On food and cooking the science and lore of the kitchen ( PDFDrive ) 1345

andbeerandspiritsareverydifferentfoods.
Winebeginswithfruitsthatarefragrantand
sweetwithsugars,andthereforeready-made
tofermentintoanaromaticdrink—butonly
duringthefewdaysoftheyearwhenthey’re
ripe.Grapesandwineareagiftofnature,a
formofgrace,whichthewinemakermust
acceptwhenthey’regiven,andcanleave
largelytothemselvestorealizetheirinnate
potentialforproducingflavor.Beerandrice
alcohols,bycontrast,aretheexpressionof
everydayhumaneffortandingenuity.They’re
madefromsugarless,aroma-lessdrygrains,
thecharmlessbutdependablestaffoflife.
Brewerstransformgrainsintosomething
fermentableandaromaticbysproutingthem
orcultivatingmoldsonthemfordays,and
cookingthemforhours.Theycandothisat
anytimeoftheyear,anywhereintheworld.
Beeristhusouruniversalalcohol,
comfortablylocalandeverydayandordinary,
yetsometimesextraordinary.Anddistilled


spiritsaretheheartofwineandbeer,
concentratesoftheirvolatileandaromatic
content,anddrinksofunmatchedintensity.
Thepleasureoftastingagoodbeerorwine
orspiritgrowswiththerecognitionthatits
flavoristheexpressionofmanynatural,
cultural,andpersonalparticulars:aplaceand

itstraditions,certainplantsandthesoilthey
grewin,ayearanditsweather,thecourseof
fermentationandmaturation,thetasteand
skillsofthemaker.Theirrichnaturaland
humanparentageexplainswhyalcoholsareso
absorbinglydiverse,andwhyathoughtfulsip
canmomentarilyfilluswiththeworldand
delight.
TheDrinkofHappiness
Nearly 4,000 years ago, a Sumerian poet
put these words into the mouth of the
goddessInanna,whoruledbothheavenand
earthandwasasdelightedasanymortalby
the experience of drinking beer. Ninkasi