DRINKS
Spirits
Spirits
Ever since ancient and medieval pioneers first practiced the
art of distillation, the production of spirits has been an
alchemical process capable of transforming base
ingredients into concentrated alcohol.
Spirit or liqueur?
Spirits are alcohol (ethanol) products made
by the distillation of a fermented mash
(see p.164). While beer may contain as
little as 3 percent alcohol by volume (ABV),
spirits have an alcohol content of more
than 20 percent and are generally at least
40 percent. A liqueur is a sweetened, and
often flavored, spirit.
Drinking dangers
Although some data suggests one
or two drinks a day can benefit
heart health (see p.165), even
moderate drinking could be a cause
of cancer. Alcohol has been linked
with nine cancers, including mouth
and throat, liver, breast, and bowel.
The chief suspect is acetaldehyde,
a breakdown product of alcohol.
Popular spirits
Spirits differ according to the source of their original
fermented sugars, as well as by the purity of the
distillate before it is diluted. Coloured impurities
in the distillate (congeners) provide flavor.
Spirits distilled from grape
wine. The two most famous
brandies—Cognac and
Armagnac, named after their
French regions of origin—are
made from white wine.
Distilled from a
fermented mash of the
heart of agave plants (a
kind of cactus), which
are rich in fructose (fruit
sugar) and inulin. Inulin
is an indigestible chain
of fructose sugars and
is broken down by
steaming or roasting
the agave hearts.
ARE SPIRITS MORE
HARMFUL THAN WINE
OR BEER?
All forms of alcohol are
harmful, being broken down
into toxic substances in the
liver. Spirits are more strongly
linked with mouth cancer,
especially in smokers.
ALCOHOL IS THE CAUSE
OF 5 PERCENT OF ALL
CANCERS WORLDWIDE
Blue agave
is the species
commonly used
in tequila
NO ALCOHOL
22 UNITS PER WEEK
10.5 UNITS PER WEEK
44 UNITS PER WEEK
Fermented
grape juice
yields brandy
when distilled
Mouth cancer
Oral cancer cases increase with alcohol
consumption (1 unit =
1
/3 fl oz, or 10ml, of pure
alcohol, or one modest drink). When it comes
to cancer, there is no safe drinking limit.
BRANDY TEQUILA
One extra
case
Three extra
lifetime cases
per 1,000
people
Eleven extra
cases per 1,000
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166 167
DRINKS
Spirits
Alcohol abuse
Alcohol and its breakdown products
(such as acetaldehyde) are toxic
to many different organs and
tissues of the body. Long-term
overuse of alcohol over a decade
or more can damage most
systems of the body and seriously
increase the risk of cancer (see
opposite), liver disease, stroke,
heart disease, brain damage,
neurological damage, depression,
seizures, gout, pancreatitis, and
anemia. In all, over 60 diseases
have been linked to alcohol abuse.
Liver damage
Alcoholic cirrhosis of the liver
is where alcohol breakdown
products damage the liver,
causing it to regrow with scar
tissue and fatty deposits that
limit its ability to function.
Cirrhosis can be fatal.
Traditionally made
from the cheapest
starch source
available, vodka is
usually made from
grain but also from
potatoes and
sugarbeet. The source
is less important
because the spirit is
distilled to great purity,
excluding most
aromatics.
Whiskey is essentially
made from beer,
without the hops, since
it is distilled from
fermented grain—
mainly barley, corn, rye,
or wheat. Barrel-aging
contributes to the
character of the
finished drink.
The strongest, most
alcoholic drinks float
on water, since water
is denser than ethanol.
Heavier ingredients,
however, such as coffee,
make most drinks
heavier than water.
Skilled bartenders
exploit different drink
densities to create
layered cocktails.
EXPLOITING DENSITY
Lumps of fibrous
scar tissue
B-52 SHOT
COFFEE
LIQUEUR
IRISH CREAM
LIQUEUR
COINTREAU
Sugarcane juice
is the source of
molasses for rum
Some traditional
vodkas are still
made from
fermented potatoes
Malted barley (barley
that has sprouted and
begun releasing its
sugar—maltose) is
the starting point
for many whiskeys
Most vodka is
made from grain
VODKA WHISKEY RUM
CIRRHOTIC
LIVER
Originating
in by-products of
the sugar industry
in the Caribbean,
rums are distilled
from fermented
molasses. Light rum
is distilled to a high
purity, but dark
rums retain more
flavorful
congeners.
US_166-167_Spirits.indd 167 18/01/2017 10:08
166 167
DRINKS
Spirits
Alcohol abuse
Alcohol and its breakdown products
(such as acetaldehyde) are toxic
to many different organs and
tissues of the body. Long-term
overuse of alcohol over a decade
or more can damage most
systems of the body and seriously
increase the risk of cancer (see
opposite), liver disease, stroke,
heart disease, brain damage,
neurological damage, depression,
seizures, gout, pancreatitis, and
anemia. In all, over 60 diseases
have been linked to alcohol abuse.
Liver damage
Alcoholic cirrhosis of the liver
is where alcohol breakdown
products damage the liver,
causing it to regrow with scar
tissue and fatty deposits that
limit its ability to function.
Cirrhosis can be fatal.
Traditionally made
from the cheapest
starch source
available, vodka is
usually made from
grain but also from
potatoes and
sugarbeet. The source
is less important
because the spirit is
distilled to great purity,
excluding most
aromatics.
Whiskey is essentially
made from beer,
without the hops, since
it is distilled from
fermented grain—
mainly barley, corn, rye,
or wheat. Barrel-aging
contributes to the
character of the
finished drink.
The strongest, most
alcoholic drinks float
on water, since water
is denser than ethanol.
Heavier ingredients,
however, such as coffee,
make most drinks
heavier than water.
Skilled bartenders
exploit different drink
densities to create
layered cocktails.
EXPLOITING DENSITY
Lumps of fibrous
scar tissue
B-52 SHOT
COFFEE
LIQUEUR
IRISH CREAM
LIQUEUR
COINTREAU
Sugarcane juice
is the source of
molasses for rum
Some traditional
vodkas are still
made from
fermented potatoes
Malted barley (barley
that has sprouted and
begun releasing its
sugar—maltose) is
the starting point
for many whiskeys
Most vodka is
made from grain
VODKA WHISKEY RUM
CIRRHOTIC
LIVER
Originating
in by-products of
the sugar industry
in the Caribbean,
rums are distilled
from fermented
molasses. Light rum
is distilled to a high
purity, but dark
rums retain more
flavorful
congeners.
US_166-167_Spirits.indd 167 18/01/2017 10:08
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