In the captivating world of beverages, spirits stand as the quintessential essence of craftsmanship and flavor. With an array of choices that span continents and cultures, the term “spirits” encompasses a rich tapestry of libations that intrigue and delight connoisseurs and casual enthusiasts alike. In this article, we embark on a journey to uncover the various types of spirits that grace our glasses and glasses around the world.
What is spirits?
Generally speaking, spirits are actually another name for distilled spirits. Because of their high alcohol content, they are called spirits. The so-called distilled liquor is made from grains or alternative raw materials (such as starchy raw materials such as potatoes, fruits, and molasses), using starter cultures such as koji and yeast cultured by microorganisms, through cooking, saccharification, fermentation, distillation and other processes. High-alcoholic beverages for later storage.
Eight types of spirits:
1. Gin
Gin: also known as gin, was born in the Netherlands and grew up in the UK. It is often used in cocktails. It is formed by fermenting, distilling and blending corn, barley and grain. Colorless and transparent. The alcohol content is between 35% and 55%.
2.Whiskey
Whiskey (Whiskey): It is fermented from barley and grain and fermented in oak barrels. Most famous in Scotland and Ireland. The color is brown. The alcohol content is about 43 degrees.
3. Brandy
Brandy: It is a high-grade wine that is distilled after fermented grapes and aged in oak barrels. Known as “the soul of wine”, the alcohol content is mostly 40 degrees. The brandy that has just been distilled is colorless and transparent, and the brandy that has been aged in oak barrels is amber. Generally, according to the aging time, it is divided into special grade (X.O), excellent grade (V.S.O.P), first grade (V.O) and second grade (three stars and V.S).
4. Vodka
Vodka (Vodka): It is a traditional alcoholic beverage in Russia; vodka is made of grain or potato, and is distilled to make alcohol up to 95 degrees, then desalinated with distilled water to 40 to 60 degrees, and filtered by activated carbon to make the wine quality It is more crystal clear, colorless and light and refreshing, making people feel neither sweet, bitter, nor astringent, only the stimulation like a flame, forming a unique feature. Often used as a base wine for cocktail preparation.
5. Rum
Rum (Rum): It is made from sugar juice pressed from sugarcane, fermented and distilled. Also known as sugar wine, blue (blue) rum, the alcohol content is 38 to 50 degrees, the color of the wine is light yellow, amber, the origin is in Cuba, and the taste is sweet and fragrant.
6. Agave
Tequila: The national liquor of Mexico, known as the “soul of Mexico”, is fermented and distilled from agave juice. The color is golden yellow and the alcohol content is about 50 degrees.
7. Liquor
Chinese liquor (Spirit): It is a unique distilled liquor in China, also known as shochu. It is made from raw materials containing starch or sugar (such as sorghum, rice, corn, highland barley, etc.) or distilled after fermentation. Generally, the alcohol content is above 40 degrees. The wine is colorless and transparent. It is divided into various fragrance types such as sauce fragrance, light fragrance, strong fragrance and so on.
8. Sake
Japanese sake (Sake): It is a liquor formed by fermenting and distilling pure rice based on the fermentation method of Chinese rice wine. It is known as Japan’s national liquor. The wine is light yellow or colorless, clear and transparent, has a pleasant aroma, has a pure taste, is soft and refreshing, and has an alcohol content of more than 20%. South Korea also produces sake.
Things to note when drinking
Before drinking
1. Before drinking, you can only eat 7 servings and do not drink a lot of water.
2. Half an hour before drinking, drink a bottle of milk, preferably pure milk or sugary milk, to prevent drunken gastritis and dehydration. Drinking milk with sugar or honey can not only promote the decomposition of ethanol, but also protect the gastric mucosa. Because dehydration will cause salt loss, you can drink some light salt water or rehydration salt in moderation.
3. Do not drink alcohol on an empty stomach, because alcohol is absorbed quickly on an empty stomach, and people are prone to getting drunk; the best preventive method is to eat oily food, such as fatty meat, hoofs, etc., or drink milk to use the fat in food before drinking alcohol. Stomach protection with nondigestible properties to prevent alcohol from penetrating the stomach wall. This is the main trick to drinking without getting drunk. Because of this, it can prolong the absorption time of ethanol in vivo.
In wine
1. It is not recommended to drink with carbonated drinks. Drinking with drinks will cause greater harm to the body. Therefore, it is not recommended to drink with carbonated drinks. You can directly drink with mineral water, which can not only speed up metabolism, but also dilute a certain amount of alcohol. Alcohol concentration.
2. Avoid smoking while drinking. It is unscientific to say that drunkenness can be relieved by smoking. Smoking while drinking is more harmful, because the ethanol in the alcohol stimulates the blood circulation system and accelerates blood vessel expansion, thereby increasing the absorption of harmful substances such as nicotine in the smoke, and the harm will be doubled.
After drinking
1. Don’t go to bed immediately after drinking. Alcohol is digested by the liver, sleep immediately, the body’s metabolism is slow, which is not good for the liver, and it is easy to get alcoholic liver. It is recommended to wash the face with cold water after drinking, and then sit and rest for a while. If you drink too much, don’t let it fall asleep naturally. If you are severely alcoholic, you may not wake up. In this case, your family should be by your side, wake up the drunk every two hours, and feed him a little boiled water until he is completely sober.
2. Never sleep on an electric blanket after drinking. When drinking too much alcohol, the function of body temperature regulation is out of balance, the loss of heat increases, and it is easy to make people feel cold all over. At this time, you should keep warm, but don’t sleep on electric blankets, especially those with cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases such as high blood pressure and coronary heart disease. After drinking, blood vessels expand, heart rate and metabolism will speed up, blood pressure will rise, and it is easy to induce myocardial infarction, angina pectoris and other diseases. If you feel cold, you can use a duvet or a hot water bottle to keep warm, and drink more hot water, but the temperature should not be too high to avoid burns.
3. Do not take hangover medicine after drinking. Hangover drugs can only temporarily help people get rid of drunk symptoms, but in fact they will prolong your drunk time. It is recommended to drink a lot of water after getting drunk. In addition, we can also choose to drink some sports drinks to help replenish electrolytes.
Conclusion
As we journeyed through the captivating landscape of spirits, we’ve discovered a rich mosaic of flavors, histories, and traditions. These spirits not only enrich our palates but also provide a glimpse into the cultures and expertise that define them.
