2009_Book_FoodChemistry

20.3 Spirits 929
wine, known as “poiré” in France. In Germany
fruit wine is made along the Mosel river,
around Frankfurt and in the state of Baden-
Wuerttemberg. It is a popular beverage and is
commonly called “plain must”.
20.2.10.2 Malt Wine; Mead
Malt wine is made from fermented malt extract
(the hot water extract of whole meal malt). Malton
wine is made in the same way, except that sucrose
is added at 1.8-times the amount of malt in
order to increase the sugar and alcohol content of
the wine. The wort is then soured by the action
of lactic acid bacteria (0.6–0.8% lactic acid, final
concentration). The acid fermentation is stopped
by heating the wort to 78 ◦ C and, after inoculation
with a pure yeast culture, the wort is fermented to
an alcohol content of 10–13%. The beverage thus
formed has the character of a dessert wine, but is
different because of its high content of lactic acid
and its malt extract flavor. Mead is an alcoholic
liquor made of fermented honey, malt and spices,
or just of honey and water (not more than 21 water
per kg of honey). Since early times, mead has
been widely consumed in Europe and, even today,
it is enjoyed the most of all the wine beverages in
eastern and northern Europe.
20.2.10.3 Other Products
Other wine-like products include palm and
agave wines (“Pulque”), maple and tamarind
(Indian date) wines, and sake, the Japanese
alcoholic drink made from fermented rice, which
resembles sherry and is enjoyed as a warm drink.
20.2.11 Wine-Containing Beverages
Wine-containing beverages are made with wine,
liquor wines or sparkling wines and, hence, they
are alcoholic beverages.
20.2.11.1 Vermouth
Vermouth was first produced in the late 18th
century in Italy (Vermouth di Torino, Vino Vermouth)
and later in Hungary, France, Slovenia
and Germany. For the production of vermouth,
wormwood (Artemisia absynthium) is extracted
with the fermenting must or with wine, or it is
made from a concentrate of plant extracts added
to wine. Other herbs or spices are additionally
used, such as seeds, bark, leaves or roots, as is the
case with thyme, gentian or calamus, the sweet
flag plant.
20.2.11.2 Aromatic Wines
These wines are similar to vermouth aperitif
wines. They are flavored by different herbs and
spices. Ginger-flavored wine is an example of
this type of wine.
20.3 Spirits
20.3.1 Foreword
Spirits or liquors are alcoholic beverages in
which the high alcohol concentration is achieved
by distillation of a fermented sugar-containing
liquid. Examples are distilled wines (brandies),
liqueurs, punch extracts and alcohol-containing
mixed drinks. Table 20.27 compares the alcohol
consumption with respect to spirits, wine and
beer in selected countries.
20.3.2 Liquor
The term liquor includes all liquids, even pure
alcohol, which are obtained by fermentation followed
by distillation. Some types of liquors contain
flavorings.
20.3.2.1 Production
Liquors are produced by removing alcohol from
an alcohol-containing liquid by distillation.
Such liquids may already contain the alcohol,
or alcohol is produced by the fermentation
of a sugar-containing mash. The mash may
include fermentable forms of sugars (D-glucose,
D-fructose, D-mannose and D-galactose), or those
forms are prepared by prior hydrolysis of di-