Food Chemistry

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). Mal-
ton wine is made in the same way, except that su-
crose 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 wa-
ter 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 Ver-

mouth) 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 fol-

lowed by distillation. Some types of liquors con-

tain 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 andD-galactose), or those

forms are prepared by prior hydrolysis of di-