Sommelier > Spirits > Flashcards

Spirits Flashcards

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1
Q

State the ingredients allowed in the Bavarian Purity Law of 1516

A

Beer Ingredients:

  1. Barley malt
  2. Yeast
  3. Water
  4. Hops
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2
Q

Name the 2 main categories of beer

A

Lagers: Pilsner, Bock

  • bottom fermenting yeast
  • cool, slow fermentation
  • typically lighter in color, body, flavor and alcohol

Ales: Pale Ale, Stouts (Guiness)

  • top fermenting yeasts
  • warm, fast fermentation
  • typically fuller in color, body flavor and alcohol
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3
Q

Steps of Beer Production

A
  1. Harvest barley
  2. Germination - leave barley in warm/humid environment allowing the grains to sprout
  3. Kiln - to stop germination and possible toast the malt
  4. Grind into powder
  5. Steep - in warm water to extract maltose sugar creating wort (
  6. Boil - add hops and boil the wort, activating hops antibacterial properties and stabilizing the beer
    (Hops - flour)
  7. Yeast - add yeast
  8. Alcoholic fermentation
  9. Filter, pasteurize, bottle
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4
Q

Define wort and explain the role it plays in beer making

A

Wort is the sweet, malty liquid that begins by converting the starches of malted grains into sugar

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5
Q

Cognac (Brandy)

A

Brandy from the Cognac region in Southwest France

Brandy distilled from grapes: Ugni Blanc & Colombard

Distillation:
- 2 distillations in Copper Charentais Pot Still
First distillation - only 28-32%

Cognac Producers:
Hennessy
Rémy Martin
Courvoisier
Hine
Delamain
Martell

Cognac aging:

  • 3 Star/VS/de Luxe: 2 years minimum
  • Supérieur: 3 years minimum
  • 5 Star/VSOP/Ríserve: 4 years minimum
  • VVSOP/Grande Ríserve: 5 years minimum
  • Napoléon/XO/Royal/Vieille Ríserve: 6 years minimum—> NOW 10 years minimum aging since 2018

Cognac Zones:

  1. Borderies
  2. Grande Champagne
  3. Petite Champagne
  4. Fins Bois
  5. Bons Bois and Bois Ordinaires
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6
Q

Armagnac (Brandy)

A

Brandy from France - made from Ugni Blanc grapes

Main Grape: Ugni Blanc grape
Other Grapes: Baco Blanc, Folle Blanche, Colombard

Distillation: 2 types

  • 1 distillation: Copper Continuous Still
  • 2 distillations: Copper Pot Still
Producers:
Château de Laubade
Darroze 
Château du Tariquet
Château de Briat
Jean Danflou (négociant)

Armagnac Zones:

  1. Bas Armagnac
  2. Ténerèze
  3. Haut Armagnac
  4. Blanche Armagnac AOC

Differences from Cognac: Climate, Soil, Cooperage, Coloring

Armagnac aging:

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7
Q

Calvados (Brandy)

A

Brandy from Normandy, France - Apple cider distilled into brandy

made from distilled apple cider (50-60 varieties of apples used)

Best appellation: Pays d’Auge
Zones:

Calvados Producers:
Boulard
Adrian Camut
Domaine DuPont
Lemorton
Busnel

Calvados Zones:

  1. Calvados AOC
  2. Calvados Pays d’Auge AOC
  3. Calvados Domfrontais AOC
Calvados aging:
Fine/Trois Pommes/VS: minimum 2 years
Vieux/Riserve: minimum 3 years
VO/VSOP/Vieille Reserve: minimum 4 years
Goes d’Age/XO/Tres Vieux: minimum 6 years
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8
Q

Bourbon (Whisky)

A
  • made from at least 51% corn (most are made from around 70% corn)

Pot stilled and aged in charred white American oak

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9
Q

Peat

A

Fossil-fuel like soil made up of decaying plants and animals compressed in wet, bog land areas.

It burns incredibly well and as such is used to dry grains. That’s why peat is used in some whiskies alongside a smokiness from the burning process. Since it comes from the ground and is very soil like, it imparts earthy, dew-covered grassy notes

Peat is thousands of years worth of decaying vegetation, animals and moss which have evolved into layers

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10
Q

Wine based brown spirits

A

Cognac - Ugni Blanc and Colombard
Armagnac - Ugni Blanc grape
Calvados - Apple cider

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11
Q

Wine based white spirits

A

Eaux-de-Vie
Grappa
Marc

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12
Q

Beer based white spirits

A

Gin
Vodka
Lighter Rums
Lighter Tequilas

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13
Q

Beer based brown spirits

A 
Bourbon
Tennessee
Canadian
Scotch - distilled beer
Irish
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14
Q

Scotch (Whisky)

A

Scotch is a type of whisky

Produced in Scotland
Made from Barley steeped in water and then toasted

Scotch Regions

  1. Islay
  2. Highland - Oban
  3. Speyside - Macallan
  4. Campbeltown
  5. Lowland

Type of Scotch:

  1. Malt Whisky - Macallan
  2. Blended Scotch Whisky - Johnny Walker Red, Black, Green, Gold, Blue Label

Macallan is a malt whisky from Speyside, Scotland

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15
Q

Junmai

A

Pure rice wine, no adding of distilled alcohol to the rice

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16
Q

Honjozo

A

A small amount of distilled alcohol is added to the sake rice

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17
Q

Daiginjo

A

At least 50% of rice polished away

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18
Q

Ginjo

A

At least 40% of rice polished away

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19
Q

Shu

A

At least 30% of rice polished away

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20
Q

Nigori

A

Milky, unfiltered “cloudy” usually sweet sake

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21
Q

Explain what hops are and their use in beer making

A

Hop is flour and The bitterness helps balance the sweetness of malt and help stabilize the beer

Hops are the green cone-shaped flowers. The are the source of bitternes, aroma and flavor in beer.

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22
Q

Sake

A

A fermented rice beverage

Usually 6-20% alcohol

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23
Q

Kura

A

Beer brewery in Japan

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24
Q

Koji

A

Is a fungus that produces enzymes necessary for breaking down rice starch into fermentable glucose in sake production

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25
Sake quality levels
``` Shu - 30% of rice polished away Ginjo - 40% of rice polished away Daiginjo - 50% of rice polished away Junmai - pure rice wine Honjozo - a small amount of alcohol is added ```
26
Moscow Mule
Vodka 2oz Lime juice .5oz Ginger Beer 4oz
27
White Russian
Vodka 1.5oz Kahlua .75oz Heavy Cream
28
Negroni
Gin 1.5oz Campari 1.5oz Sweet Vermouth 1.5oz Garnish with orange slice
29
Gibson & Martini
Gibson: Gin 2.5oz Dry Vermouth .5oz Garnish with 1-3 onions Martini: Gin 2.5oz Dry Vermouth.5oz Garnish with twist of lemon or green olive
30
Brandy
Distilled spirit made from fermented fruit juice. It can be produced using grapes or fruit 1. Cognac 2. Armagnac 3. Calvados
31
Whisky
Whisky is a generic term for “distilled beer” 1. Scotch - made from malted barley (produced in Scotland) 2. Bourbon - made from at least 51% corn (produced in the USA)
32
Spirits Method of Production
Continuous Still - lighter, cleaner spirits not aged and usually bottled and meant for near-term consumption - continuous, relatively short distillation - Vodka, gin, lighter runs, lighter tequila and aquavit Pot Still - heavier, darker-colored spirits usually aged in wood - slower, gentler distillation resulting in more complex spirits - Malt Whisky, Cognac, Armagnac and other Brandies and Whiskies
33
Gin
Made from cereal grains | Juniper is the predominant flavor
34
Rum
Made from Sugar cane juice, molasses or dunder
35
Vermouth
Wine-based aperitif - fortified and flavored with aromatic herbs and spices Dolin producer (from Chambers appellation in Savoie, France)
36
Nut based liquors
Frangelico - hazelnuts | Amaretto - almond
37
Marc
French for a pomace Brandy
38
Bourbon
Is aged in new American oak barrels that have been charred on the inside and gives extreme flavors
39
Sake Production
1. Milling — milling all of the starchy components, there are different levels 2. Rinsing — imparts moisture on the rise 3. Soaking — water content has to be concise so that each kernel has the proper amount of moisture 4. Steaming — 200-220 degrees Fahrenheit 5. Koji-Kin Mold — sprinkle it on the steamed rice and it converts the starches in the rice to sugars for fermentation, takes 4 days or so. This is a multiple parallel fermentation 6. Yeast — once you have sugar, the yeast can convert sugar into alcohol after the Koji converts starch into sugar. Yeast ferments the sake and creates alcohol 15-22% alcohol. Diverse yeast strains
40
What is koji-kin?
A fungus used to convert starches to sugar in sake rice
41
What type of sake is Namazake?
Unpasteurized
42
If a sake is labeled Jumai Daigingo
- 50% of Rice grain is polished away - 50% of Rice Grain is remaining - no alcohol has been added
43
What type of Sake is Nigori
Unfiltered
44
Tequila Aging
Blanco — less than 60 days aging Reposado— 2 months to 1 year aging in wooden containers Añejo — more than 1 year in small oak barrels Extra Aged or Extra Añejo — more than 3 years in small oak barrels
45
Scotch Whisky
``` Location: Scotland Regions: —Islay —Highland —Campbeltown —Lowland Types: Single Malt vs. Blended ```
46
Irish Whisky
Location: Ireland ONLY Ingredients: Barley Base Aging: 3 years in barrel Producers: Jameson
47
Canadian Whisky
Ingredients: Corn, Wheat, Rye, Barley Aging: 3 years minimum aging Producer: Crown Royale
48
Bourbon Whisky
Location: must be produced in the USA, most is produced in Kentucky Ingredients: minimum 51% Corn Process/Aging: aged in new, charred, American White Oak Producer: Maker’s Mark
49
Tennessee Whiskey
Location: must be made in Tennessee Ingredients: minimum 51% Corn Process/Aging: filtered through a bed of Tennessee sugar maple charcoal Producer: Jack Daniel’s
50
Cognac Brandy
Location: Cognac AOP — Atlantic Coast of France (next to Bordeaux) Fermentation: white grape-based wines Grape: Ugni Blanc Distillation: distilled twice in cooped pot stills Aging: minimum of 2 years aging in French Oak Cask
51
Armagnac Brandy
Location: Armagnac AOP — Southwest France Gascony Fermentation: Brandy distilled from a blen of local grape varieties Distillation: traditionally one distillation in a unique continuous still Aging: minimum 2 years aging in French Oak Cask
52
Calvados Eau De Vie
Location: Calvados AOP — Normandy, France Fermentation: fermented apples and pears Distillation: traditionally distilled twice in a copper pot still. Continuous still in some areas Aging: minimum of 2 years aging in French Oak Cask
53
Fruit Based Liquers
Orange — Triple Sec — Cointreau — Grand Mariner Apricot — Amaretto Peaches — Southern Comfort
54
Whiskey Liquers
Drambuie Glayva Irish Mist
55
Cream Based Liquers
Bailey’s
56
Coffee Based Liquers
Kahlúa
57
Ginger based Liquers
Canton
58
Elderflower based Liquer
Saint Germain
59
Herb and Nut based Liquers
``` Anisette Bénédictine B&B Chartreuse Crème de Menthe Frangelico Galliano Ouzo Sambuca ```
60
Apples and Pears are the primary fruits of what spirit
Calvados
61
Cognac and Armagnac are both
Oak Aged and Wine based spirits
62
What is the base ingredient of rum
Sugarcane or molasses
63
What is the predominant flavor of Kahlúa
Coffee flavor
64
Flavoring a neutral spirit with botanicals such as juniper berries and lemon peel is common for
Gin
65
“Peatiness” is a dominant flavor of what spirit
Scotch Whisky
66
With what spirit is the term “reposado” used to describe aging
Tequila
Sommelier
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