origin of beverages 2009 - williams

First Edition, 2009













ISBN 978 93 80075 02 0













© All rights reserved.

Published by:

Global Media
1819, Bhagirath Palace,
Chandni Chowk, Delhi-110 006
Email:

Table of Contents

1. Origin & Making of Whisky

2. Origin & Pro
d
uction of Champagne

3. Origin & Production of Rum

4. Origin & Produc
t
ion of Sake

5. Origin of Beer

6. Origin of Cog
nac

7. Origin of Gin

8. Origin of Tequila

9. Origin of Vodka

10. Origin of
Wine

HISTORY OF WHISKY AND
OF DISTILLATION (I)

1st part : The origins

2nd part : Smugglers and Excisemen

The origins
Are the origins of whisky Scottish or Irish ? Naturally, opinions about this question are
drastically opposed depending on the native country of the person to whom you ask.

Nevertheless, it seems that more and more people tend to agree on the hypothesis of an
Irish origin. It would be no one else than Saint-Patrick himself, the patron of the Irish,
who would have introduced the still in his country at Vth AC, holding it himself
indirectly from the Arabian. Irish monks would have then spread from Vth before J.C. the
art of distillation at the same time as Christian civilization, in their own country to start
with, then in Scotland.

In any case, what one knows for sure is that the art of distillation is very old and dates
back too much more ancient time than the first origins of whisky. The Egyptians are
known to have practised the distillation of perfumes 3000 years before J.C. As a matter of
fact, the word alcohol is directly derived from the Arabic al-koh'l, koh'l being a dark
powder from pulverized antimony and used as an eye make up.
From XIIth onwards, distillation of water of life or aqua vitae spreads progressively
through Europe, notably in Ireland and in Scotland under its Gaelic name of Uisge
Beatha or Usquebaugh, which will eventually transform into Uisge then Uisky, until
becoming Whisky. Some virtues, literally miraculous which were justifying its name,
were attributed to the water of life. Curing virtually any pain, it was then a medicinal
potion which was prescribed as well as an ointment as a remedy to be drunk. It was a
long way from possessing the flavours and the subtlety of the one drunk today, and was
consumed for its mere virtues as opposed for pleasure.

In his "Chronicles of England, Scotland and Ireland" published in 1577, Raphael
Holinshed describes as follows the incomparable virtues of Uisge Beatha :
"Being moderately taken,

it slows the age,
it cuts phlegm,
it lightens the mind,
it quickens the spirit,
it cures the dropsy,
it heals the strangulation,
it pounces the stone,
its repels gravel,
it pulls away ventositie,
it keeps and preserves the head from whirling,
the eyes from dazzling,
the tongue from lisping,
the mouth from snuffling,
the teeth from chattering,
the throat from rattling,
the weasan from stiffing,
the stomach from womblying,
the heart from swelling,
the belly from wincing,
the guts from rumbling,
the hands from shivering,
the sinews from shrinking,
the veins from crumpling,
the bones from aching,
the marrow from soaking,
and truly it is a sovereign liquor
if it be orderly taken."
A remedy definitely miraculous and most indispensable !
Whilst Irishmen and Scotsmen were distilling and double-distilling whisk(e)y from
malted barley, at the same time Frenchmen were producing Armagnac and Cognac from

fermented wines with the same techniques. In Italy, in Spain and in Germany, one distils
also the burned or branded wine.

Whether distilled from malted barley or from fermented wines, in both cases the spirit of
life offered, when compared to the drink from which it originated - a kind of rough beer
or a wine - the triple advantage of allowing preservation without problem, of being more
economical to transport and of being more palatable.

Uisge Beatha
In 1494 is to be found the first official and indisputable reference concerning distillation
of whisky in a document from the Scottish Exchequer Rolls mentioning "Eight bolls of
malt to Friar John Cor wherewith to make aquavitae".
In Ireland as well as in Scotland, distillation of Uisge Beatha will from now on develop
steadily but not without events, governing instances waiting little time until they would
start to regulate and tax its production. In 1644 distillation had developed to such a stage
in Scotland that, following a poor harvest, a fear of a shortage of cereals appeared. This
situation inspired to the king of England, Charles Ist, the idea of a fiscal tax on water of
life. This idea was immediately taken over by the Scottish Parliament who will decide to
restrict the right of distillation to upper and noble classes and will put in effect the first
taxation measures. These will mark the first step of a long saga which will see illicit
distillers and governments representatives confront each other. This epic, rich of
anecdotes in which comical and tragic are often mingled, will know its apogee during the
course of XVIIIth.

In 1707 Scotland is linked to England with the signature of the Union Act and the
Scottish Parliament abolished. The governing body of the United Kingdom will then lay
new taxes which will quickly become unbearable, at the same time as it will create
specialized brigades aimed at fighting against illicit distillation, the Excisemen.

Smugglers and Excisemen

From now on and inescapably, production of illicit whisky will strongly proliferate,
notably in the Highlands. Having at its disposal easily transportable equipment, the
smuggler hides in the innumerable glens. The most valuable part of its rustic still is the
copper coil. Immersed in a cask and cooled by the river's water, it enables the
condensation of spirit vapours in a distilled liquor preciously collected. The authoritative
bodies did have the brilliant idea of offering a 5 Pounds bonus to anyone who would
denounce the existence of an illicit distillery. Therefore, when his coiled was worn out
the smuggler only had to get the governing authorities visiting the place of the so-called
illicit still, where he had previously judiciously hidden his old coil. The bonus money so
collected would allow him to buy a brand new coil without delay !

In spite of their isolation in the wild Highlands countries the smugglers, who could be
spotted due to the smoke of their distillation, could not always escape to the vigilance of
Excisemen. If, taking advantage of their knowledge of the land, of their mobility and of
all complicities, they would often run away in time, such was no always the case. Hard
confrontations, often marked with gun fires and blood, leaving dead or wounded men on
the ground, would then follow.

Gangs of illicit distillers and smugglers could gather up to as many as fifty men and
ponies. At the end of XVIIIth they were literally controlling several areas of Scotland
where Excisemen would venture only reluctantly and at their own peril.
Illicit production had also developed in towns to the point that in 1777 one could count in
Edinburgh eight licensed distilleries and 400 illicit stills !
Legalization
After countless wanderings in the regulation, realism and common sense will eventually
prevail. In 1823, on the initiative of the Duke of Gordon, the "Excise Act" is voted, with
an aim at making licensed distillation an economical and viable occupation, at the same
time as generating profits for the authorities, thanks to suitable and reasonable taxation.

Illicit still will progressively disappear. In the same time many technical evolutions, such
as steam heating and continuous distillation, will accompany the development of the
industrialization of distilleries during the course of IXth, marking what can be considered
as the start of the modern era of Scotch Whisky.

Highland distillery at the end of XIX th (Drawing of the time by John Barnard)
Several factors will favour the growing of this industry. From 1870 on the phylloxera
crisis will bring to almost nought the production of Cognac, offering to Scotsmen an
opportunity which they will not miss. At the same time, the practice of blending will
develop in the Lowlands, consisting in the mixing of malt whisky with grain whisky, the
latest being distilled in continuous stills from maize or wheat. The spirit produced in this
manner is smoother and easier to drink, at the same time as it is much cheaper to
manufacture. The legitimacy of grain whisky will be bitterly contested by Highland
distillers, until a Royal Commission will rule on its favour in 1909, after 18 months of
deliberation.

Stills room (Islay) at the end of XIX th (Drawing of the time by John Barnard)
In Ireland, the whiskey industry had grown to reach its apogee at the end of XVIIIth with
more than 1100 licensed distilleries in 1779. Irish Whiskey was then reigning the world
over, far above Scotch Whisky.

Locke's distillery in Kilbeggan, Ireland

Illicit distilling was even more widespread than it was in Scotland, with a production
equal to 3 or 4 times that of licensed distilleries ! Whereas in 1834 a total of 692 illicit
distilleries was recorded in Scotland, more than 8000 were discovered in Ireland !
Regulation and taxation will then be subject, as in Scotland, to many wanderings, their
reinforcement which was aiming at restricting smuggling being bound to heavily penalize
licensed distilleries. In the same time, the Irish will refuse to adopt the practice of
blending. By an irony of fate, the latest had been made possible thanks to the continuous

still developed by an ex Irish Exciseman, Adrian Coffey, who will finally sell his process
to the Scotsmen.

The expansion of Scotch Whisky
The Scotch Whisky industry will be subject to important concentration moves between
the two World Wars. In parallel, Scotsmen will altogether take rather good advantage of
the situation created in the USA by the prohibition between 1919 and 1933. Considerable
volumes of Scotch Whisky will be smuggled in, resulting in the Americans discovering
the quality of the Scottish drink. The latest, whose main outlets was then constituted of
the Commonwealth countries, will see promising openings appear, which will materialize
after the second World War.
In 1999, more than 950 millions of bottles of Scotch Whisky were exported, which eq
uals
to 30 bottles each second. France represents the N° 1 market for sales of bottled Scotch
with 138 millions of them, while sales to the USA amount to 115 millions. Taking in
consideration the ageing time necessary for producing Scotch Whisky, there are not less
than 18,5 millions of casks currently lying in Scottish bonded warehouses !

One counts today in Scotland approximately 85 working Malt distilleries and 8 grain
distilleries.
The Irish Whiskey industry, which is very mu
ch concentrated, is limited to 3 Malt
distilleries and 2 grain distilleries, which does not prevent it from being currently in full
revival.
THE MAKING OF WHISKY

Barley, water, yeast and fire !

The making of whisky can be done in different manners, depending in particular to the
geographical origin of production. The main differences are related to the raw material,

which is always a cereal, and on the type of distillation which may be either "batch"
distillation in a pot still, or continuous distillation in column stills.

This allows for the making of different types of whisky corresponding to various
definitions, each offerin
g their specific character, the main ones being Blended whisky,
Single Malt whisky and Grain whisky.
The most famous whiskies are often issued from the distillation of malted barley in pot
stills. Such is the case in particular of Scotch Pure Malts, of which we will follow the
main steps of making.
To produce a Malt Whisky, you need barley, water, yeast, heat and (much !) time.
This process can be broken down in five main steps :

1 - Malting
2 - Milling
3 - Mashing
4 - Fermentation
5 - Distillation
6 - Ageing

Many factors have an influence on the quality and character of whisky : characteristics of
malt (Origin of barley, malting process), quality of water, type of yeast, shape of stills,
conducting of distillation, origin and quality of casks used for ageing, ambient air being
"breathed" during many long years by the spirit through the cask's wood. each of theses
elements play a role, and if combination of these parameters can vary to infinite, very few
are these which allow for a good whisky.

If you ask to a Scottish distiller which, in his opinion, are the most important factors,
chances are that he will reply that the key elements are the quality of his water and the
shape of his stills. This is effectively true, even if in reality things are much more

complex than that. Beyond the experience painstakingly accumulated by generations of
distillers and the resulting mastery, the making of whisky still depends to a certain extent
of a mysterious alchemy which escapes any analyse or reasoning.

Even if today's distillers benefit from analysing tools which enable them a better
understanding and an improved control of the process, achieving the "marvellous"
balance in the combination of all the factors being involved remains a particularly
delicate art in which Scotsmen and Irishmen are the undisputed masters.

One of the consequences of the complexity of this art is that the variety of characters to
be found among whiskies is definitely comparable to the one that can be observed among
wines.
This is precisely this richness which makes this spirit so unique and so fascinating !
Malting
After it has been harvested, barley contains starch which is a non fermentiscible sugar.
The process of malting is aimed at transforming this starch in a fermentiscible sugar
which itself will be able to be transformed into alcohol.
To start with, barley is soaked in water for two or three days before being spread as a
layer approximately twenty to thirty cm thick on the malting area made as a wide flat
concrete surface. This is where its germination will start, lasting for about eight days.

Barley will have to be turned over several times a day with wooden shovels so as to allow
steady and uniform germination, and its temperature will be controlled permanently.
Once the starch has been transformed into sugar, germination will be stopped through the
heating of the barley in a kiln during 20 to 48 hours.

Heat will be provided by the burning of coal and to a varying degree by the burning of
peat. the smoke of the latest will impart to the malt a character and aromas of very
specific type which will be found in the finished product, the peatiest whiskies being
those from the island of Islay.

Nowadays, the majority of malts are produced in industrial malting plants, where the
process take place in large horizontal steel drums including a perforated bed on which
lays the barley, turning on themselves and through which vaporized water then hot air are
spread.

Milling
The malt is then ground in a mill containing two or three pairs of steel rollers and
transformed into grist. The latest must consist of about 10% flour, 20% husks and 70%
"middles" or actual grist to allow for a satisfying mashing.


MASHING

Grist is then mixed with hot water in the mashing machine which pours it into the
mashtun, which capacity can be in excess of 25.000 litres. Three successive waters, with
temperatures varying from 63 to 95°C, are used to produced a sugary liquid known as
wort.

The mashtun possesses a double bottom finely perforated which will allow the wort to be
drawn off through the underback at the same time as it will retain the solid particles
known as draff. Those will be taken away at the end of the process and are excellent food
for cattle.

The last water used for mashing will be directed to a tank and used as the third water of
the next mashing. Wort will then travel through a heat exchanger to be cooled to about
20°C, to prevent yeast cells which will ferment it from being killed.
Traditional mashtuns may be enclosed by a copper dome so as to preserve heat. They are
nowadays very often superseded by lautertuns which allow for a better extraction of

sugars contained in the malt.
Fermentation
Wort is the pumped into the washbacks which are large and open fermentation vessels,
which can hold up to 70.000 litres and be as high as 5 or 6 m. They may be covered by
detachable panels and are usually made of Oregon pine.

Some distilleries use fully closed vessels made of steel which are easier to clean.
Yeast is added, being either distillers yeast or a mixture of the latest with brewer yeast,
and will start fermentation. The action of yeast on wort's sugar will produce alcohol and
carbon dioxide. Wort will bubble, and may even in some occasions generate strong
vibrations of the washback itself in spite of its impressive size.

After about 48 hours, bubbling and fermentation are over and the wort has been
transformed into wash, an alcoholic liquid of 7 to 8% vol. and not unlike a sort of crude
beer, which is pumped into the wash charger.
Distillation
This is the process which is at the heart of whisky making. It consists essentially in
separating the alcohol contained in the wash from the water, taking advantage of the fact
that alcohol boils at a lower temperature than water, at about 80°C. Distillation comprises
two stages accomplished in two stills varying by their capacity and by their shape.

First distillation is done in the wash still which capacity maybe reach 25 to 30.000 litres
and will transform the wash into low wines at about 21% vol. Originally heated by a
naked flame, usually from the burning of coal or gas, the majority of stills are nowadays
heated by coils placed inside them and through which steam circulates. Evaporated
alcohol rises up to the upper part of the still, the swan neck, and then through the lyne
arm after which it enters the condenser in which alcoholic vapours will transformed into
liquid. Traditional condensers were made as coils immersed in large open wooden vessels
and cooled by water flowing through them.

Nowadays the vast majority of distilleries are equipped with tubular vertical condensers
offering improved calorific efficiency.

The low wines are kept in the spirit charger, wastes of the first distillation known as pot
ale being conveyed to a dark grain plant to be transformed into cattle food.

The second distillation takes place in the spirit still which usually has a capacity equal to
about two third of the wash still's. This is where the stillman's art expresses at its best,
when he must retain only the middle cut, eliminating the heads which contain too much
high volatility alcohols running at about 80% vol., and the tails comprising the heavy
components. As the distillation progresses the alcoholic strength of the flowing distillate
diminishes regularly : the moment when the stillman stops collecting the middle cut or
heart of run is called the cut, and will usually happen when the hydrometer will read
about 62/65% vol. If the cut is made too late, too high a proportion of the tails will result
in an unbalanced whisky with unpleasant aromas. To the contrary, if the cut is made too
early, the spirit will be deprived from some of its components indispensable to achieve a
whisky with satisfying character. One will then obtain a product without major default,
but without real interest and personality either.
Speed of distillation also has a direct influence on the quality of the collected spirit.
The latest which is perfectly colourless is at about 70% vol. and is pumped into the spirit
receiver. The stillman has to do all his operations by intervening on the spirit safe, built
with a copper frame holding plate glasses and into which lead all pipes linking the stills
to the various holding tanks. It is usually a beautiful object duly padlocked under the
control of Custom and Excise, the stillman not being allowed to have any direct contact
with the product flowing from the stills.

For controlling the process, the stillman uses hydrometers and can check the purity of the
spirit in verifying if it does not get cloudy when mixed with water.
Heads and tails will be pumped and kept in the low wine charger to be redistilled in the
spirit still at the same time as the low wine intended for the next distillation. Waste of

distillation known as spent lees will be thrown away or treated.
Some whiskies, notably in Ireland and in the Scottish Lowlands, are subject to a triple
distillation process, which delivers a spirit of a higher alcoholic strength at about 85%
vol.
Ageing
Before being transferred into casks, the newly made spirit will have its strength reduced
to 63,5% vol. with demineralised water. The cask being used are usually casks having
been previously contained Bourbon, and are used either as they come or after being
rebuilt as hogsheads in Scottish cooperage.
They will usually be kept on site for ageing or in a centralized warehouses together with
other spirits from a same company or group.

Last stage of the process of whisky making, ageing is at the same time the longest one
and one of the most important. The origin and the quality of casks have a determining
role in the end result, as well as, even if to a lesser extent, the location of the warehouse.
The quality of he air, its temperature, its humidity, its coastal character or not, have an
influence on the ageing process.

The nature of the warehouse itself has its importance, in particular depending whether it
is more or less isolate. For instance, it is generally admitted that warehouses with earth
ground provide the best results as they maintain higher humidity level. As a matter of
fact, during ageing some alcohol evaporate through the wood of the casks with losses of
about 2% per year, this is what is called the "Angel Share". In a humid warehouse the
loss of spirit will materialize as a decrease of the alcoholic loss, which will advantage the
obtaining of a high quality whisky. In a dry warehouse, this loss will materialize through
a diminution of volume, with in extreme cases a rising of the alcoholic strength, and will
deliver a dryer spirit. Altogether, losses are lower in dry warehouses than they are in a
damp ones, the latest which provide the best results are also the most costly.
Temperature also has its influence on ageing, if it is higher maturation of the whisky will
progress faster.

It is only after three years of ageing in cask that spirit is entitled to be called whisky, but
one usually considers that it is only after 8 years that a malt whisky reaches real maturity.
Some can reach their optimum at the age of 10 or 12 years, many are those which will
take advantage of further maturation up to 15 years or possibly beyond. If some of them
may become exceptional at the age of 20 or 25 years, others might suffer of staying too
long in a cask, their character ending up in fading away and aromas directly imparted by
the cask becoming too preponderant.

Last of all, one should not forget the ultimate stage in the long process of whisky making
which is bottling. The reduction, which is the operation by which the alcoholic strength,
initially at around 60% vol, is brought down to drinking strength - in most cases 40 or
43% vol - is much more delicate than one usually imagines. Quality of filtration has also
an important effect, in particular depending whether it is a chill or non chill filtration
process.

Discovering two Scottish distilleries :
To terminate and illustrate this little presentation on the making of whisky, we propose to
you to follow us in the visit of two Scottish distilleries which, each one in its specific
manner, is quite fascinating and representative of the variety of character which
Scottsmen can offer us in this respect. This, as much in the character of their whiskies as
in that of these magic places where the uisge beatha is produced.

In both cases, it concerns distilleries which have been saved from a possible, if not likely
disappearing, by independant companies, and thanks to the the tenacity of men who did
not hesitate to take risks and have not spared their efforts. The latest will have not been
done in vain, and in each case, the history if it is only strating -or starting again- is
already a very nice one, as you will be able to see for yourself.

Champagne (wine)

Champagne is often served in specialized stemware, accompanied by hors d'oeuvres
Champagne is a sparkling wine produced by inducing the in-bottle secondary
fermentation of wine to effect carbonation. It is produced exclusively within the
Champagne region of France, from which it takes its name. While the term "champagne"
is used by some makers of sparkling wine in other parts of the world, numerous countries
limit the use of the term to only those wines that come from the Champagne appellation.
In Europe, this principle is enshrined in the European Union by Protected Designation of
Origin (PDO) status. Other countries, such as the United States, have recognized the
exclusive nature of this name, yet maintain a legal structure that allows longtime
domestic producers of sparkling wine to continue to use the term "Champagne" under
specific circumstances.
Origins

Jean François de Troy's 1735 painting Le Déjeuner d'Huîtres (Luncheon with Oysters) is
the first known depiction of champagne in painting.