CHAPTER 13: DISTILLED

SPIRITS
DEFINITION
Distilled Spirits – type of alcoholic beverages
made by distilling fermented beverages
made from fruits, grains and plants.
Spirits – generally refers to distilled
beverages that are low in sugar and
containing at least 35% alcohol by volume.
Gin, vodka, rum, whisky, brandy, absinthe,
tequila and traditional German schapps.
Liqueurs – are distilled beverages with added
flavorings and colorings that are in high sugar
such as Grand Marnier, Frangelico and
Kahlua.
 Liquor – the term means spirits; spirits and
liqueurs; or all alcoholic beverages, including
wine, sake, beer.
Distillation – the process of heating the liquid to a
point where liquid turns into gas and evaporates
and then turns again into liquid as it cools down.

TYPES OF DISTILLATION
Pot still distillation – heated directly by fire, thus
having higher temperature. It is used in
producing low proof distilled spirits.

Column still/patent still distillation – heated by

steam, thus having lower temperature. It is used
in producing high proof distilled spirits.
CLASSIFICATION OF DISTILLED
SPIRITS
 According to color and alcohol content
 According to ingredients
According to alcohol content and color
a. Low proof spirits/brown spirits
• Whiskey/whisky •Tequila
• Rum • Brandy • Liqueurs
b. High proof spirits/white spirits
• Gin • Vodka • Lambanog
 According to ingredients used
• Fruit based • Grain based • Plant based

FRUIT BASED
Brandy is a general term for distilled wine,
it usually 40-60% ethyl alcohol by volume.
Brandy is normally consumed as an after-
dinner drink.
TYPES OF BRANDY
A. Grape Brandy
• Cognac – comes from Cognac region in France
• Armagnac – comes from Gascony, Armagnac
region of France which is located Southwest of
Bordeaux.

cognac armagnac
COGNAC GRADES
The unofficial grades used to market cognac
include:
 VS (Very Special) or *** (three star),
where the youngest brandy is stored at least
two years in cask.
 VSOP (Very Superior Old Pale),
Réserve, where the youngest brandy is
stored at least four years in cask.
 XO (Extra Old), Napoléon, Hors d’
Age, where the youngest brandy is stored at
least six years in cask.
CHARACTERISTICS OF COGNAG
 Grande Champagne
(13766 hectares total land area) Grande
Champagne eaux de vie taste and flavor stays
longer in the mouth and powerful dominated
floral notes. The most prestigious of the crus.
“Champagne” means chalky soil, a
characteristic shared with the area around
Reims where Champagne (sparkling wine) is
also produced.
 CHARACTERISTICS OF COGNAG
 Petite Champagne
(16171 hectares total land area) Petite
Champagne eaux de vie have similar
characteristics to those from Grand
Champagne, but are in general shorter on the
palate or the taste and flavor doesn’t stay
longer in the mouth.
TOP COGNAC HOUSES THAT PRODUCES
PREMIUM TO SUPER PREMIUM-LEVEL
BRANDS OF COGNACS
 Extra by Camus – is their premium cognac
beyond XO containing their oldest cognacs
from the Borderies, Grande Champagne and
Petite Champagne regions in a distinctive
decanter style bottle.

 Loius XIII by Rémy Martin – is composed

of more than 1,200 of the finest eaux-de-vie
aged between 40 years and a century in very
old Limousin oak.
TOP COGNAC HOUSES THAT PRODUCES
PREMIUM TO SUPER PREMIUM-LEVEL
BRANDS OF COGNACS
 Richard Hennessy – produce by Hennessy,
‘Richard’ is a blend of over 100 eaux-de-vie
aged up to 200 years. It is sold in a Baccarrat
crystal blackman and is named after the
founder of the company.

 L’Esprit de Courvoisier – Couvoisier’s

leading cognac, presented in a hard-cut
Lalique decanter, blended from eaux-de-vie up
to 200 years old, and individually numbered.
TOP COGNAC HOUSES THAT PRODUCES
PREMIUM TO SUPER PREMIUM-LEVEL
BRANDS OF COGNACS

 Moyet Antiques – Moyet’s Trés Vielle

Fine Champagne and Trés Vielle Grand
Champagne cognacs blended from some
barrels over 150 years old, individually
numbered and signed by the cellar master.
Other grape brandies:
1. Spanish brandies – some of the Spanish brandies
are made using the solera system of aging the
brandy.
2. Portugal – here brandy is called aguardente
(burning) liquid.
3. Mexico
4. Germany
5. South Africa – grape brandies as mandated by law,
made almost exactly as in Cognac,
• The European Union legally enforces Cognac as the
exclusive name for brandy produced and distilled in
the Cognac area of France, and Armagnac from the
Gascony area of France , using traditional techniques.
B. Pomace Brandies – Pomace brandy is
produced from fermented grape pulp, seeds,
and stems that remain after the grapes are
pressed or crushed. Italian grappa and the
French marc are example of this type of brandy.
C. Fruit Brandies – are distilled from fruits
other than grapes. Apple, plum, peach, cherry,
raspberry, blackberry and apricot are the most
commonly used fruit. Fruit brandy is usually
clear with 80 to 90 proof, and usually drunk
chilled or on the rocks.
TYPES OF FRUIT BRANDIES
 Calvados – is an apple brandy from the French
region of Lower Normandy.
 Cherry Brandy – made from cherries. Ex.
Kirschwasser
 Pàlinka – fruit brandy traditional to Hungary.
 Slivovitz – fruit brandy made from plums, traditional
to Serbia.
Slivovice – is a strong 70% vol. fruit brandy made
from plum, in Slovakia.
Tuica (tzuika) – is the clear Romanian brandy, made
mainly from plums, apples, pears, apricots,
mulberries, peaches, quinces or mixes of them.
 • AGING
► No Aging: Many pomace and fruit
brandies are not aged after distillation. The
resulting product is typically a clear liquid.

1. Single barrel aging: Brandies that have a

golden or brown color have been aged in
oak casks.
2. Solera process: Some brandies are aged
using the solera system. Brandies from
Spain are typical of this variation.
BRANDY LABELS
Brandy has a rating system to describe its
quality and condition, these indicators can
usually be found near the brand name on the
label.
1. A.C: aged in cask 2 years in wood.
2. V.S: ”Very Special” or 3-Star, aged at least 3
years in wood.
3. V.S.O.P: “Very Superior Old Pale” or 5-Star,
aged at least 5 years.
BRANDY LABELS
4. X.O: “ Extra Old”, Napoleon or Vieille
Reserve, aged at least 6 years.
5. Vintage: Stored in the cask until the time it
is bottled with the label showing.
6. Hors D’age: These kind of brandies are too
old to determine the age, although 10 years
plus is typical, and they are usually of great
quality.
VI. LAMBANOG
“Lambanog” is locally produced distilled spirit
made by distilling palm wine locally known as
“tuba”
1. Sources of tuba/lambanog:
• Coconut
• Nipa/sasa – a family of palm tree
commonly found along river banks or swamps.
• Sugar palm or locally known as “kaong”
2. Types:
• Plain •Flavored
VII. GRAIN BASED:VODKA
1. Vodka – is typically a colorless, odorless
tasteless distilled spirits made from
fermented beverage that are made from
grains, vegetables and other ingredients.
The word shares a root with the word for
“water” in various Slavic language ( voda,
woda).
TYPES:
1. Plain/ traditional vodka 2. Flavored vodka
• Strawberry • Banana • Black currant • Apple
• Lemon • Orange • Mandarin • Vanilla • Citron
PRODUCTION:
1. Vodka may be distilled from any starch or
sugar-rich plant. Most vodka today is produced
from:
2. Grains such as:
• sorghum • corn • rye • wheat
3. Among such grains, vodka made from rye and
wheat is generally considered superior.
PRODUCTION:
4. Some vodka is made from:
• potatoes • molasses • soybeans • grapes
• sugar beets • oil refining or wood pulp
• In some Central European countries like Poland
some vodka is produced by just fermenting a
solution of crystal sugar and yeast.
5. European Union talks about the standardization
of vodka. The Vodka Belt countries insist that only
spirits produced from grains and potato must be
allowed to be branded as “vodka”, following the
traditional methods of production.
POPULAR BRANDS OF VODKA
Value Brands Premium Brands Super Premium Brands
Olifant – 80 proof, Holland Absolut – 80 proof, Belvedere – 80 proof,
Sweden Poland
Smirnoff – 80 proof, United ClearHeart – 80 proof, Bong Vodka – 80 proof,
States United States Holland
Lukosawa – 80 proof, Finlandia – 80 proof, Charbay – 80 proof, United
Poland (potato Finland States
Skyy – 80 proof, United Cristall – 80 proof, Russia Chopin – 80 proof, Poland
States (potato)
Stolichnaya – 80 proof, Grey Goose – 80 proof,
Russia France
Tanqueray Sterling – 80 Han Asian Vodka – 80
proof, England proof, Asia ( rice & barley)
Mor – 80 proof, Estonia
(potato)
Trump – 80 proof, Holland
VIII. GRAIN BASED: GIN

Gin is a spirit with flavorings primarily jumper

berries and aromatics.

Gin is originated in Netherlands in 17th century

HISTORY
Invention is often credited to the physician
named Franciscus Sylvius.
 Dutch gin, also known as jenever or genever, is
a distinctly different drink from English-style gin.
 Schiedam, in South Holland, is famous for its
jenever.
Beer maintained a healthy reputation as it was
often safer to drink than unclean water.
 Gin on the other hand was blamed for various
social and medical problems.
HISTORY
 The reputation of the two drinks was illustrated by
William Hogarth in his engravings Beer Street and
Gin Lane (1715).
 Negative reputation of gin survives today in English
language, in terms like “gin-mills” to describe
disreputable bars or “gin-soaked” refer to
drunkards, and in the phrase “Mother’s Ruin”,
common British term for Gin.
 In London, The Gin Act of 1736 imposed high taxes
on retailers but led to riots. The prohibitive duty
was gradually reduced and finally abolished in 1742.
HISTORY
 The Gin Act of 1751, was more successful,
however. It forced distillers to sell only to
licensed retailers and brought gin-shops under
the jurisdiction of local magistrates.
 Gin in the 18th century was produced in pot stills,
and was somewhat sweeter than the London gin
known today.
 In London early 18th century, gin sold on the
black market was prepared in illicit stills and was
often adulterated with turpentine and sulphuric
acid.
HISTORY
 In 1832 column still was invented and the
“London dry” style was developed later in
19th century.
 In tropical English colonies, gin was used
to mask the bitter flavor of quinine, a
protection against malaria, which was
dissolved in carbonated water to form
tonic water.
TYPES OF GIN
 London dry gin – type of gin originated in London and it
has dry taste or less or no sweetness.
 Sloe gin – is a common ready-sweetened form of gin
that is traditionally made by infusing sloes in gin.
 Plymouth Gin – is a clear, slightly fruity, full-bodied gin
that is very aromatic. This style of gin originated in the
port of Plymouth on the English Channel.
Dutch gin/ Jenever – Jenever ( known as junever,
genievre, genever, jeniever, peket in England as Holland
gin), a juniper flavored and a strong alcohol traditional
liquor of the Netherlands and Belgium, where gin
evolved and developed.
THERE ARE TWO TYPES OF JENEVER:
1. “Oude” (Old) – Oude jenever must contain at least
15% malt liquor but not more than 20 grams of
sugar per liter. In modern times jenever distilled
from grain and malt only is labeled Graanjenever.
2. “Jonge” (Young) – new style, which contains more
grain instead of malt and can even contain plain
sugar-based alcohol. It contains no more than 15%
malt wine and 10 grams of sugar per liter.
• Dutch-based Lucas Bols produces and sells oude
genever, known as ginebra in Spanish
• American gin – similar to Dutch gin but it is twice
distilled and flavored with juniper berries.
POPULAR BRANDS OF GIN
Value Brands
Aristocrat – 80 proof, US
Barton London Extra Dry –
80 Proof, United States
Taaka Dry – 80 proof, US
Booth’s London Dry – 90
proof, England
Glenmore London Dry – 80
proof, United States
McCormick Dry –80 proof,US
Fleischmann Extra Dry –
United States
XI. GRAIN BASED: WHISKY/ WHISKEY
Whisky or whiskey. It refers to a broad category of
alcoholic beverages that are distilled from
fermented grain mash and aged in oak barrels or
casks. Different grains are used for different
varieties or types of whisky/whiskey, including