water, when it is converted into vapor,
becomes drinkable, nor does it form sea water
when it condenses again.” Concentrated
alcohol may have been discovered for the first
time in ancient China. Archaeological finds
and written documents suggest that Chinese
alchemists were distilling small amounts of
concentrated alcohol from grain preparations
around 2,000 years ago. A privileged few were
drinking it before the 10th century, and by the
13th it was a commercial product.
Japanese Cooking Alcohols: Mirin and
Sake Lees
Mirin is a sweet Japanese cooking alcohol.
It’s made by combining cooked polished
rice, koji, and shochu, a distilled spirit
made from a low-grade sake. The alcohol
inhibits any further alcoholic fermentation.
Instead, during two months at a warm 77–
86ºF/25–30ºC, the koji mold and enzymes
slowly convert the rice starch into glucose.