhagen Denm ark

During the first part of the 19th Century there was no Gucci or Chanel or Nike. There were just spices, furs, golds and shoes made by the corner shoemaker. Spirits were local - in the West Indies one drank rum, in London most likely gin. But this was all about to change when the British Empire discovered Heering Cherry Liqueur.

As the British Empire grew, Heering Cherry Liqueur achieved a global following. Allegedly, nothing was more enticing after an afternoon of shooting elephants, mining diamonds or digging up treasures than a cocktail of the finest calibre. So the British and their colonial friends made sure there was plenty of Heering Cherry Liqueur in the furthest reaches of the kingdom...and the first global brand was born.

A blend of fresh cherries that are carefully pressed and mixed together with a finely blended selection of spices, then stored in oak barrels for 3-5 years. Only natural ingredients, no additives or artificial colouring. Famously mixed in a Singapore Sling and a Blood & Sand, Cherry Heering is the original Cherry brandy.

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N I CH O LA S FA I TH M E E T S TH E BRA N DY MA S T E R S O F FRA N C E M art ine L a f f i tte

T

he French are a funny lot.

They’re only too fond of celebrating all their many extraordinary products yet the fame of their brandies, generally recognised as the finest in the world, remain rather hidden – indeed can’t be publicised and are rarely drunk in their own country. This is even more curious at a time when the best of these spirits, whether they’re made from apples or grapes, are becoming increasingly consumed not just in Britain and the United States but also amongst the Chinese, a people as appreciative of fine food and drinks as the French themselves. As I chatted with three of the leaders – in quality rather than quantity – over lunch at a traditional London pub - I became increasingly aware of the need to celebrate their delicious offerings and the people responsible, one

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e t ienne d u pon t

Annie Rag nau d - Sa b ourin

from Gascony, one from Cognac and one from Normandy.

Only the French could devise a classification in which the best part of a region is called Bas – low – while the least suitable is named high ‘Haut’. But that’s the case in the Armagnac region in Gascony, home of Foie Gras – and the Four Musketeers. Fortunately today most of the easterly Haut Armagnac has lost its right to produce France’s oldest and most succulent brandy while even in the middle section, the Tenarèze, there are only a few hectares left in production. As a result the average quality of the brandy has greatly improved with attention concentrated on the western Bas Armagnac and its heart the Grand Bas which stretches into the Landes with its many pine forests.

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Domaine Boingnères is in the heart of the Grand Bas Armagnac, the – unofficial – name for the production of the finest brandies and remarkable too for the fact that its soils are a mix of clay and sand – soils never otherwise associated with fine wines or spirits. The estate was originally acquired in 1807 by one Jean Boingnères, the direct ancestor of today’s redoubtable proprietor Martine Laffitte. The family sold much of its wine to merchants and distilled the rest not in its own stills but by the travelling stills then common in the region.

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But everything changed in 1951 with the arrival of Madame Laffitte’s father Leon who had married a Mselle Boingnères. ‘He was the son of a merchant’ says his daughter ‘but had been trained as an artillery officer.

Early on in the 1939-1940 War he had been captured and remained a prisoner for nearly five years leaving him fragile, his health permanently impaired’. But until his death forty three years later – symbolically just as the last load of wine had been loaded into the still – he worked at improving the estate and its brandies. He was always a loner ‘never be a member of a grouping or syndicate’ he told his daughter – and his biggest decision clearly demonstrated his individuality, for he steadily abandoned the hybrid Baco 22, normally a staple variety providing a certain sturdiness to the brandy. ‘His neighbours didn’t want him to mention’ says his daughter ‘how he planted exclusively noble varieties’ Ugni Blanc, Colombard and, notably the floral Folle Blanche which accounts for around half of the grapes on the 22 hectare estate. But ‘later’ she says ‘they realised that he was right.’

He also built a new winery and installed a modern horizontal press which did not crush the grapes too heavily then installed a still of his own and was careful to distil the brandy to the legal minimum of 52 degrees to retain the greatest possible amount of the ‘congeners’ which provide the brandy with its aromas and depth of flavour. Unusually he distilled the different grape varieties separately to provide a closer control over the resulting brandy, only blending them later. The great local restaurateur Jean Darroze introduced Laffitte and his brandies to the wine writer-salesman Raymond Baudoin who sold them to many leading French restaurants.

‘He left me a heritage of fine grape varieties and continuity’ says his daughter but for ten years after his death Martine had to share control with her mother Marguerite but is now able to fully implement her

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vision that great brandy comes from a combination of heritage, grape varieties and continuity. These include a refusal to dilute the brandies – apart from the four year old VSOP and even that is sold at 48 degrees, far above the 40 per cent normal in the region. Indeed she stores her young brandies in dry cellars so that they won’t lose too much strength. And while she is happy to sell her many aged individual vintages she is happy to drink younger ones, all of which are, as Dr Johnson might have put it, Brandies fit for heroes – and heroines.

‘

He left me a her itage of fine gr ape varie ties a nd con tinuity

Not surprisingly the best-known of the three ‘brandyleaders’ comes from Cognac, a region which boasts its very own equivalent of Mecca. It consists of gentle slopes formed of Campanian, a very special type of chalk loaded with fossils. These magic hillsides above the little town of Segonzac lie in the heart of the Grande Champagne which produces most of the greatest, deepest and most long-lasting Cognacs. Most of the brandies end up in the blends offered by the region’s merchants, but a - fortunately steadily growing – handful are produced by independent families which grow the grapes and then distil and mature the brandy.

Only three of these growers have lent their names to their products for any length of time and for nearly a hundred years four generations of the Briand family, now named RagnaudSabourin after two sons-in-law, has been one of them. Moreover it is the

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only one courageous enough not to rely exclusively on Ugni Blanc, the rather flavourless grape variety which dominates the region’s vineyards but also includes in its brandies historic varieties, the aromatic Colombard and the floral Folle Blanche.

The founder was Gaston Briand, owner of La Voute, an appropriate name for these sacred slopes, who was far more than a cognac maker. ‘He was a stalwart supporter of the rights of growers founding a magazine called Le Vrai Cognac’ says his granddaughter Annie Ragnaud-Sabourin , he helped to found the Institut National des Appellations Controlées, the organisation that defines the boundaries of the best French vineyards. During the German Occupation she says proudly ‘he fought alongside Maurice Hennessy to prevent the occupiers from melting down the region’s copper stills and from taking away the best old brandies’.

For a long time Briand sold his brandies young to his friends in the Hennessy family but, says his granddaughter he ‘always carried a little ‘taupette’, a flask containing a sample and produced one at a lunch with Raymond Baudoin, the great wine writer – and salesman of fine drinks. Baudoin persuaded my grandfather to allow him to offer the brandy to some of France’s finest restaurants which have never deserted the family’. Briand’s brandies were easily recognisable by their labels, handwritten – allegedly after Sunday lunch – until his death in 1957 at the age of 77 - I suspect that most of the handwriting on bottles sold by his competitors is to give the impression that they are of the high quality represented by his splendid penmanship.

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Cognac is famous for the success of sons-in-law and the estate has been lucky in two of them. The first was Marcel Ragnaud who married Briand’s daughter Denise. Ragnaud – whose brother Raymond owned a neighbouring vineyard still in his family’s possession – continued the family traditions. ‘He brought with him’ says his daughter ‘not only a love of vines and grapes and a deep knowledge of distilling and maturing cognac but also 15 hectares of vines from a neighbouring vineyard in the heart of the Grande Champagne near Ambleville. We still produce the brandies according to his ideas, with the lees left in the wine to produce richer brandies kept in some new oak, and we decide immediately how long they will be left to mature.’

In due course the Ragnauds’ daughter Annie, still a formidable figure at 78, married a Professor Sabourin who taught law at the Sorbonne where Madame Sabourin also taught. Today she is still firmly in charge helped by her daughter Patricia- also married to an academic lawyer – and her son Olivier, who, as well as being a lawyer with the leading French bank Société Générale, is now actively involved.

‘

I a lway s wa n t th e q ua l i ty to b e s u pe r ior to t h e price

The family feels obliged to sell some relatively young cognacs but their range really comes into its own with Fontvieille, a favourite both of Madame Sabourin and myself. It is produced from a small vineyard of the same name. Containing a healthy dose of both Folle Blanche and Colombard, it’s elegant, superbly balanced with a fine overtones of rancio, the quality

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reminiscent of rich fruit cake. Yet it is only about 35 years old, a mere youngster compared with most fine cognacs. Lovers of older cognacs can lookout for their Paradis which contains up to a tenth of brandies before the phylloxera bug hit the region in the 1870s. Nevertheless buyers will never be overcharged, Madame Sabourin declares that ‘I always want the quality to be superior to the price’.

The most unlikely of this superior trio comes from Normandy just behind the beaches where the Allied troops landed in the summer of 1944. It’s an odd story. In 1980 a French banker went back to the family farm. The rest, as they say, is history. This is not strictly true, for several years the 37 year old Etienne Dupont had already spent his holidays from the Credit Lyonnais in London helping his father make cider and distil the grapes from his family’s apple orchards in Normandy.

Although the family had farmed for generations they weren’t altogether typical, Etienne himself studied at Sciences Po’ the French equivalent of the London School of Economics and had a promising career as a banker while his brother is a leading Senator.

‘My first step’ he says, ‘had nothing to do with the family’s cider or calvados but to the milk produced on the other part of the estate. Instead of selling it direct I converted it into butter and increased the revenue from each litre eightfold’. But his major concern was with the potential for making alcoholic drinks and there he was lucky since the estate is in the Pays d’Auge inland from Deauville, which has the best ‘terroir’ the best conditions of soil subsoil and climate in the whole Calvados region.

The rest of the region distils its brandy only once, and some sub-regions can also use pears. The superiority of the Pays d’Auge is officially recognised by

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the fact that it produces the only spirit distilled in the same way as Cognac, twice - expensively - in pot stills.

Dupont inherited a tiny still holding a mere five hectolitres of spirits – a fifth of the size used in Cognac, as well as a few hundred cases of calvados but over the past thirty three years ‘I’ve applied my mind to improving Calvados, I’ve been an innovator in every aspect of calvados production and I’ve had a significant influence in increasing the general standard of quality throughout the region’. Today not only is his calvados reckoned as one of the best but the 130,000 bottles of sparkling ‘cidre bouché’ cider he produces is a premium product, with a high proportion a favourite of the smarter bistros in New York.

‘

I’ve been a n innovator in every aspect of calvados production

Calvados also depends on the mix of apples from his own orchards ‘together with my son we’ve planted sixty hectares of new trees’ and supplemented their harvest with apples from carefully selected neighbouring orchards.

Dupont has been careful to select up to ten varieties with euphonious names like Saint Martin, Doux Normadie, Noel des Champs and Petite Jaune which provide the right blend of sweet, sour and bitter required. They are harvested by machines which pass through the rows of trees several times to pick up the ripe fruit from the ground Three years ago ‘I started using special yeasts to help start the fermentation process, often difficult if the weather is cold – as it can well be in October when distilling begins, for distillation in the Pays d’Auge, as in Cognac, can be

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a delicate matter’. Typically Dupont went off to Courvoisier to learn its secrets, ideas which could be applied further north with apples rather than grapes. Indeed the distillation process loosely resembles that of the Cognacais with two separate distillations. The first produces an intermediate spirit of around 30 degrees and a second of above 63 degrees. Half of the new brandy is lodged for a time in new oak form the forests of the Loire Valley.

Half of the newly-distilled spirit is immediately reduced to 35 degrees.

This enables Dupont to provide an appropriate blend at whatever age he chooses, starting at the VSOP at four years of age – the minimum for any Calvados is a mere two years.

His favourite is a fifteen year old aged in some new wood which, for this amateur Calvados-lover provides a unique depth of baked apple. Two of his three children – including a son who went to ‘Centrale’ one of the country’s most selective engineering schools – work with him and ensure that the family will continue in business over the next decades. At the age of seventy ‘I’m slowing down’ he says, but he shows no sign of slowing up.

By the way Dupont is an advocate of drinking calvados with some local specialities, like Tripes à la Mode de Caen, and also finds a distinct affinity with the creamy local cheeses like Camembert which, he feels, don’t go well with any wines. Well worth a try.

N I CH O LA S FA I TH M E E T S TH E BRA N DY MA S T E R S O F FRA N C E

Nicholas Faith is a distinguished veteran journalist, a former senior editor at The Economist and the London Sunday Times. He founded and was Chairman of the International Spirits Challenge, now the most prestigious event of its kind in the world. He has written twenty-three books, including Classic Brandy & Nicholas Faith's Guide to Cognac and Other Brandies.

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Dr Alan Rutherford OBE S c o t c h W h is k y P r o d u c t ion Di r e c t o r o f Di a g eo 1 9 8 9 - 1 9 9 7

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he absence of amphorae beyond the Iron Age means it is fair to conclude that wooden containers had by this time replaced clay ones. The existence of straight-sided, open wooden containers, employing the craft of the cooper, is visible in Egypt as early as 2500 BC. Enclosed wooden barrels were first made during the Iron Age and by the 1st century BC were widely used for holding liquids such as wine, beer, milk, olive oil, and water.

With the development of trade and transport routes, carters and shippers discovered that sealed wooden containers were stronger than clay vessels, and the skills of barrel-making grew in importance. Thus, the craft of cooperage and the subsequent development of the cooper’s guild was established, most likely originally in Rome. By the 2nd century wooden chests, casks and barrels had largely replaced many other containers.

The most significant advantages of wooden barrels were, firstly, their strength and ability to take the odd knock; secondly, the barrels could be easily rolled on and off carts and vessels ; and thirdly, certain goods— such as wine, beer and spirits—actually benefited when stored in wood.

By the Middle Ages coopering was a structured industry in Europe and by the end of the 17th century it had also established itself in America. The

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Spanish were the first to take American oak logs back home, thus beginning a tradition of ageing Jerez and Rioja in American oak barrels. When metal and plastic containers became available during the 19th and 20th centuries they became the receptacles of choice for most other industries, so today the wine and spirits industry is virtually the only remaining market for wooden barrels.

Casks are still made of many types of woods, including chestnut, cherry acacia, and of course oak. Oak wood is preferred to most of the others for spirits because it is harder and has sweeter and more aromatic phenolic substances—tannins and lignins—that aid the development of complex flavours in the spirit. One of the most important aspects of the wooden cask is its re-use, often necessitated by scarcity or price, this second use has enabled distillers to produce variations in the spirit character from a single distillate.

MATUR I N G I N O AK Ageing spirits in oak barrels is all about the complex interaction between the wood and the spirit coupled with the oxidation and evaporation levels. High-strength spirit will dissolve some of the oak’s elements and with time these develop and become absorbed into the spirit forming complex flavours and aromas. It should be noted that NF FO O@ @M MA AR RU US SS SIIA AB BE EV VE ER RA AG GE ES S..CO C OM M IIN

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the process also includes the subtraction of undesirable components, particularly sulphides, by absorption into the char and through evaporation.

Maturation has often been described as controlled oxidation, which helps to soften and mellow the natural harshness of a raw spirit. The density of the oak plays an important part here as it only allows slow oxygenation and slow evaporation of the spirit. This evaporation—referred to poetically by the French as la part des anges or the angel’s share—results in some loss, which over many years makes the spirit creamier, richer, smoother, more unctuous and more concentrated. The rate of evaporation per year varies depending on the climate, for example, it could be as little as 2% in Scotland but as much as 8 % in the Caribbean.

Aside from the type of oak, the most important factors are the age of the wood (affecting how much the wood allows the spirit to extract) and the size of the cask (determining how much wood is in contact with the spirit).

Careful management of new and old wood will allow the spirit to develop the desired flavours.

T h e c o m p osi t ion & S t r u c t u r e o f O AK The trunks of an oak tree are constructed of tubes, which are plugged by structures known as tyloses. The presence of tyloses determines whether an oak species is porous or non-porous. There are two types of oak tree, red and white, of which the former is porous and therefore of no interest here.

The various species of white oak are, depending on their relative tylose content, to a greater or lesser extent non-porous. Barrels made from them do not leak yet their density allows slow oxygenation and evaporation of maturing spirits. The heartwood of the white oak consists of four main elements:

LIGNINS (25%)

Soluble in both ethanol and water, A family of aromatic compounds, notably vanillin, coniferaldehyde, syringaldehyde and synapaldehyde produced from the lignin during oak breakdown and toasting.

HEMICELLULOSE (15%)

The wood’s natural sugars, especially glucose, arabinose and xylose which yield soluble caramels after the charring or toasting of the cask.

The heavier the toast, the more caramelised the sugars, and therefore, the greater the potential for various sweet aromas, flavours and colour.

CELLULOSE (ABOUT 50%)

Insoluble in both ethanol and water, this is the fibre that holds the wood together.

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TANNINS AND LACTONES (10%)

Tannin itself can be between 1-2 % of

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American oak and 7-8 % of French oak. The main components of tannins are polyphenols which can oxidise during maturation to give further more complex aromatic flavour compounds.

Lactones are of two major types, cislactones which give woody flavours and trans-lactones which give coconut type flavours. American oak can contain as much as twenty times the lactone content of European oak so one should expect ex-Bourbon casks to be high in these components. The level of tannin and lactone released will depend greatly on the type of oak and the char level. Heavy charring, is also known to increase conversion of what has become known as the ‘whisky lactone’ cis-3-Methyl-4octanolide which is detectable to the human palate at one part per million!

R E L E VA N T W H I T E O AK S P E C I E S

species is particularly non-porous. A very strong oak which offers structural differences in its hemicellulose and lignin resulting in more intense vanilla, wood sugars and toastiness. Its density, high tylose content and straight grain means higher yields, machine cutting and subsequently lower costs.

Canadian oaks have similar properties but produce less vanillin.

QUERCUS SESSILIS

Found throughout Europe this hardy oak is lower in tannin than other European species. These trees grow slower and are smaller, creating fine grain and extremely subtle extraction.

Research shows that its hemicellulose breaks down more easily than other similar species, thereby forming a different spectrum of toasty aromas.

More commonly known as sessile oak, this tight-grained wood is much desired by winemakers.

QUERCUS ALBA

QUERCUS PETRAEA

(AND SMALLER QUANTITIES OF Q.BICOLOUR,

Grown in the Alliers, Nevers, Tronçais and Vosges Forests, this species of sessile oak produces spice notes that stem from naturally occurring extracts.

With lower tyloses content than Quercus alba this fragile oak needs to be split along the grain in order to produce non-porous barrels.

Q,MACROCARPA AND Q.LYRATA)

Prevalent in the east-coast forests of Maine and Pennsylvania through to Wisconsin and Minnesota and then down to Missouri and Arkansas ; this

QUERCUS ROBUR

Grown in the Limousin Forest this is a more solitary tree. Its preference for soil rich in water results in its more rapid growth, thicker trunks and coarser grain, which subsequently allows above-average evaporation from casks made with it. A widegrained wood with excellent tannin levels but offering less in the way of lignins than other species. As with Quercus petraea it must be split along the grain rather than sawn in order to ensure that the resultant barrels do not leak. It is also found in Bulgaria, Hungary, Russia and Slovenia where it has a finer grain, moderate tannin content and a lower quantity of aromatic components.

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and block staves are cut. In America the wood is sawed into staves and there is little waste. Sawing, however, exposes more of the grain to the spirit, and this tends to raise the tannin levels and the astringency of the oak. European oak, however, is more porous than American oak and must be split along the grain of the wood, rather than sawn, in order to avoid subsequent barrel leakage. Not only is this much more time-consuming, but there is considerable waste; accordingly European oak barrels can be twice as expensive as those from America.

The wood then needs to be dried; there are two primary options: KILN-DRYING

A quick and relatively straightforward method. However, its detractors argue that it does not always dry the wood properly which results in leakage, and that it retains too much of the feistier elements of wood character which may result in imbalanced spirits.

AIR-DRYING

This method can take up to three years and requires unpolluted air. It has the effect of leaching out tannins and lignins, thus imparting a more subtle character to the spirit.

Much American oak is kiln-dried, most French oak is air-dried and many European countries use a combination of the two. The ideal result is a humidity level of 12-15% within the wood.

H O W AR E BARR E L S MAD E ?

The cut staves next need to be trimmed and shaped to fit the cask.

Using heat, the wood must be bent so that the rigidity of shape and the metal hoops are all that are required to hold the barrel together. The method chosen to heat the staves— options include open or gas fires, steam and immersion in boiling water—determines in many ways the character of the spirit ultimately aged in the barrels. The barrel ends are fitted, sometimes in a different oak to allow additional vanillin or tannin extraction and the barrel is filled.

The preferred oak type is selected,

When fire is used the inside of the

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Having decided that our spirit needs to be aged in oak, we now need to decide on the type, size, and toast/char of the cask; the alcohol content of the spirit on entry to the barrel and the length of ageing our flavour profile demands. The latter is complicated further by the age of the cask and the conditions of the ageing cellar itself.

ALC O H O L S TR E N GTH The proportion of lignin derivatives (lignin undergoes what’s been termed ethanolysis -ethanol reacts with the lignin to break it down into some of the important flavour compounds, such as the aromatic aldehydes note above), tannins, sugars and colour that can be extracted from the oak and therefore the weight of congeners that can be formed from these are dependent on the alcohol concentration.

Alcohol Content and Extract from American Oak Casks of 200l

barrel becomes toasted and the end user may specify a light, medium or heavy toast when purchasing barrels. The heaviest toast or char, where the inside of the barrels are actually set alight, is very popular in America. This breaks open the grain enabling huge amounts of the oak’s elements to be absorbed as well as imparting charred notes to the spirit.

In general, toasting the staves breaks down the woods lignins making it easier for a spirit to absorb them, but it has an inverse effect on the tannins, which become progressively less accessible to the spirit as the level of toast increases. Almost all spirits casks are toasted to some extent, during or following production.

The capacity of a barrel comes from both practical experience and historical use. From large scale storage in vats that can also be used for blending, to smaller moveable barrels and casks.

In one case the volume of the wine barrel was equal to the amount of I N F O@M AR U S S IAB EVE R AG E S.C O M

wine from grapes harvested from a certain piece of land. This was most common in vineyard areas as a vine worker’s wage could be measured in barrels, which in turn lead to measuring the harvest of an entire vineyard in numbers of barrels ; this was generally around 225 litres from 800–1000 vines planted on 500 acres, or half a hectare.

American oak casks produced for the bourbon trade are between 180–200 litres in size, the hogshead often used for whisky is approximately 250 litres, the most common cognac casks are 300–350 litres and in the Armagnac region casks are often 400–440 litres or even up to 800 litres.

Wine barrels are different again with the traditional Bordeaux cask holding 225 litres and made up of 26–30mm x 22mm staves while the more robust Burgundy is 228 litres in capacity and slightly shorter and wider than the Bordeaux with 27mm thick staves.

Sherry and port butts are generally 470–500 litres while the port pipe is smaller in girth but greater in length.

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Abv% 20 40 60 80 95+

Total Extract 6.31% 7.44% 7.68% 6.53% 3.70%

At this point it should also be noted that the higher the original alcohol content, the more reduction will likely take place when the final liquid is deemed ready for bottling and postageing reduction also reduce the cask’s contribution, the flavours we have been trying so hard to capture and marry with our original spirit.

So, for different spirits in standard 200250 litre casks it has been determined that there are optimum barrelling strengths; for malt whisky 55-65% and for rum perhaps 65-75%. These offer the potential to maximise the balance of extraction and colour, without taking in too much tannin. At 55-65% abv, it was also found that the oak had a higher propensity for porosity of water rather than alcohol, therefore allowing the alcoholic strength to remain higher and also allowing for an increased retention of the fusel

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That’s

alcohols, acids, esters and aldehydes.

This however appears to be reversed in casks that have been used more than once so grain whisky and rums can age for longer in older casks as the porosity is reduced and many of the harsher tannins have been diminished by the previous contents.

The Spirit

WAR E H O U S E CONDITIONS Humidity affects the porosity of the wood and alters the balance of water to alcohol evaporation.

Lower humidity has been found to aide extraction of lignin and vanillin and increases the higher alcohol evaporation levels.

Temperature also works in two ways; the higher it is, the greater the evaporation of both water and alcohol and the faster the oxidative esterification reactions take place.

A potential advantage in building flavour but one which costs in terms of lost alcohol. Tropical temperatures, especially when there are variations between night and day, are ideal for faster ageing, but altitude because of air pressure difference may hinder this. It is known that constant movement of the casks during the ageing period also encourages the process but this is obviously not a practical approach.

TH E L E N GTH O F AG E I N G If we consider the distillate we produce and our warehouse conditions do not alter greatly during the ageing period, it is the final flavour profile we want that will determine the length of time in cask. In whiskies and brandies, there are reactions that only take place over lengthy periods or compounds that require building to certain levels that produce our intended flavour. This brings us thankfully back to human choice!

GL O BAL C O N S UMPT I O N O F S P I R I T S ( B I LL I O N L I TR E S )

S O URC E : I W S R

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S E ARC H I NG F O R T H E pe r f e c t W H I S K ( E ) Y ?

O UR PR E M I UM W H I S K I E S FR O M AR O U N D TH E GL O B E AR E W HAT YO U AR E L O O K I N G F O R

HiGH W E S T J O H N N Y DRUM W I LL E TT C O MPA S S B O X H E A V E N H I LL O LD BARD S T O W N D E ATH ’ S D O O R M E LL O W C O R N

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BLACK S H I P E V A N W I LL I AM S BERNHEIM W h i m si c a l W h is k ies O LD F I TZG E RALD TEELING L E O P O LD ’ S W A S MU N D S

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G E O RG I A M O O N MAR I P O S A R I TT E N H O U S E E L I JAH CRA I G M I LL S T O N E MACKMYRA R O UGH S T O CK T E MPL E T O N

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A M E R I CAN W H I S K E Y

A

lcohol production was of paramount importance to America’s first immigrants as it was the only liquid that was safe to drink; water was much more likely to cause illness ! The first spirit made in America was rum with molasses being brought to New England from the Caribbean as part of the trade triangle.

The large influx of Scottish and Irish whiskey drinkers meant the country’s knowledge of distillation was taken forward and naturally favoured whiskey. However, this unusual mix of Presbyterians and Catholics were not made welcome in the puritanical north-east and they initially settled in Pennsylvania and the Carolinas. These pioneering colonists soon found that, whilst barley was ideally suited to British and Irish soils and climates, corn and rye would be much more rewarding crops in their new land. Couple this with a natural disposition for independence and rebellion, and it is not surprising that American whiskey branched off in a totally different direction both in terms of production methods and taste.

Once small scale production was established, containers in which the spirit could be sold were required.

Barrels made of oak took the whiskey to market and charring the inside of the barrels was believed necessary to prevent contamination. The first

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recorded guildsman cooper, John Lewis, started work in 1608. The NorthEast was still drinking rum and so whiskey went west. It soon became apparent that the further away the market, the more impressive the whiskey and so, legend has it, maturation in charred oak casks evolved.

George Washington’s crushing of the Whiskey Rebellion (an anti tax demonstration) forced many whiskey distillers inland to Kentucky and its surrounds ; a blessing in disguise as nature had given this region everything required for good whiskey-making.

Corn flourished, water supplies were abundant, oak forests provided wood to fire the kilns and to make barrels, hot summers with high humidity and cold winters-both ideal conditions for the maturation of this type of whiskey-and finally the rivers that provided a route to market. Bourbon County (named to thank the French for their assistance in the revolutionary war against the British) was established in 1785 and in the 1820’s the term Bourbon whiskey was coined.

The first recorded commercial distillery, belonged to Evan Williams and was founded in 1783.

T E MP E RA N C E A N D PR O H I B I T I O N No history of American whiskey is complete without the story of

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Prohibition. The first temperance moves began in the early 1800’s and by 1854 five Eastern states were already dry. The whiskey industry itself grew in leaps and bounds ; the first large distilleries were built in the late 1800’s, automatic bottle production followed shortly, brand names were registered, exports began to increase and the companies themselves grew into modern corporate entities.

Against this background the crusade against liquor had hardened, and by 1910 half the country was dry. In 1920 the National Prohibition Law was passed and it lasted until December 1933.

Known as the Great Illusion, Prohibition denied most Americans access to alcohol, crippled many of the distilling companies and bankrupted almost all the small distillers. Many distilleries never re-opened and their brands were bought up by the few remaining companies.

Following the repeal of Prohibition large scale production is now done by only a handful of active multi-national spirit producers.

In Kentucky, there are ten large distilleries ; in Tennessee only two while Georgia and Indiana have one apiece. A number of craft distilleries operate in each state as well. Many make bourbon, corn, rye or Tennessee whiskies.

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E AR AT H W AMERICAN s e i K S I H W OM?

WHAT CAN

BE FOUND

ON THE

LABEL

MADE FR

American whiskies are the result of a mash of cereals and water that have been saccharified by enzymes, fermented by yeast, subsequently distilled, aged and bottled. Neither bourbon nor rye may be artificially coloured.

B O URB O N W H I S K E Y

Must be made from a minimum of 51 % corn, distilled to a maximum of 160˚ proof or 80 % abv and finally aged in new charred oak barrels at no more than 62.5 % abv. It may not be bottled below 40 % abv.

Cereal B ase When a particular grain is mentioned on the label it means that the whiskey is made from a minimum of 51 % of that grain.

W H E AT W H I S K E Y

Must be made from a minimum 51 % wheat ; these whiskies have creamy, layered, textured characteristics.

CORN WHISKEY

Must be made from a minimum 80 % corn and can be aged in used or uncharred oak barrels.

S TRA I GHT W H I S K E Y

Any one of the above or a combination of grains ; must be aged for two years in barrel.

BL E N D E D W H I S K E Y

TENNESSE WHISKEY

Must be made from a minimum of 51 % of one grain—in practice corn— and be distilled in Tennessee at less than 80 % abv. The resultant whiskey must be filtered through a bed of sugar-maple charcoal (the famous Lincoln County Process) and aged in charred oak barrels for a minimum of two years. The maple charcoal imparts a certain sweetness and smokiness, a point of difference that was legally recognised in 1941 when the term Tennessee whiskey was born.

At least 20 % of one or more of the above straight whiskies blended with unaged neutral spirit ; can be aged, blended, coloured and flavoured.

S i n gle B arrel Whiskey from a selected barrel ; the barrel variation in Kentucky is so great, that the blenders are always on the lookout for that special barrel.

S mall B at c h Any small selection of barrels chosen by the master blender, quite frequently blended across the floors these whiskies will be the result of barrels specially selected to complement one another’s strengths and to ultimately provide the best quality, most complex and well-balanced whiskey possible. age stateme n t / vi n tage If under 4 years old, the age must be stated, if over 4 years this is the length of time in barrel.

The vintage year is the year of distillation.

B o ttled - i n - B o n d ( B I B ) A single distillery product, from a single season of distillation, aged for a minimum of 4 years in a government-supervised warehouse and bottled at 50 % abv.

S o ur M as h Made from a ferment that has had a percentage of a previous fermentation added to it ; can boost the fermentation and gives a level of consistency from batch to batch.

WE RECOMMEND

Proof The American term for the alcohol measurement. 200˚ proof is 100 % alcohol.

RY E W H I S K E Y

Must be made from a minimum 51 % rye and matured in new charred oak barrels ; these are rich, powerful whiskies with varying degrees of pungency.

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T

he story of the Heaven Hill company begins as Prohibition ends and is a story of two families who over the years together have produced some of America’s finest whiskies.

TH E S HAP I RA’ S In 1934 the Old Heaven Hill Springs Distillery was founded by a group of local investors that included the five Shapira brothers, David, Ed, Gary, George and Mose and Joseph L. Beam (great grandson of Jacob Beam, the founder of the Beam distilling dynasty and cousin of James ‘Jim’ Beam). The Shapira family at that time were a passive investor, owning a chain of department stores, and they contributed $15,000 to the start-up funds…a considerable sum in those days. The name came from one William Heavenhill, a farmer on the same site back in the nineteenth century.

At the time, it was a speculative new business venture - a company founded with no brands, no available stocks of whiskey, and at the height of the Great Depression in the USA. In fact it almost didn’t make its second birthday, after a year and a half the management and investors met to decide on the future of a business that was struggling. The outcome was a further investment of $15,000 and total control for the Shapira family.

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As the ‘local brother’, Ed, took on the management role and very soon the company launched their first branded bourbon, a two year old, called Bourbon Falls onto the US domestic market. This was followed up in the early forties with the company’s first bottling of a Heaven Hill named bourbon. After a short closure to produce gasahol to aid the war effort, business continued briskly.

A landmark step was taken in 1957 when the company launched the Evan Williams brand, named after an early pioneering Kentucky distiller, as its flagship product. By the sixties the distillery had produced in excess of one million barrels and was starting to lay down the stocks that would form the basis for the aged bourbons that are now available.

Max, son of Ed Shapira, returned to the family business in 1971 after a period on Wall Street and oversaw a period of dynamic expansion in an often turbulent industry climate.

Today, the company is the largest independent, family-owned distiller in the USA and has established a wide portfolio of products to add to its historic American whiskies. Max is fond of saying that the founding Shapira brothers ‘didn’t know a barrel from a box’…obviously the company have come a long way as they celebrate the production of

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their 6,500,000 barrel of bourbon.

The company now has 49 ageing warehouses containing over one million barrels which equates to 22% of the US’s entire Bourbon stock.

TH E B E AM ' S AT H E AV E N H I LL All of the Master Distillers at Heaven Hill since its founding have been members of the Beam family. The original Master Distiller was Joseph L. Beam, Jim Beam’s first cousin. He was followed by his son, Harry, who was followed by Earl Beam, the son of Jim Beam’s brother, Park. Earl Beam who arrived in 1946 was joined by his son, Parker Beam in 1960 who in turn was joined by his son, Craig Beam in 1983.

As Heaven Hill Distilleries’ sixthgeneration Master Distiller (since 1975), Parker Beam, has crafted some of the world’s most critically acclaimed Bourbons, in 2007 the company launched a range of rare, limited edition whiskies as a tribute to his work.

Today, Craig has taken over from his father and is heralding a new era of innovation and success after seventyfive years of family endeavour. find out more BY VISITING heavenhill.com

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1971

1961

1960

1957

1946

1942

1935

1934

THE HEAVEN HILL STORY SO FAR...

Earl Beam joins Heaven Hill from the Jim Beam Company as Master Distiller.

Barrel #1 is filled on December 13. Bourbon Falls is the company’s first label.

Barrel #1,000,000 is filled on July 21

The “Old Heaven Hill Springs” distillery is founded, initially with 12 employees.

Current Heaven Hill president Max L. Shapira joins the family business.

Heaven Hill closes to produce alcohol for the war effort

Evan Williams Bourbon is introduced.

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Earl Beam’s son and current Heaven Hill Master Distiller Parker Beam joins.

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‘

YOU CAN STILL SMELL IT OUT THERE

#1

Barrel #4,500,000 is filled on December 4.

Elijah Craig Named “American Whiskey of the Year” by Whiskey Advocate Magazine

Barrel #2,000,000 is filled on March 24

Barrel #3,000,000 is filled on February 18.

Current Heaven Hill Director of Marketing Strategy Kate Shapira Latts and her husband, COO Allan Latts, join the family business.

Parker Beam’s son and current Heaven Hill Master Distiller Craig Beam joins

Heaven Hill introduces Evan Williams Single Barrel Vintage Bourbon.

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Current Heaven Hill Director of Corporate Analysis Andy Shapira joins the family business

November 7th, fire destroys the Heaven Hill Distillery in Bardstown.

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#1 Heaven Hill Distilleries named “Distiller of the Year” in 17th annual Malt Advocate Whisky Awards.

#1

Heaven Hill Distilleries fills barrel #6,000,000.

Heaven Hill Distilleries is awarded North American “Distiller of the Year” from Whisky Magazine Rittenhouse Rye wins “North American Whiskey of the Year” at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition.

#1

Barrel #4,000,000 is filled on January 13.

Elijah Craig 12 Year Old Bourbon is introduced, the first “Small Batch” Bourbon Parker Beam is named Heaven Hill Master Distiller, succeeding his father, Earl

Heaven Hill acquires the historic Bernheim Distillery.

2013

2011

2012

2010

2009

2008

2002

warehouses in the distillery complex.

Of Heaven Hills 44 warehouses, 37 survived the fire. Despite the huge damage, the day after the fire all heaven Hill employees reported to work as usual. The bottling, processing, shipping, and distribution facilities were operating at full capacity.

2001

1999

1998

1996

1995

1988

1986

1983

1976

1975

bourbon poured out spreading almost invisible flames across roadways and cutting access, described as a “river of fire” in The Kentucky Standard. With flames leaping as high as 35 stories, fire fighters abandoned early attempts to extinguish the blaze and instead drew a defensive line to protect other

2006

O

n November 7, 1996, Heaven Hill’s Bardstown distillery was almost completely destroyed by a fire.

Distillery buildings and seven warehouses at Heaven Hill containing 90,000 barrels of whisky burned out of control, fanned by wind gusts of up to 75 mph, as the warehouses collapsed,

Barrel #5,000,000 is filled on February 1st.

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The Big Smoke Sour BR O UGHT T O Y O U BY S p en c e r L a r g e

F E ATUR I N G E VA N W I LL I AM S

40ml Evan Williams Extra Aged 20ml Compass Box Great King Street Glasgow Blend 15ml Fresh Lemon Juice 15ml Demerara Syrup 2 Dashes of Angostura 1 Egg White Then float 25ml Shiraz

This first section will be a description of the person and their achievements in the drink industry. Followed by a few words from the mixologist about why they have selected this cocktail, Could take the form of an interview.

Boasting one of the widest American perfect ingredients, but we got there in whiskey collections in the UK, London's the end and we’re absolutely delighted h y h ave y o u se l eWe c t e d t h is Barbecoa knowWworld-class drinks. with the result. o c k ta i l ?Large to talk caught up withcSpencer about Bourbon.Followed by a few words from the Why is Evan Williams Extra Aged the mixologist about why they have perfect choice for this cocktail? selected this cocktail, Could take the Evan Williams is a fantastic pouring If you could only have one last Bourbon form of an interview.

Bourbon, the best I’ve tasted or cocktail what would it be? And why? worked with. The extra abv over most It would have to be a Bourbon-based W H E N D I D Y O U D I S C O V E R TH E house pours is essential. Having such a New York Sour. I’ve always been a MAM O N T B O R S H MARY ? huge focus on bourbon and whiskies lover of whiskey sours, and sours in Followed by a few words from the throughout our restaurant, the last general for that matter, but the addition thing I want is for the beautiful Bourbon of red wine brings an extra layer of flavours to get lost in any mixture. such beautiful body, tannin, dry spice & Using Evan in any long or complex sweetness. Essentially, it combines two drink adds greatly to the layers and of my favourite things (bourbon and depth that drink offers. I love the fact red wine) in one drink. that we can make The Big Smoke Sour so flavoursome and interesting with Do you remember the first time you had big flavours but still achieve perfect A New York Sour? balance. Evan Williams is the key to I was pretty unfamiliar with this drink until making it stand out from any other a couple of years ago. After hearing whiskey sour. about it, I knocked one up at work out of intrigue. It was delicious. The head S o u n d l i k e y o u r k in d o f d r in k ? visi t bartender at Barbecoa came up with an T h e t e a m at BA r b e c o a . idea to make a twist on one which we worked on and named “The Big Smoke www. b A r b e c o a . c o m Sour”. It took a few attempts to find the

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P h o t o g r a p h y: N I KLA S HALL E ’ N

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Meet the Man, himself...

EVAN WILLIAMS Those who met him learned quickly what a likable kind of guy he was. Williams was down to earth, willing to get his hands dirty, not afraid to leave the good life to follow a dream.

Like its namesake, Evan Williams the Bourbon, has the same strong character. Allow us to introduce you to Evan Williams The Entrepreneur, The Politician, and most importantly for us The Distiller.

The

POLITICIAN

Evan's personality was perfect for politics.

He was outspoken, controversial, and a natural leader. With Williams around, the business of government didn’t have to be boring and dry. Certainly not dry. Despite rules forbidding the use of whiskey at meetings, Evan Williams always brought a jug of his finest along.

Rumor has it... that the jug was regularly

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confiscated. Funny enough, at the end of every meeting he still managed to leave with an empty jug of whiskey (turns out, he wasn’t the only one drinking it).

You could say Evan put the party in to politics.

The

ENTREPRENEUR

"There's money in those hills, boy."

As a young boy, Evan Williams had an adventurous spirit within him. An immigrant from Wales, Evan embarked on a long but worthwhile journey to America. Upon arriving, he ventured through a frontier where fortunes were possible, eventually settling in the land among the Kentucky Hills.

He became a farmer, building contractor, harbormaster, businessman, inventor and civic leader. Evan made a lasting impression on the community through his leadership.

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The

DISTILLER

Sure, Evan Williams was known as a jack-of-all-trades, but he truly mastered one. Yes, we’re talking about the man who had a knack for turning corn into smooth whiskey. Luckily for him Kentucky grew a lot of corn.

So, Evan made the best use of this abundant crop that he could think of, distill it.

Realizing the potential of his whiskey, he set up his distillery on the banks of the Ohio River. Today, a marker stands at that very spot officially declaring Evan Williams as Kentucky’s First Commercial Distiller.

For more information on Evan and the Evan Williams Range please visit Evanwilliams.com

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B 4.3 Million Population KENTUCKY O U R B Kentucky BE produces O 51% CORN 95% N

KENTUCKY

BOURBON

DISTILLERS Kentucky Bourbon Distillers Ltd., is a private family-owned company. Located on the outskirts of Bardstown, KBD produces high quality Bourbon

4.7 Million Ageing Bourbon Barrels

and rye whiskies.

In 1936 Thompson Willett founded the Willett Distilling Company.

Today, the Willett tradition continues. In 2012, the Willett name was again promoted as its primary business name.

BOURBON

MUST

of ALL bourbon

AND NOTHING BUT WATER, GRAINS & YEAST CAN BE ADDED

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WILLETT W W W. M A R U S S I A B E V E R AG E S . C O . U K

Distillery A

BR I E F

T

his particular Willett family branch can be traced back with 100% certainty to October 19 1657 and the birth of Edward Willett in Hertford, England. However, it is in the mid 1800's when John David Willett became master-distiller, and one-third owner of, the Moore, Willett and Frenke Distillery, located in Bardstown, that the Willett story properly begins.

Around this point some strands of the story meander, as various family members learnt and practised their new profession and we pick the story up post prohibition in the Spring of 1936. At the age of 27, Thompson and his brother, Johnny Willett, who was a young engineer, started the New Willett Distilling Company. It is suggested that Thompson and Lambert Willett used John David Willett’s 50yo bourbon recipes as the basis of the whiskey that they would distill there and branded it as Old Bardstown.

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B O URB O N

FAM I LY

Upon completion, in the Spring of 1937, the Willett Distilling Company produced its first batch of whiskey on St Patricks Day, 1937. That first batch amounted to 30 barrels.

The newly barrelled whiskey was stored in a traditional metal-clad warehouse, capable of holding between 5,000 and 6,000 barrels.

The company’s warehouses were built on some of the highest ground in the county, assuring a fresh breeze would aid in the maturation of the whiskey.

At the beginning, the Willetts ran a charged beer still and operated it for a decade before it was replaced with a new Coffey still. Five years after the foundation of the Willett Distilling Company, Lambert retired from the Bernheim Distillery to manage the farm and assist in overseeing the Willett Family’s Distillery in Bardstown.

Two of Thompson’s brothers, Paul and Bill Willett, who both served in the

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H I S T O RY Air Force during World War II, also joined the distillery following their return from war.

The Willett Distilling Company continued to operate until the early 1970’s, when, during the 1970's energy crisis, the company switched from producing whiskey to producing ethanol for gasohol fuel. This strategy soon failed when fuel prices returned to lower levels, and the distilling facilities were completely shut down in the early 1980s.

On July 1, 1984, Even G. Kulsveen, who had married Martha Harriet Willett (daughter of Thompson), purchased the property and formed Kentucky Bourbon Distillers Ltd., operating primarily as a blender and bottler.

Even’s son, Drew Kulsveen, joined his father in the beginning of 2004 and Even’s daughter, Britt Kulsveen Chavanne, and her husband, Hunter Chavanne, joined the business

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towards the end of 2005 and soon the re-invigorated Willet company took shape with the ordering of new distilling equipment from the Vendome company. This included a 4,500 litre hybrid pot still with a multiple plate column. The facility also boasts a vintage stainless steel column still of 24� diameter, with sixteen distillation plates, and six rectifying trays at the top as well as a stainless steel doubler from the original distillery. To supply the distillery requirements for different mash bills there are two new grain cookers, of 22,000 and 10,000 litres, and seven 38,000 litre fermenters.

After many years of renovations and retrofitting, in the early morning hours of January 18, 2012, the company started cooking a batch of corn, rye and malted barley. Sometime close to sun-up that morning they started the fermentation process, and on January 21st Drew fired up the new copper pot still. The first barrels were racked on January 27th. The family is still using the original mash bills that Thompson used when he was President of the Willett Distilling Company.

Today, there are a total of eight bonded warehouses on the premises. Each warehouse is capable of holding between 5,000-6,000 barrels which could lead to a total of more than 45,000 barrels. Quite a turnaround and a story that has involved many of the most famous families in the convoluted story of the Bourbon whiskey industry. f in d o u t m o r e at k en t u c k y b o u r b onw h is k e y. c o m

WE RECOMMEND

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ADVERT

HANDMADE IN KENTUCKY the finest sippin’

whiskey in all of the Territory 70

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RUM M

any years ago, when British sailors in the Caribbean first encountered Kill-Devil (the extremely rough local spirit from sugar cane) they drank copious quantities, resulting in behaviour...described at the time as rumbullion. We would like to think that this so-called rumbustious-ness may have led to the name rum.

It is believed that the first distilling of sugar cane juice or molasses to make rum took place on the plantations in the Caribbean early in the 17th century and legend has it that it first originated on the island of Barbados. However, we know that South American countries such as Brazil have written evidence of distillation taking place as early as the first decade of the 1600’s following the planting of sugar cane brought across

by Spanish explorers.

The popularity of rum spread from the Caribbean, first to North America (where there are records of distilleries from the 1660’s in Massachusetts, and it was said New England’s biggest industry was the manufacture of molasses liquor), and then through England, Spain and their colonies. To this day, the Caribbean countries still remain the most important producers

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of rum for international consumption, although no longer the largest source of molasses.

Rum, rhum or ron is the product obtained by distilling the ferment of either sugar cane juice or molasses.

Sugar cane is a perennial grass grown mostly in the tropics where it thrives particularly in volcanic soils and the variety of cane planted will dictate the volume of sucrose that it will yield. It can be distilled either in a continuous still or a pot still and has no requirement to be aged in barrel.

It can be any strength above 37.5 % abv with some as high as 80 % abv and can be white, light and elegant, dark, rich and pungent, or indeed any possible combination thereof.

Most Caribbean islands harvest cane from February through June, but regions of South America will aim for two crops each year. The sugar cane is cut by hand or mechanically and taken immediately to the mill where it is chopped and crushed to release the juice.

If the juice is to be used for the production of rum it is immediately fermented and then distilled. If it is to be used for the production of sugar, then the juice is heated

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creating crystals and subsequently centrifuged in order to separate those crystals from the molasses.

Also known as treacle, molasses is, therefore, essentially all that remains after the sugar has been crystallised out of the juice. The centrifuging process is repeated many times resulting in many different grades of molasses all of which are so thick that they need to be diluted with water prior to fermentation.

Fermentation is a very important stage as all the character of the end product is created at this point. It is affected by three main factors: T E MP E RATUR E The temperature of the ferment. This has a great impact on the final flavour of a rum.

Ye a s t The type of yeast used. Cultured yeasts are grown specifically for a particular length of ferment, weight of flavour and alcohol strength.

Wild yeasts can increase the weight of flavour and produce a longer ferment. The distillery will choose according to their house production styles.

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DURAT I O N This can vary from 48 hours for a typical Eastern Caribbean/Australian/ Indian rum to two weeks for a Jamaican-style rum ; and is influenced by the first two factors.

In Jamaica there is an interesting little addition to proceedings, which is called dunder. Dunder is the equivalent of sour mash in American whiskey-production. The distiller takes the residue from previous fermentation and stores it in a pit or tank in the heat of the Caribbean sun; this concentrates the acids, reducing the pH, considerably slowing the rate of fermentation and at the same time imparting a dramatic pungency to the resultant rum.

Whilst some of the stills are quite creative, one generally finds that the distillation process is selective.

The art of distillation is very much in evidence in the rum world with numerous possibilities from the same distillation.

What to capture and what to discard is critical to the style of the end product.

Commence collection early and finish early and the result will be a light, delicate, elegant spirit, occasionally showing hints of creamy toffee. Start later and finish later and the result will be a richer, fuller style with hints of burnt rubber and a certain oily character.

pot stills may even be modified to incorporate single or double retort.

A retort is a chamber attached to the pot before the condenser, which is usually filled with the first distillate. The vapour passes through this chamber, the heat strips off and incorporates some of the alcohol before passing into the neck where it is condensed and collected. This method will always produce rums of great distinction and character, if not something of an acquired taste.

White rums are often aged in stainless steel for up to six months; however, occasionally they will be oak aged for an extended period and then filtered through activated carbon to remove the colour.

The vast majority of amber rums will have been aged in old bourbon barrels and many will pick up the vanilla and sweet spice notes found in bourbon.

Ageing in this part of the world is a quick business! In the tropics spirits evaporate through the pores in the wood at great speed during maturation. The Caribbean, for example, has evaporation rates of approximately 8 % a year (in contrast, 2 % annually is the norm for whisky in Scotland). This doesn’t herald the same flavour development that only time would allow but does hasten the ageing.

The stills used may vary considerably.

Column stills can be as high as a four-storey building with one rectifying column or more columns all linked together; or in the case of Martinique’s Rhum Agricole, can be very small, fitting quite easily into an average room. The taller ones are very versatile as the collection shelves can be set anywhere to make anything from a heavy to light distillate. The pot stills can be big or small with long necks giving more delicate rums, whereas, short necks result in richer, heavier rums. Some

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RL Seale is one of Barbados’ oldest trading houses, a family-owned business which has five generations of rum-making experience dating back to 1820. The family company, was founded in 1926 by Reginald Leon Seale. He began his working life in 1883 at the age of 13 on a wage of 6 pence per week as an assistant rum blender apprenticed to his father, who had been employed in rum manufacture since 1820. After 43 years of hard work he had saved enough money (US$50) to start his own rum blending, bottling and retail business and that enterprise has been passed from father-to-son since then.

Rum has been produced on the island of Barbados for more than 300 years, but it was not until the 1906 Rum Duty Act was passed that the industry began to develop as we know it today. Prior to this, distillation took place on many of the plantations, but the new law meant the distilleries had to obtain a licence and could sell only in bulk. Hence many of the Bridgetown

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trading companies became bottlers, including Martin Doorly & Co, and the growth of branded names began.

Martin Doorly evolved into Doorly’s Macaw Rum, and became the first bottled rum exported from the island. Doorly’s rums are still famous throughout the world.

The Foursquare Distillery is situated on the gentle southern slopes of the St George Valley on the island of Barbados. The St George Valley opens onto Barbados’ East Coast facing the cooling Trade Winds which provide Foursquare with the ideal climate for ageing with a consistent, warm temperature profile without extremes.

The distillery occupies the site of a former sugar factory that dates back to 1636 and is one of the most modern, efficient and environmentally conscious rum distilleries in the world.

The distillery produces light rums in a three-column vacuum still and heavier rums in a modern pot still.

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The rums produced at Foursquare Distillery are a blend of pot and column stills. The rums are aged at a strength of 65% ABV, which is much lower than most Caribbean rums which are typically laid down at between 70% and 75% ABV (if they are aged at all).

At this lower strength better extraction can be achieved from the wood, and the most precious elements of the spirit do not evaporate out. That said, the barrels typically lose about 6% of their contents to the angels each year through evaporation. This means that after 12 years of ageing they will lose over half the volume of rum they started with.

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"

Current head distiller, Richard Seale, is one of the region’s most innovative distillers and blenders and has a passion for producing perfect rum with great flavour. He has a reputation for embracing technology and being somewhat of a maverick among his peers.

FIVE generations of rum-making experience dating back to 1820

"

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HIGH HIGHER HIGHEST RUM

M

any of the most famous aged spirits and popular brands have built a powerful and wellreasoned dictionary of adjectives, descriptive jargon and obscure terminology to describe their attributes and individual character‌ perhaps none more so than Scotch Single Malt Whiskies.

However, perhaps the spirit which has tried least to explain some of its terminology is Rum. This is possibly because different distilleries and countries have their own production methods, standardised ageing terms are not required and flavour profiles differ widely from region to region.

Here we will try to cast some light on rum’s predilection with ester content and weight.

Ester numbers or weights are traditionally measured in terms of their content per 100,000 parts of alcohol. A rough guide might give the following parameters:

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E S T E R S

Low Ester: 1-60 Medium Ester: 61-240 High Ester: 240-500 Very High Ester: 501+ Rum can contain the highest ester contents of any potable, but what is it actually a measure of?

Esters are chemical compounds formed by condensing higher alcohol with organic acid, and esterification is where the alcohol and acid form an ester as the product of a reaction. Short-chain alcohols have alkyl chains of 1-7 carbons. Mediumchain alcohols have alkyl chains of 7-12 carbons. Long-chain alcohols (also known as fatty alcohols) have alkyl chains of up to 21 carbons, and very long-chain alcohols have alkyl chains of 22 carbons or longer. For ease of understanding Methanol has 1 carbon, Ethanol 2, Isopropyl 3 and Butyl 4... all can combine to form aromas that are common in organic chemistry and biological materials,

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and often have a distinct pleasant, fruity odour; many are isolated by their potential to imitate the aroma of herbs, fruits and spices. Fatty acid ethyl esters are the main components of rum aromas and therefore their quantity and weight are an important factor in the pungency and breadth of rum aroma.

The ester content of rum is almost all to do with the fermentation and pre-distillation preparation of the molasses or cane juice and the subsequent oxidation during ageing and is a measure of the strength of its smell.

a.

The slower the fermentation of the molasses or cane juice, the more likely the development of bacterial action and the higher the final ester and acid content. The distiller needs to ensure that his fermentation to produce ethanol alcohol is not inhibited by the bacterial levels and that only the required compounds are produced

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by these reactions. By stretching the fermentation from a typical 3648 hours for a light spirit to several weeks for a heavier one the bacterial activity can produce a final ester content beyond 2500, although between 500 and 1500 is more normal. Shorter chain esters are formed earlier in the ferment, with the longest coming through as the yeast cells die.

b.

By adding stillage or dunder to the preparation prior to fermentation the acid levels and the likelihood of promoting bacterial action are increased. This is practised predominantly in Jamaica.

c.

The ageing process. As alcohol evaporates through the pores of the oak and air is absorbed into the rum, the alcohols are oxidised and turn first into aldehydes, then to acids from which further reaction produces esters.

In simple terms, the longer the rum ages, or the quicker the evaporation of alcohol takes place, the potential will rise for an increase in the ester content of the spirit. To go further one can say that the consequence of ageing is an increase in the concentration of acids, esters, furfural, tannins, and aromatic compounds as a result of oxidation, condensation, and other interactions with the wood.

d.

Distillation methods can be used to allow the esters formed during the fermentation to pass through. This, with an accompanying increase in medium-chain alcohols, sometimes known as fusel oils, contributes to generally increased congener levels and the apparent higher volatility of distilled high ester rums.

Jamaica is the only producer of very high ester rum, with Martinique also producing high ester spirits.

Traditionally, pot distilled rums will have a higher ester content than column distillates as the reflux action in the column still can be used to eliminate unwanted alcohols and increase neutrality.

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P h o t o g r a p h y: Devin Ains l ie

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Mangoes Into A Bar...

BR O UGHT T O Y O U BY To m Hi g h a m

F E ATUR I N G D O O RLY ’ S 5 Y O

50ml Doorly’s 5yo 10ml Briottet Mandarin 30ml Mango Nectar 25ml Fresh Lime Juice 10ml Orgeat Syrup 2 dash Peychauds Dash Egg White

This first section will be a description of the person and their achievements in the drink industry. Followed by a few words from the mixologist about why they have selected this cocktail, Could take the form of an interview.

W h y h ave y o u se l e c t e d t h is

struggling with mojitos and cosmos at o c k ta i in l ? Manchester’s Kosmonaut isclocated Followed few words Northern Quarter.

Withbya alaid back from thethis point!). I loved the idea of using two mixologist about why they have base spirits that complemented each artistic feel, there is a heavy influence other so well. This led me to playing selected thisvisited cocktail, Could take the from New York bars. We Tom with different combinations and coming form an interview.

Higham to get hisof opinion on rum up with Mangoes Into a Bar. cocktails.

W H E N D I D Y O U D I S C O V E R TH E

Why is Doorly’s 5yo the perfect choice MAM O None T B last O R S rum H MARY ?

If you could only have Followed few words from for thethis cocktail? cocktail what would it be? by Anda why?

It would have to be a fish house punch.

I love this classic. Like many classics the base liquor is the star and it’s quite hard hitting but the lemon, peach and tea really add another dimension to it. It's beautifully refreshing while definitely not a soft option!

Do you remember the first time you had a Fish House Punch?

I remember it clearly, I was 19 and it was at Milk and Honey, London. That Fish House Punch was the most balanced cocktail I had ever had (I was still

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Doorly’s has a wonderful combination of punchy pot still and molasses finished with smoother softer fruity notes that make it great for mixing.

My twist on the fish house punch plays on other fruit flavours like peach and mango. The rum however is still dominant and is only enhanced by the complimenting ingredients.

W h y no t s a m p l e so m e o t h e r c r e at ions At t h e Kos m on a u t ? www. k os m on a u t. c o

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F O D L R THE W RUM ENGLISH SPEAKINEAGN CARIBB

EN SPEAGKLISH CARIB ING BEAN

Antigua, Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Islands, Grenada, St Lucia, St Vincent, Trinidad & Tobago and the Virgin Islands, all produce predominantly light and golden rums, some with great style and finesse. Labels often use proprietary terms for differing qualities and many use age statements, from three year old up through five, seven etc. In some instances terms such as XO are borrowed from the brandy world.

Jamaica produces pungent, light and heavier, high-ester rums. Jamaican rums are valuable for blending as well as for their own style and forthright flavours. Labels tend to indicate simply white or an age statement.

Often a proprietary brand name is used and some age statements do actually refer to the minimum age of the blend.

Guyana is a powerhouse of molasses production and produces a softer style of medium and heavily-bodied rums. The whites tend to be labelled very simply whilst the golden and dark rums generally utilise age statements which refer to the youngest parts of the blends.

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AL CENTRRICAN AME UMS R

FRENCH SPEAKING C HISPA ISLANDS ARIBB NIC RUM EAN S SOUTH AMERICAN RUMS

Both Jamaica and Guyana use pot and column stills to great effect.

Many blended white and dark rums are sourced from theses countries for bottling in the Caribbean or in Europe, and they tend to be labelled with brand names and often carry no age statements or qualitative marks at all.

FRENCH SPEAKING ISLANDS

Guadeloupe, Marie Galante and Martinique produce both agricole and molasses based rums. The agricole have strict rules and follow a defined quality ladder: Blanc and Ambré followed by Vieux (minimum of three years), Hors d’Âge and age statements or vintages. The molassesbased rums are labelled with brand names and rarely carry any other quality statements. Many of these are bottled in France.

Haiti has only one major producer; the rums are produced and aged in a similar way to cognac and carry

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age statements which refer to the minimum age of the blend.

L CENTRICAAN AMERMS RU

SOUTH AMERICAN RUMS

H CAR ISPANIC I RUMBBEAN S

Cuba, The Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Guatemala, Mexico, Nicaragua, Puerto Rico and Venezuela produce a huge variety of heavy and light rums, predominantly white and gold and labelled with terms such

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INDIANS RUM

ITIAN MAURUMS R

SOUTH AFRICAN RUMS

as silver and blanca for the whites, and añejo, reserva, gran reserva and numerous age statements for the golden. Some are aged in solera systems and the stated age or number on the label can be a reference to the average age of the blend, or the youngest or oldest part of the blend or simply a special number that has been applied to a particular blend.

Brazil deserves a mention on its own.

It produces a great deal of the world’s molasses and some traditional rums but cachaça is its main spirit. Some of

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AUSTRALIAN RUMS

these do not qualify as true rums as grain and sugar syrup are also used alongside the molasses.

INDIANS RUM

AUSTRALIAN RUMS

SOUTH AFRICAN RUMS

MAU RUMRITIAN S

From Australia through the Philippines, India, South Africa and the Frenchspeaking islands in the Indian Ocean, many types of rum are produced with brand names providing the best

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indication of quality. The French tend to be the greatest respecters of the age statement; the Indian rums tend to have colonial-sounding brands; the Australians may differ mostly on alcoholic strength, whilst the Spanishspeaking producers will tend towards the solera system.

Many other countries are now producing rums such as the USA, parts of Europe and South East Asia.

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