What are the characteristics of vodka, whiskey and brandy?

1. Characteristics of vodka, whiskey and brandy:

1. Vodka

Vodka, with a history of more than 500 years, is the national drink of Russia, mainly made from barley and black. Wheat, corn, etc. are used as raw materials. After fermentation and saccharification, alcohol with a purity of up to 95 is distilled, and then filtered with birch charcoal to remove impurities such as acids, aldehydes, and esters contained in it, and finally diluted with pure water. Activated carbon filtration is the main difference between vodka and other spirits.

Initially, the name of this strong liquor was not vodka, but grain wine. The name vodka was given by Mendeleev, a Russian chemist and inventor of the periodic table of chemical elements, and he is therefore known as the "Father of Vodka".

In addition to the name, Mendeleev also contributed the standard recipe for vodka. Through research, Mendeleev discovered that the optimal alcohol content of vodka should be 38°. In 1895, in order to simplify the taxation process, the Russian Finance Minister referred to Mendeleev’s experimental results and unified the standard degree of vodka in Russia to 40°.

Most Russians drink vodka in large glasses of 200 to 300 ml. Chill the vodka in the refrigerator before drinking it to make it taste better.

2. Whiskey

Whiskey (Whisky, Whiskey) is a kind of strong distillation made from barley and other grains. After aging in oak barrels for many years, it is blended into a strong distillation of about 43 degrees. liquor. The British call it the "water of life".

Unlike Chinese spirits, whiskey is aged in oak barrels, which give it a multi-layered aroma; while Chinese spirits are mostly aged in clay pots, earthen jars, etc., and the longer they are aged, the more "mellow" they become. . The relatively stable flavor of whiskey is produced between 12 and 25 years.

From a drinking point of view, 15-18 years is the best state. A wine should be appreciated from its characteristics and characteristics. The appeal of whiskey lies in its aroma and taste impact. If the vintage is too short, the wine will lack a sense of balance, but after 25 years, the wine will not taste strong enough, and its alcohol content will be reduced and it will not bring out the aroma.

Whiskey pays attention to the richness of taste and the layering and elasticity of aroma. Whiskey has a much stronger impact on people's taste than wine. The better the whiskey, the lower the alcohol content when you drink it. The reason is the same as Moutai.

In addition, the age of whiskey refers to the time in the barrel. It does not change after bottling. It has been harvested for many years, but it just feels like drinking old wine. The biggest impact on whiskey is light and temperature. It cannot be directly exposed to the sun or exposed to the sun. It can be placed on a bookshelf in a dark and room temperature environment.

3. Brandy

Brandy is a wine made from fruits through fermentation and distillation. The so-called brandy refers specifically to the brandy made from grapes.

The alcohol content of brandy is between 40-43 degrees (the general international standard for blended brandy is 42-43 degrees). Although it is a strong liquor, its taste is soft due to long-term aging. , pure fragrance, giving people an elegant and comfortable enjoyment after drinking. Brandy has a beautiful amber color and is very attractive. Its long history has also given it a mysterious color.

Internationally popular brandy has an alcohol volume fraction of about 40, a golden and bright color, an elegant and delicate grape fruit aroma and a rich aged wood aroma, a sweet and mellow taste, and a lingering aftertaste. scattered.

Brandy is known as the "soul of wine". In terms of brewing raw materials, brandy in the narrow sense is made from grapes after fermentation and distillation; in the broad sense, brandy can be brewed and distilled from all fruits. Become. Brandy made from fruits other than grapes should be added with the name of the fruit, such as apple brandy, cherry brandy, etc.

2. Which of the three types of wine is more expensive is not necessarily determined. It depends on the quality and vintage of the wine. Every type of wine has a high-quality and high-priced variety. Likewise, There will also be varieties with low quality and low price.

Extended information:

The difference between vodka and whiskey

1. Vodka and whiskey have different famous origins

Generally speaking, we It is more common to hear people talking about Russian vodka, Swedish vodka, Polish vodka, Scotch whiskey, etc. This is the famous origin difference between these two drinks.

Of course we cannot just think that Scotland does not produce vodka, while Russia, Sweden and Poland do not produce whiskey. It is just that traditionally, vodka is more popular with Northern and Eastern Europeans, while whiskey is more popular in Northern Europe and Eastern Europe. More common in Western Europe.

2. Many people think that vodka is a spirit, while whiskey is a gentleman’s drink

Vodka is suitable for traditional wines that appear at large and lively festival banquets, but there are many things that should be followed when drinking whiskey etiquette. In fact, this is a difference between personal experience and traditional drinking habits. Generally speaking, many people are used to adding some pure water to adjust the taste before drinking whiskey. However, later they gradually changed to adding ice cubes to the whiskey. For traditional drinking, For tasters, adding ice cubes to whiskey is not recognized by them.

However, this drinking habit has become popular among more and more people, so we can only treat the problem from the perspective of existence and reasonableness. However, as for the direct drinking of vodka, since most of them occur in countries with bold personalities, there are not so many red tapes. Therefore, over time, the impression that drinking whiskey requires more etiquette has been created.

3. The main difference between vodka and whiskey is the difference in raw materials and production process

Whiskey is made from grains such as wheat, barley, rye, buckwheat, and corn germination. Then it is left to ferment, then distilled, and finally it must be stored in oak barrels. The taste of whiskey is closely related to the manufacturer's experience, storage time, and different production methods in different countries.

The traditional brewing method of vodka uses potatoes, corn, barley or rye as raw materials. Through the cooking method, the starch in the raw materials is first saccharified, and then the distillation method is used to distill the alcohol content as high as 96. After the wine is finished, it is filtered using charcoal to absorb impurities in the wine. It is then diluted with distilled water before bottling. The final alcohol content is about 40-50.

Generally speaking, the taste of wheat vodka is usually softer, while the taste of rye vodka is relatively stronger and accompanied by a touch of spice, and potato vodka may be creamy. The texture is silky.

4. The difference between vodka, whiskey and alcohol content

The alcohol content of whiskey fluctuates between 32-60 degrees, while the alcohol content of vodka under the same circumstances is more stable, generally The temperature is 40 degrees, but in the world, vodka can reach a maximum temperature of 96 degrees. This is the famous Polish distilled vodka Spirytus.

Reference materials:

People's Daily Online - Vodka, the Soul of Russia

People's Daily Online - Should whiskey collection focus on age or barrel?

Baidu Encyclopedia-Brandy