Distilling: How Spirits are Made

Transcription

1 Distilling: How Spirits are Made Aims and learning outcomes This chapter aims to provide the knowledge and skills to understand how distilled spirits are made. On completion the learner should be able to: Outline the base ingredients and production methods of spirits. Explain the systems used for determining alcohol strengths and the influence of maturation on spirits. Demonstrate the knowledge and techniques involved in the evaluation and tasting of spirits.1 Introduction The world of distilled spirits has benefited enormously from the dramatic increase in interest in the past couple of decades, due to the fact that consumers are widely travelled now and have been exposed to an increasing number of delicious, well-made and reasonably priced spirits from around the globe. Specialist drinks magazines carry many articles on distilled spirits and there are spirit columns in several national newspapers. Distilled spirits education is now widely available and is central to the continued success of these alcoholic beverages and their contribution to the overall business success of every bar. Burroughs & Bezzant (1990) define spirits as a liquid of high alcoholic content which is obtained by distillation from such fermentable materials, they must be distilled only to a point where they are purified, yet still retain sufficient byproducts to impart the particular characteristic of the original base material. The appeal of spirits lies in their delivery of fruit and plant flavours but differently rendered with more complexity and intensity and alcohol.

2 Distilling: How Spirits are Made 17 The word distillation comes from the Latin destillare meaning to drip. It is the extraction of higher alcohols from fermented drinks by using the action of heat to vapourize them. Basically, distillation is the concentration or increasing of alcohol strength. A wine of 8% alcohol by volume condenses into distillate of 20% volume after being boiled off in a pot still; if it is boiled a second time the strength goes up to about 0% vol. If, when vapourizing wine you take the wholesome middle-cut of the run, missing out the poisonous first part and the watery final part, as distillers learned to do, you have grape spirit, eau de vie, or brandy of about 70% ABV (alcohol by volume)..2 Raw materials and base ingredients Raw materials Anything that can be fermented can be used as a raw material for spirits whether fruit, grain or vegetable. Where sugar is present in the primary material, as in molasses or fruit, the fermentation can be started directly. With grain spirits, the initial fermentation can take place only after the starch that is naturally present has been converted into sugar. To do this the grains (barley, etc.) are steeped in water for a period and then exposed to gentle warmth. This simulates the action of rain and sun, and the barley will start to sprout. As it does this, the germ of the grain gives forth an enzyme called diastase, which turns the starch of the gain into a sugar called maltose; this sugar can be fermented by yeast to produce an alcoholic wash. Fermentation This is the action of yeast upon sugar in solution, which breaks down the sugar into carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) and alcohol. This alcohol is contained within the original liquid which then becomes a fermented beverage. Some spirits can be made from one particular material only, such as whiskey, vodka, genever, some schnapps and akvavit from grain. Other, such as vodka, can be made from a broad range of raw materials, including various grains, potatoes, and even sugar cane and grapes (see Table.1). Base ingredients The availability of the base ingredient and the uniqueness of the land where is it grown play an integral part in the different complexities and qualities found in distilled spirits. Listed below are some of the various base ingredients in which these distillates find their origins.

3 18 Principles and Practice of Bar and Beverage Management: The Drinks Handbook Table.1: Distilled spirits, base ingredients (adapted from Burroughs & Bezzant, 1990). Base ingredient Type Distilled spirits and liqueurs obtained Grains barley, wheat, rye, corn Whiskey, Gin, Vodka, Korn. Other vegetables sugar cane sugar beet potato Rum, Gin, and Vodka. Vodka Neutral spirit, Vodka, Schnapps Fruit, pips Grapes Cognac, Armagnac and other Brandies Fruits Soft fruits apples, pears plums dates strawberry, raspberry Calvados, Poire, alcohol Blanca. Slivovitz, Mirabelle. Arrack. Framboise, Fraise. Roots Roots agave ti-root Tequila Okolehao Stone cherries Kirsch Sugar cane cane juice molasses Rum, Arrack Basi, Pinga, Cachao Sugar beet beet juice Neutral spirit Cellulose or milk sugar Neutral spirit.3 Methods of alcohol separation Let s consider a little science for a moment. Ethanol alcohol freezes at -133 C and boils at 78 C, which leads to two distinctively different methods to separate alcohol. The freezing method, commonly referred to as the congelation method or freeze distillation, and the boiling method or heat distillation, which is commonly referred to as the distillation method. Congelation (cold extraction) Congelation was originally used in the 8 th century in Poland before distillation was discovered. It involved the cooling of the fermentable liquid (called the alcoholic wash) below 0 C or 32 F. This is a dangerous method of separation, because the poisonous fusel oils molecules tend to stick more closely together under cold conditions and can be left in. It is for this reason that most countries have made this method of alcohol separation illegal, but some operators use it to avoid paying taxes. It is sometimes used in Canadian homes to make Applejack. Cider is put out to freeze on a winter night. In the morning the ice formed is discarded. This process is repeated for 3 to 4 nights and the resulting residue is increased in strength. Less than 2% of the world s distilled spirits are made using this method. Distillation (heat extraction) Distillation is the separation by vaporization of the fermentable liquid to create alcohol. Alcohol has a lower boiling point than water (78.5 C or 172 F compared to 100 C for water), so the alcohol vaporizes into steam some time before the

4 Distilling: How Spirits are Made 19 water content in the wine, wort or young beer starts to boil. When the alcoholladen steam hits a cool surface, it forms a dripping condensation, and reverts to a liquid of which the alcohol constitutes a much higher proportion than it did in the wine, wort or young beer. The liquid produced is colorless, tasteless. This is scientifically the best separation method and research figures indicate that this method accounts for 98% of the worlds spirits produced. It is the most widely method officially recognized by governments to separate alcohol for creating spirits on which which taxes and duties are levied..4 Principles of distillation There are two basic types of still, the pot still and the continuous still. Pot still This is sometimes referred to as an alembic or alembic still. It looks like a large copper kettle and is heated by direct heat. The vapours collect in the head and are led off through a narrow tube at the top, called the swan s neck, from where they go to the condenser. Here they are liquefied. Such a still is not very heatefficient, but it produces spirits with character. Pot still distillation is a small batch process, as the still must be refilled each occasion, and because of the time and labour intensity involved, this method can be much more expensive than using the continuous still. Figure.2: Traditional copper alembic pot still, powered by a coal furnace. BNIC

5 170 Principles and Practice of Bar and Beverage Management: The Drinks Handbook Redistilling, often several times, is necessary to achieve the appropriate alcohol level. Most spirits made with a pot still are double distilled, but sometimes it is done in three or even four stages (e.g. Irish whiskey, distilled three times). Several spirits are produced using the pot still including Cognac, brandy, Scotch malt whisky, Irish whiskey, American Bourbon whiskey and some rums (usually the darker ones). The pot still, with its painstaking thoroughness, produces distillates that retain the character and personality of their source ingredients. The largest pot still in the world is in the Old Midleton Distillery, Co. Cork Ireland. It has a capacity of 31,18 gallons (approximately 140,000 litres). It is no longer in use. Separating the poisonous heads and tails The first distillation, which is called broullis in Cognac and low wines in Scotland, and which has an alcoholic strength of about 35% ABV, is then redistilled. The first vapours coming off contain a high proportion of volatile poisons, particularly acetaldehyde, which has a boiling-point of 28 C (82 F) and methanol. Passing from the domed head at the top of the boiler, they condense in the worm and are collected in a special receiver. Some of the less volatile substances fall back into the boiler, to be revaporized: the molecules of the different substances shake loose from each other. The volatile poisons are lighter than alcohol, having a lower specific gravity, and can be detected by using a hydrometer (see Figure.4). When the hydrometer readings, and the still man s nose, indicate that purer alcohol is coming over, the still man will switch the stream of water-white liquid coming from the worm into another receiver. This heart or potable fraction mainly contains Ethanol (C 2 H 5 OH) and some flavour components. As the distillation progresses, a rank smell and a rising hydrometer reading will indicate that the poisonous fusel-oils are starting to come over in greater concentration, so the still man again switches the stream back to the first receiver. The tails, which are milky in colour, contains undesirable higher alcoholic compounds like Propandl and Butanol fusel oils, plus an increasing quantity of water. These parts are separated from the forth part (milky tails) which contains which are heavy. He has, during this second distillation, separated the poisonous heads and tails, called respectively foreshots and feints in Scotland, from the good heart. The poisons can be extracted from the hearts by further re-distillation, as in Irish whiskey, or by long maturation in wood as with Cognac. The continuous still Also referred to as the Patent, Column or Coffey Still, the continuous still was invented by Robert Stein in 1820, a relative of the Scotch whisky Haig. It first went into commercial production in Cameronbridge distillery in Fife, Scotland. An Irish Customs Officer based in Dublin named Aeneas Coffey developed the patent still further and his version eventually caught on worldwide. Ironically Aeneas Coffey never received a single order for his still from distillers in Ireland

6 Distilling: How Spirits are Made 171 who regarded his still as seriously comprising the craft of whiskey distilling. Basically this still consists of two tall columns, each about sixty feet in height, called the analyzer and the rectifier (see Figure.2). The alcoholic wash is broken down into its constituent vapours, or analysed, in the analyzer, and the vapours are selectively condensed, or rectified, in the rectifier (see Figure.3). The analyser and rectifier The still consists of two vertical columns, the analyzer and the rectifier. Steam enters the bottom of the analyzer, rises and meets the alcoholic wash, which has heated in the rectifier, descending the column. The alcohol in the wash is vapourised as it encounters the hot steam. It rises and is passed to the bottom of the rectifier. As the hot vapour rises it is cooled by the pipe carrying the cold wash and condenses. This distillation is a continuous process, with the various vapours being condensed and drawn off the still at different alcoholic strengths, according to where in the still the spirit plate is placed. The spirit can have a high degree of alcohol and purity, so only one distillation is needed. The result of using the continuous still is a more neutral spirit than that obtained from a pot still. If the spirit plate is placed to remove a lower-strength spirit, it will have more flavour and character, but will be much harsher. Up to 100 plates may be used in this still during production, but the fewer plates, the more flavour you obtain. Several spirits are made using the continuous still include vodka, grain scotches, light rums and gin. Figure.2: Large coffey still (Luigi Chiesa, Creative Commons).

7 172 Principles and Practice of Bar and Beverage Management: The Drinks The Role Handbook of the Bartender 97 1 A: Analyzer B: Rectifier Condenser A 4 B Wash 2. Steam 3. Liquid out 4. Alcohol vapour 5. Less volatile components are recycled. Most volatile components 7. Spirit Figure.3: Coffey still diagram (Still Cooker.com)..5 Systems for determining alcohol strengths At this point you should keep in mind that pure alcohol is impossible to obtain as alcohol has a great affinity for water. Even the pure alcohol sold for clinical purposes will contain at least five percent water. Ancient methods, proof, proven spirit Alcometer The term proof or a proven spirit as an indicator of alcoholic strength derives from the early use of gunpowder in testing spirits. With no prior knowledge of the possible strength of a given distillate, you would mix the spirit with gunpowder and attempt to light it. If the mixture did not ignite, the spirit was under proof (too weak); if it lit and burned steadily with a blue flame this was proof (proven or proof spirit) of a recognized level of alcoholic strength. However, if it exploded or burned fiercely you (or your next of kin) could report the distillate as over proof and recommend further dilution with water. The alcohol concentration of the distillate can be determined by measuring its density using a special alcohol hydrometer also known as an alcoholmeter, usually calibrated at 20 C with readings in % v/v. The scientific formula to calculate this density is: Density = Weight Volume Alcohol being less dense than water means that the decrease in density, relative to water, will directly correlate to the volume of alcohol present. If the temperature

8 Distilling: How Spirits are Made 173 of the alcohol solution is greater or less than 20 C, the density reading will be less or greater than the true value. The true alcohol concentration at temperatures other than 20 C can be read on a correction table chart, using the temperature and alcohol concentration range. The hydrometry method of determining alcohol concentration in distillate is one of the cheapest and simplest to perform with the least chance of errors. The purpose of an alcoholmeter is to measure the alcohol percentage in the distillate. This alcoholmeter with the aid of a copper parrot spout, which is attached to the distillate outlet of the condensing recipient, will provide constant and accurate readings of the exiting distillate. Sykes hydrometer system ( ), Sykes proof law Invented by an English customs official named Sykes, this hydrometer offered the first accurate method for testing the strength of spirits or beer. The Sykes hydrometer is based on a very simple law the law of flotation. This states that a floating body displaces its own weight of liquid. Pure alcohol is lighter than water. If we therefore place a floating body in pure alcohol and then in water it will be found that more of the former is displaced. As mentioned earlier, pure alcohol is impossible to obtain, and this presented a problem for Skyes when he first used the hydrometer. Instead of using 100% alcohol as his standard, he took advantage of the difference in the specific gravity of water and alcohol. He fixed his standard weight at twelve thirteenths of the weight of an equal quantity of distilled water. After calculating it out, by an involved process of mathematics, this means that 100 proof is equal to 57% abv or 175 proof is equal to 100% abv. Figure.4: Original Skyes hydrometer system set

9 174 Principles and Practice of Bar and Beverage Management: The Drinks Handbook The Gay-Lussac system The French scientist Gay-Lussac applied himself, in , to the study of the relation between liquid density and alcohol concentration. He perfected a new alcoholometer which was easy to use and gave directly, due to its calibration, the alcoholic rate at a given temperature, and began to manufacture them under his name and reputation. The precision of this new system was at the root of a new law about wines and spirits in The Gay-Lussac (GL) system also expresses percentage volume but measures it by hydrometer at 15 C giving a reading slightly higher than the OIML system (see next). Percentage of pure alcohol by volume (ABV) On the 1st January 1990, the Sykes hydrometer system was abolished under the EEC directive 7/7 and a new system was adopted under which strengths of alcoholic drinks would be expressed as a percentage by volume of alcohol: The Organisation Internationale de Metrologie Legale (OIML) system measures this by hydrometer at 20 C. The new hydrometers are made of glass, and those to be used by the Customs and Excise bear the EU verification (the letter e ). Thermometers made to the EU requirements are available through trade channels. Strength tables can also be purchased from the Government Publications Sales Office. In America it was decided that proof spirit should be half water and half alcohol. Pure alcohol, 100 over proof, can be expressed as 200 proof. The following table listed below may be of some help to make comparisons. Table.2: Alcoholic strengths of distilled spirits: sample comparison table (OIML) alcohol by volume ABV (%) USA proof degrees Gay Lussac G.L (%) (pure alcohol) (water) Conversions between measures of spirit strengths To convert US proof degrees to ABV: US Proof 2 = ABV% To convert spirit ABV percentage to US proof: ABV 2 = proof

10 Distilling: How Spirits are Made 175 As mentioned earlier duty and taxes are paid according to ABV strengths on product. These are the current duty bands for the United Kingdom in this regard: below 1.14% ABV : no duty above 1.14% but below 8.5% ABV: beer and cider above 8.5% to maximum 15% ABV: light wines 15-18% ABV: fortified wines (band 1) 18-22% ABV: fortified wines (band 2) above 22% ABV: liqueurs taxed per degree of alcohol, these include spirits.. Maturing and oxidation All spirits when they come off the still are colourless. The ageing process for spirits originated by mistake when it was noticed that barrels of spirits tasted smoother and more complex after long sea voyages. The barrel is the most common vessel used for maturing spirits, usually 500-litre size. Smaller sizes can also be used, but these restrict the oxygen intake and change the character of the final spirit. A wooden barrel helps the chemical reactions, extraction of taste, extraction of bouquet and extraction of colour. A small amount of the alcohol and some of the lighter fusel oils will evaporate during this time. Note that not all spirits are aged, and of those that are, not all are aged in wooden barrels. Nowdays some manufacturers are using artificial barrel tastes (chemicals can be bought to do this) from example Spain. If you require genuine quality of taste or some sweetness in your spirit you must mature for longer periods and also add some syrup to the barrel, for example dark rums. Figure.5: New American oak barrels (Kentucky Barrels) The new American white oak barrels displayed in Figure.5 are made of smooth, clear, premium, slow growing Minnesota white oak. Built by hand and toasted to perfection, they are available in 5, 10, 15, 30 and 59 gallon sizes. The barrels are made out of bent planks of oak (called staves). Only the highest quality of oak is usually used in the manufacture of oak barrels, and the staves are always chosen by hand. The reason these are hand selected, is that the quality of the completed oak barrel lies heavily in these staves. The toasting level is achieved based upon the heating time (around 30 minutes). The flavors of the spirit partially depend on this. When heated longer than 30 minutes the toast level is heavier. When

11 17 Principles and Practice of Bar and Beverage Management: The Drinks Handbook heated less than 30 minutes, it is lighter. There are multiple toasting levels, which can be adjusted according to what you need. These levels are heavy, medium, medium plus, and light. The toasting process happens when a caramelization in the wood occurs (during the heating of the staves). Some examples of the aromas this brings, are: a touch of nut, vanilla, fresh bread, or buttered bread. When you taste a wine or a spirit, you will often find these amazing aromas. The maturation process From the spirit receiver, the spirit passes, at about 70% abv, to the spirit store and into the spirit filling vat. There, the ABV is adjusted to the distillery s normal cask fill strength by the addition of water, taken from the same pure source that the spirit was made from. From there, the casks are filled. The casks are usually made of oak (by law in some countries) and come in a number of sizes, each size having an important and different effect on the maturing spirits - generally, the larger the cask, the longer is the maturation time. The casks may be newly made or more generally first-fill from sherry (a perfect size 110 gallons) which imparts a rich warm colour to the spirit, or a bourbon cask. Recently, some distilleries have been experimenting with other sources such as Madeira and port but those are generally used only to finish the spirit (for example whisky). Once filled, the barrels are rolled into the bonded warehouse where they are racked on staging up to five rows high and left to mature. Figure.: Brandy maturing in French oak barrels.

12 Distilling: How Spirits are Made 177 During storage in the bonded warehouse, various chemical reactions take place within, and in part influenced by, the cask, and the whisky itself changing gradually in nature. The oak wood imparts some chemical components to the whisky and these react to produce subtle changes in the spirit. The very atmosphere of the warehouse can exert an effect as well, for the casks are permeable and evaporation of around 1 to 2% of the contents per year (called the angels share) is allowed for by the Customs and Excise. Wood finishes More and more distilleries are producing whisky with various finishes, achieved by the last months to 2 years of maturation being in ex-sherry, ex-port, exmadeira, etc. casks. Once the casks are transferred to the bonded warehouse, by law they must remain there, under lock and key, for different maturation periods, for example a minimum of 3 years before it can be legally called Irish or Scotch whiskey. Until that point, it can only be called proof or British proof spirit. No duty has been paid on the spirit before it goes into bond. This occurs when the spirits are removed from bond at the end of its maturation period. During its life in bond, usually much longer than the legal minimum - 8 years and upwards is typical - the spirit is gradually changing in character and composition until such time as it is required for bottling for example a single malt whisky is quite often at a variety of ages, for export in bulk form, or for use by the whisky or rum blending industry. Bottling and cask strength distilled spirits Distilled spirits are diluted to drinking levels by adding distilled water. This level is usually set at about 40% ABV but this figure differs according to local tastes or national liquor regulations. When the term cask strength is used on a whiskey label, it does not mean that the product was never diluted, just that it was not diluted during the bottling process. This is usually a good sign, depending upon the age of the spirit which can vary considerably, distillery to distillery or age to age. Some cask strength spirits are as low as 55% ABV or under whilst others can be as high as 5% ABV or more. Once in the bottle, a spirit does not undergo any further changes. Micro distilleries A new trend has developed in recent years brought about by the interest and desire by customers for craft produced distilled spirits. These small, independent distilleries are normally either farm based or are located in existing micro breweries or small wineries, and are added on to the overall business operations of these small companies.

13 178 Principles and Practice of Bar and Beverage Management: The Drinks Handbook.7 Tasting distilled spirits Remember to keep it fun. The more tasting you do, the more you begin to trust your olfactory senses. The nose is the important sense. It can recognise in the region of 35,000 different smells, and can detect aromas when diluted to one part in a million. Taste is a little easier, you can only taste four things; sweet, salty, sour and bitter. If you can get these two sensory elements working in harmony you have started well. Professional tasters and blenders in the distillation industry use their nosing skills more than their tasting skills. Their taste buds are of secondary importance when it comes to the sensory evaluation of the spirit In order to taste a distilled spirit you will require: a tranquil environment, with no noises no extraneous smells, e.g. wood fires, kitchens with strong smelling food, freshly painted areas a proper glass, preferably a tulip shaped glass, clean and odorless some water, low in salts. If the tasting is about many distilled beverages, the order is crucial. Taste the most delicate one first and then work your way through the samples. Tutored distilled spirits tastings are very popular with customers currently; bars can offer themed spirit and food evenings based on a particular category or country. When you are organizing a tasting session advise everyone to follow these guidelines. Distilled spirits tasting techniques Taste in the morning (if possible) when the palate is fresh. Don t wear scent or after-shave. Don t smoke during tasting, or half an hour before the tasting as it impairs smell and taste sensations. Use glasses that will best bring out the aromas of the spirit, for example a glass with a decent tulip shape and bowl (for swirling the spirit) and a narrow lip (to catch the aromas) made from clear crystal so the colours of the spirit can be considered. Take short sniffs, and pause from time to time to breathe in fresh air and rest your nose. Smelling a substance for a prolonged time has an anesthetizing effect on the olfactory bulb, as our sense organs tend to ignore a smell which was perceived for a very long time. Cover the glass with the palm of the hand and hold it between the middle finger and the annular finger of the other hand, slowly rotate the glass as much as it is necessary to slightly shake the beverage, uncover the glass and smell again. This operation is useful for the perception of other delicate aromas. Pour a small portion of the distilled spirit into the palm of your hand, rub your hands together and breathe in the aromas between both insides of your palms,

14 Distilling: How Spirits are Made 179 this technique is favoured especially by distillers. Add water: dilute the spirit to around 30% ABV with water in order to allow other aromas to emerge towards the opening of the glass. You will actually see the little oily chains of aroma-bearing compounds swirling in the glass in some spirits like whiskey. Take care with the water as even a half centilitre too much can destroy a good spirit. Dilute to a point when any prickle or burning sensation you might feel on the nose when you sniff is gone. Use bottled water or tap water (if it is completely odorless), and don t chill it or use ice because this will close down the aromas. Take a little sip of the spirit, hold it for a moment while making sure the tongue is perfectly in contact with the beverage in order to better appreciate the fundamental flavors. The diluted spirit will be well tolerated by taste buds, swallow it slowly while trying to analyze the many gustatory nuances and their persistence in the mouth. This is the time in which flavours can be perceived. Is it smooth, viscous, fresh, acerbic, mouth-drying, full-bodied, thin or creamy? Sip again, but this time notice the primary tastes. There are four of these only: sweetness (picked up by the tip of your tongue); acidity, sourness (registered by the middle and at the sides); saltiness (also at the sides); and dryness, bitterness (reported by the back of your tongue). Not every sample will present all the primary tastes; many will offer a combination, starting sweet and finishing dry, for example, with some fresh acidity in between. Conclude on the spirit s finish and aftertaste. Finish is the length of time the flavour lingers after you have swallowed, and is rated long, medium and short. Aftertaste, if there is any, should be pleasant and not at variance with the flavour of the spirit, for example the aftertaste of rare whiskies can last for hours. Another favored technique used to enhance the marriage between distilled spirits and food is to pour a small amount of the spirit onto the meat or fish and smear it across the food before consumption. This technique works well especially with smoked salmon. If you decide that you would like to use a systematic approach with sensory indicators or score cards for your tasting, you could advise your guests and customers to make a note of the following criteria: a) Distiller, brand, b) Age, if appropriate, c) strength, d) appearance: colour, texture, clarity, e) aroma 1: nose feel, aromas, f) aroma 2: diluted: primary and secondary aromas, development, g) flavour: mouth-feel, primary taste, overall flavour, finish, h) final comments. You should score elements (c) to (h) equally for your scorecard.

15 180 Principles and Practice of Bar and Beverage Management: The Drinks Handbook Remind your guests or customers before they start that they may not find it easy to distinguish aromas and flavors, however with the right practice and training it will be possible to recognize, isolate and distinguish the many organoleptic sensations of distilled spirits. Always encourage your guests and customers to taste together. Tasting is far more fun with other people, and it also allows you to realize when you are imagining scents. There is no surer way of determining whether or not an aroma is present in a spirit sample than receiving the enthusiastic agreement of other people when you come up with a description. But bear in mind too that nosing or tasting is subjective, and your forest floor may be another person s football boots odours. Total agreement is not necessary. For a good example of this fact, read several critics guides to spirits in drinks magazines and books and compare the differences. Conclusion The varieties of distilled spirits are infinite. There are hundreds of ways in which to make this beverage that is roughly half water and half alcohol. Every base ingredient from the grape to the grain, to the water and yeast can make a difference to its final taste. The choice of the distillation method is crucial to the final product and the aging period and storage conditions produce different characteristics. The type of wooden barrel, charred or uncharred, has a definite effect on flavor. The blending and flavouring processes for each distilled spirit brand contribute significantly to their individual uniqueness. In recent times we have witnessed a new phenomenon of tutored tastings, themed evenings and clever pairing with foods and throughout the meal experience. Sommeliers, mixologists and chefs are rising to the challenge that spirits present and creating new methods and recipes to revive interest in the popular and more obscure spirits of the world. As customers continue to seek new tastes and flavours from their foods and beverages, the challenge for bars with their distilled spirit offerings will include the strategic selection, storage, presentation and appropriate staff education for these fine beverages to meet consumer demand.