Wall Street Journal : Wine and Spirits - Article Example

ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES AND HEALTH It was believed that alcoholic beverages, particularly wines, were the prime medicinal agents of our ancestors from the ancient world into the early nineteenth century wherein, wine was the most common ingredient in the medicines of ancient Egypt, Syria, and Mesopotamia, either taken by mouth or topically applied (Katsigris and Thomas 9). People who drank alcohol (not in excessive intake) of centuries ago were healthier and hardier because of its known nutritional benefits and tend to live longer and reproduce more (Katsigris and Thomas 9).

They even used it to sterile an open wound as what we see in Western movies. SIX BASIC DISTILLED SPIRITS Distilled spirits are made from fermented liquids either from wine, grains, herbs, and spices, plants, and fruits. The process, distillation, is done through heating, cooling, and condensing liquids to extract and concentrate their alcohol content (Katsigris and Thomas 7) taking its neutral spirits with little color, aroma, or flavor (Bohrmann 16). Tan 2 Distillation from wine products. The spirits derived from distillation of fermented grapes or what we known as wines are the famous brandies, cognacs, Armagnac, and grappa.

It is associated as the after-dinner drinks because it promotes good digestion of the meal. Customers seem to enjoy the “luxury” of the relaxing and interesting liquor after a meal. Distillation from grain-based products. Spirits derived from grains are the whiskeys or whisky (Americans and the Irish spell it “whiskey”; the Scots and the Canadians spell it “whisky), produced from malted barley, gin produced from Juniper berries, and vodka produced from grains (primarily barley and wheat) and potatoes.

Distillation from plant-based and root-based products. The famous plant/root-based spirits are tequila, produced from blue agave cactus, and rum, produced from sugarcanes. Although these famous spirits are being enjoyed worldwide and has proven its existence, some countries had produced artisan spirits as their very own variety of spirits which is locally known to them. They use this spirits as part of their festivities, beliefs, and traditions. It has marked their country as their very own produced spirit.

Artisan liquors or spirits characterize the country’s primary product, culture, and way of living. It makes the country apart and unique from other liquor and wine producing countries. Artisan liquors are handcrafted liquors made with local flavor made in old-fashioned way and in small batches. Research made by the National Restaurant Association, artisan spirits are number 1 in the top trends in alcoholic beverages in 2011. Various artisan spirits are available in the market for consumption.

In the Philippines, coconut trees are widely planted in almost every part of the country and it grows throughout the year. They have used this opportunity to produce various coconut-based products as source of income, food, and shelter. One of the many products derived from the coconut is the Lambanog or coconut vodka which is also called “a poor man’s drink” wherein the process involves collecting the sap from the coconut flower then cooked and fermented in “banga” to become tuba (coconut toddy).

The tuba is then distilled to make Lambanog. The Lambanog is used in many gatherings