Preparing This Food
All spirits except unflavored vodkas contain volatile molecules that give the beverage its
characteristic taste and smell. Warming the liquid excites these molecules and intensifies the
flavor and aroma, which is the reason we serve brandy in a round glass with a narrower top
that captures the aromatic molecules as they rise toward the air when we warm the glass by
holding it in our hands. Whiskies, too, though traditionally served with ice in America, will
have a more intense flavor and aroma if served at room temperature.
What Happens When You Cook This Food
The heat of cooking evaporates the alcohol in spirits but leaves the flavoring intact. Like
other alcoholic beverages, spirits should be added to a recipe near the end of the cooking time
to preserve the flavor while cooking away any alcohol bite.
Alcohol is an acid. If you cook it in an aluminum or iron pot, it will combine with metal
ions to form dark compounds that discolor the pot and the food you are cooking. Any recipe
made with spirits should be prepared in an enameled, glass, or stainless-steel pot.
How Other Kinds of Processing Affect This Food
Medical Uses and/or Benefits
Reduced risk of heart attack. Data from the American Cancer Society’s Cancer Prevention
Study 1, a 12-year survey of more than 1 million Americans in 25 states, shows that men
who take one drink a day have a 21 percent lower risk of heart attack and a 22 percent lower
risk of stroke than men who do not drink at all. Women who have up to one drink a day also
reduce their risk of heart attack. Numerous later studies have confirmed these findings.
Lower cholesterol levels. Beverage alcohol decreases the body’s production and storage of
low density lipoproteins (LDLs), the protein and fat particles that carry cholesterol into your
arteries. As a result, people who drink moderately tend to have lower cholesterol levels and
higher levels of high density lipoproteins (HDLs), the fat and protein particles that carry
cholesterol out of the body. Numerous later studies have confirmed these findings.
Lower risk of stroke. In January 1999, the results of a 677-person study published by
researchers at New York Presbyterian Hospital-Columbia University showed that moderate
alcohol consumption reduces the risk of stroke due to a blood clot in the brain among older
people (average age: 70). How alcohol prevents stroke is still unknown, but it is clear that
moderate use is a key. Heavy drinkers (those who consume more than seven drinks a day)
have a higher risk of stroke. People who once drank heavily, but cut their consumption to
moderate levels, reduce their risk of stroke.
Distilled Spirits