gin was fist invented by the dutch about three centuries ago. it was designed to be a medicine of some sort, and, true enough it made people feel better. the English took a liking to it, and there it became popular among the lower masses.
processed from grain, today's gins are reprocessed and redistilled with spices and herbs. the most common flavoring is juniper berries. this is what gives good gin its subtle herb-like aroma and flavor.
london dry gin was developed in 18th century london. at that time, gins were sweetened to hide the harsh flavor. people began searching for an unsweetened gin that also tasted good. london dry is smooth and aromatic, and although it still retains its name, it is produced all over the world in keeping with its popularity.
alexander gordon built his distillery in 1769. gordon's gin is one of the top ten largest spirits brand in the world, and gordon's gin is still going strong in the international gin market.
charles tanqueray was twenty years old when he started his london distillery in 1830, and he created the purest dry gin. its purity allows the flavor of the juniper and other herbs used in the process to come through. tanqueray gin is the world's leading super-premium gin and is the best-selling imported gin in the u.s.a. the cute green bottle is patented and based on the design of a london fire hydrant.
"vodka" comes from the russian word for water, "voda." vodka therefore means "little water." tradition holds that vodka developed in russia in the 14th century and was made from potatoes. today's vodka comes from grain. in the 1930's, vodka was brought to the u.s.a. where it began to be produced from fermented corn, rye, or wheat.
one maxim about vodka is, "the higher the proof, the lesser the flavor." a charcoal filtering process is used to remove any other flavor. in fact, vodkas made in the u.s.a. must follow strict legal standards. by law, they must be colorless, tasteless, and odorless. this makes vodka a bartender's friend for mixed drinks, since it will not overpower the flavors of the other ingredients.
gordon's vodka is one of the largest selling brands in the united states. tanqueray sterling is imported from england. there are also specialty vodkas, such as the ubiquitous absolut brands of vodka, that are flavored with lemon, lime, other fruits, mint, pepper, and even buffalo grass. absolut citron, gordon's citrus, and tanqueray sterling citrus are good straight and icy. those with pepper flavoring are good for a spicy bloody mary.
whiskey is distilled into a clear liquid from a fermented mash of grain (usually corn, rye, barley, or wheat) that is then aged in oak barrels where it gets its amber color and its flavor. whiskey must be distilled, according to u.s.a. law, at less than 190 proof. bourbon whiskey cannot be distilled above 160 proof, and it must be bottled at no less than 80 proof. whiskey is produced mostly in the u.s.a., canada, scotland, and ireland.
american whiskey can be either straight or blended. straight whiskey is distilled from at least a 51% base of a single grain and is not blended with neutral grain spirits or other whiskeys. straight whiskeys are aged in charred oak barrels for a minimum of 2 years. bourbon is a straight whiskey. rye whiskey is distilled from a mash of not less than 51% rye. it is like bourbon, but it has a heavier flavor. corn whiskey is distilled from a mash of not less than 80% corn and is commonly aged in reused charred oak barrels. blended whiskey, on the other hand, is a blend of one or more straight whiskeys and neutral grain spirits, but it should still contain at least 20% of a straight whiskey, and it should be bottled at no less than 80 proof.
bourbon was invented over two centuries ago in kentucky. about 80% of the world's bourbon is still produced in kentucky. bourbon is distilled from a mash of grain containing, according to federal law, at least than 51% corn, and the rest is barley and either wheat or rye. w.l. weller kentucky straight bourbon is renowned for its high proportion of wheat. old charter kentucky straight bourbon, which has been in the market since 1867, is known for its flavor of rye.
the color and sweetness of bourbon comes from its aging in new white oak barrels, which are charred to caramelize the natural sugars in the wood and bring them to the surface. two years is the minimum time for aging stablished by law, although most bourbons are aged 4-12 years. it is illegal to distill bourbon above 160 proof and to bottle it below 80 proof.
tennessee whiskey is made in a similar way, but it is not a bourbon. before barreling, the newly distilled whiskey is "mellowed." it is filtered very slowly over a period of ten days through charcoal made from seasoned sugar maple timbers, which gives the whiskey a sweet and smoky flavor. tennessee whiskey is distinguished by law as a separate category of whiskey.
george dickel tennessee whisky (spelled without the "e" because dickel felt his whisky was equal to scotch whisky) is the only tennessee whiskey that is produced today that is chilled before the mellowing. this chill-filtering technique makes his whisky even smoother.
jim beam (colonel james beauregard beam), was born in 1864. he was part of the 4th generation in the family business. jim beam and albert j. hart (his brother in law) built a new distillery to take advantage of a new railroad line. at the same time, about 2 miles down the track, r.b. hayden was building the original old grand-dad distillery. the beam & hart distillery was famous for a brand called old tub whiskey. jim beam reopened the plant in 1933 after prohibition ended and alcohol became legal again in the u.s.a. the descendants of jim beam and his brother park and uncle joe have made whiskey for dozens of different kentucky distilleries, including the ones that carry jim beam's name today.
canadians spell "whiskey" as "whisky" without the "e." canadian whiskies are blended. most canadian whisky is aged for at least 3 years and bottled at 80 proof. canadian whisky is generally lighter-bodied than american whiskey. macnaughton canadian whisky and canadian ltd are well-known brands (the latter is a canadian whisky that is blended in canada but bottled in the u.s.a.).
sotch whiskies are either single malt or blended. single malt scotches are produced at over a hundred distilleries in scotland, each marketing a unique spirit. differences in the water, peat, and the aging casks affect the flavor of the barley malt. most single malts are aged at least 8 years, although some are aged for far longer.
blended scotch whiskies contain malt whisky and grain whisky, similar to american neutral grain spirits. anywhere from 20 to 40 different whiskies are blended together, and the age of the blend refers to the age of the youngest whisky included. all blended scotch imported into the u.s.a. is at least 4 years old and is usually the standard 80 proof.
blended scotch traces its root to the merchants who perfected the art of blending, creating their own brands, and set out to market their product to the world. one of the founding fathers of the scotch whisky industry, john dewar, had established a reputation for the quality of his blends by the late 1840s. he was also one of the first to introduce another innovation--selling his whisky in labeled bottles, which had both his name and personal guarantee. today, dewar's white label is sold in more than 140 countries and has been the number 1 blended scotch in the u.s.a. for more than a decade.
johnny walker red label, the world's best-selling scotch whisky, and johnny walker black label, the world's leading 12-year-old deluxe scotch, are named after john walker, a retailer who created exclusive brands for his valued customers. both brands are blends of more than 40 whiskies, with cardhu, a superior highland malt, forming the heart of the blends.
irish whiskey is a blended product containing both barley malt and other grain whiskeys. irish whiskey is lighter in flavor than scotch. the malt is dried in coal-fired kilns and the fire's aroma does not reach the malt, giving irish whiskey a less smoky flavor than scotch. it is aged at for at least 5 years in reused sherry casks.
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