What are spirits? A spirit is basically a distilled product. The term spirits is a generic term for a distilled beverage that is prepared for consumption containing ethyl alcohol purified by distillation...
The term spirits is a generic term for a distilled beverage that is prepared for consumption containing ethyl alcohol purified by distillation or other methods from a substance such as wine, grain or wood. Distillation means to separate liquids through differences in their boiling points. Examples of spirits are brandy, gin, rum, vodka, whiskey or liqueur. It is basically any alcoholic beverage that isn't a wine or beer. "You can make a base wine and run it through distillation, which basically means heating it up," says Brian Hays, a chef and culinary instructor at Austin Community College. He has taught at the college for nine years. "In doing so, you are capturing that alcohol for higher alcohol content and the flavors associated with it."
According to Healthyeatingclub.com, 100 proof spirits contain 57 percent alcohol by volume compared to around 12% for most table wines. According to the website wine-searcher.com, a liqueur is a spirit that has been both sweetened and flavored. Any sugar-based liquid can be fermented, so a spirit can be derived from fruit, grains or vegetables. Some spirits can only be made from a particular material, such as brandy, which is made from grapes. Brandy is dependent on seasons, the ripening of the base fruit, and the production of the wine from which it is made.
According to tasteoftx.com, another form of spirits is tequila, which comes from the plant Blue Agave. This plant must be 10 years or older before it can be harvested for tequila production. The juicy core of the plant pina is harvested, trimmed and cut into chunks. Pina produces a sweet juice, which is extracted by steaming and compressing the pina. The juice is then fermented and distilled at a low proof. It is then distilled again to 110 proof, and then watered down to 80 proof before bottling.
Vodka is the most popular spirit in America. It is a spirit without any kind of aromas or color. It is an unaged spirit that can be fermented without anything fermentable. Vodka wasn't introduced to the US until after World War II, and when it was, it became an instant best seller.
When Gin was made it was intended to be medicine until soldiers learned it could be consumed as an alcoholic beverage. Gin is the distillate of a grain mashed with various flavors. It gets its main flavor from juniper berries, but herbs and spices are also mixed in the concoction. What makes this spirit particularly interesting is no two gins are made alike; each distiller has his own recipe. Gin is unaged, like vodka and is either English dry or American dry. Before bottled, Gin's alcohol is reduced to 80% to 97%.
When pairing spirits with food, make sure they won't overwhelm each other. Vodka pairs nicely with salty foods, whiskey pairs nicely with spicy and bold flavors and tequila pairs nicely with Mexican food. "When pairing food with spirits, just remember where the spirit is derived from and choose food from the same category and you can never go wrong," says Hays.
