Prohibition of The United States of America

The Volstead act or Prohibition act took effect in 1920. In a few states throughout America laws were currently set up in an attempt to halt the use of alcohol. These laws were in effect before the 18th amendment (Volstead act, Prohibition act) was approved before congress.

New York was the 1st state to possess any such laws passed in 1697. This law simply stated that all bars and drinking establishments must close on Sunday. Sunday for most religions is meant to be considered a day of rest and prayer and not drinking. In Georgia in the year 1735, the government passed its First state wide ban on alcohol. The ban lasted only 7 years and was a total failure.

In 1851, they attempted once again to instill a prohibition on alcohol in Maine, and this time it worked even better than they had expected. By 1855, twelve other states joined Maine in becoming what is known as a "dry state."

Following the Civil War in 1880, women joined the "dries". It wasn't long before the temperance movement had become a force to be reckoned with. The conservative Woman's Christian Temperance Union, WCTU, was created and the Prohibition Party began gaining momentum.

By 1900, more than 50% of the continental U . S . was dry. Prohibitionists thought they had the alcohol ban locked up and there was not any way possible for any person to obtain alcohol in a dry state. Unfortunately for the dries, the US Postal Service unintentionally furnished a loophole. Because the USPS was governed by the US government not the state government, spirits could be mail ordered and shipped from a wet state. This maddened the dries. In 1913, an Interstate Liquor Act was approved. This act effectively made it illegal for any person to send liquor to any dry state by any means. The end results was actually a step backwards for those trying to keep liquor out as it gave rise to illegal strategies of acquiring the alcohol since liquor distilleries were now in league with organized crime.

In 1917, the 18th amendment was drafted making it illegal to purchase, mail or make liquor. This did not sit well for lots of states. The amendment was disputed in congress for an additional Two years. In 1920 Thirty-three states had declared themselves dry which meant a huge victory for the prohibition party.

January 29, 1919. The 18th Amendment was ratified making all hard alcohol having an ethanol content over 80 proof (40%) be forbidden. Legally, it banned the production, selling, or transporting of such alcoholic drinks. This was supported by many people because they thought that only hard liquor was to be banned and that it would be fine to enjoy a glass of wine with food or drink a beer in the evening. Nevertheless, it wasn't until a year later, the Volstead Act (prohibition act) was passed. The Volstead Act completely banned all alcohol that had greater than 1 proof (1/2%) of alcohol. This effectively banned all forms of alcoholic beverages, aside from non-alcoholic beers. When the 18th amendment was ratified, the Volstead Act was brought into the light by Prohibition supporters. For almost all of the prohibition supporters who only wanted a little wine or the occasional beer felt as though that they had been betrayed because they wound up with nothing when the act was passed.

One group that no one thought of were the veterans of World War 1. These soldiers felt very betrayed returning home from battling in the war. Many of them had been stationed in France and came to know how a moderate quantity of alcohol could add to the quality of life. Coming home and learning that the dries had won a complete victory over alcohol added to the bitterness of the veterans disdain. The fatal miscalculation with prohibition was to ban all forms of alcohol. Eighty percent of the Prohibition Party followers abandoned the party. Prohibition survived for 13 years in the United states until in 1933 the 21st amendment was passed to officially end the ban on alcohol.

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Scotch 101

Scotch whisky demands a tremendous amount of time to produce. It can be a tedious process that will last for many years. On the other hand, if it's crafted in the right way, the product is one that's worth the long wait.

First, the barley is submerged in tanks of water for roughly 3 days. The moisture causes the barley to begin the germination process. When germinated, the barley will be moved to the malting area of the distillery where it'll be put into drums often known as the malting floor.

The goal of the germination process is to transform the starch in the grains into fermentable sugars. The yeast will metabolize the sugars generating alcohol during the fermentation phase. Turning the barley often makes sure the temperature will stay consistent. Wooden shovels known as sheils are employed to turn the grains on a traditional malting floor. The grains will die-off if the temperatures gets above 71 degrees F. This would in turn stop the process because the starch will not be changed into fermentable sugars.

The grain will then be kiln dried to halt the germination process and the continuation of sugar consumption. Usually, a traditional kiln is a building standing two stories tall with the top perforated to allow for all heat to escape. The bottom floor contains peat bricks that are burned. During this process the grain is dried and absorbs the peat smell and flavour. The pagoda roof style on a distillery is the most distinct feature. Nowadays, most of the distilleries purchase malt from a centralized malting company. On the other hand, there remain a small group that are traditional and do everything themselves.

The grain is milled into grist and combined with water in mash tubs. The mixture is heated to sixty degrees. Throughout the mashing period the water is changed a minimum of four times to remove sediment. The result of the mashing is named wort. The wort has to be cooled off before combining with yeast. This large container isn't filled completely since wort froths a lot due to carbon dioxide. By the time 2 or 3 days have passed, all yeast is killed from the alcohol it made. The ultimate product of this cycle is called wash. It has 5 to 8 percent alcohol.

The stills in which the wash is put are made of copper and are regulated to a specific shape that allows for proper distillation to take place. Distillation is normally completed twice, however, some distillers do it 3 times or more. When the whole process is finished the distillate will be put into barrels made usually of oak, for a no less than three years. On the other hand, many Scotch whiskies are aged for much longer.

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Wine + Distillation = ?

Distillation, the ancient process used to separate alcohol (ethanol) from other ingredients in a fermented solution (aka mash). Heat separates the components of the mash. The more volatile components, like ethanol, turn to gas, climbs up up into a cooling column where it is cooled and allowed to return to a liquid state where it is then collected. This is known as the distillate.

The distiller then blends the distillate along with other alcohol or flavorings. In most all cases it is aged in oak barrels until the desirable flavors and aromas are produced. Brandy and clear, colorless grappa are two types of spirits distilled from wine. Almost any liquor store will stock these items. You will even find Brandy and Grappa in virtually any bar. Listed below are popular distillations from wine.

Cognac
Perhaps the best-known brandy globally, cognac, comes from an area in Western France known as Charente and Charente-Maritime. To get labeled as "cognac," French regulation specifies that the brandy can only be made from specific white grapes which have been grown and distilled inside a strictly defined geographical area.

Cognac production is governed by both tradition and law. To illustrate, all brandy is distilled at least twice. It must be aged in oak barrels for at least two years. During this time the Cognac develops a rich, brownish color. The end result is bottled at Eighty proof. The label, also regulated by law, lets one ascertain the maturity of the cognac similar to what we saw for Armagnac.

Three stars or VS. signifies the cognac has been matured in barrel for a minimum of two years. V.S.O.R., Vieux, V.O. and Reserve indicate it has matured for no less than four years. V.V.S.O.P and Grande Reserve, a minimum of five years and Extra, Napoleon, X.O., Tres eux and Vieille Reserve are aged for six to ten years.


Armagnac (ärmn-yk)
Armagnac is a pale golden, dry-tasting French brandy. French law dictates that only white grapes from the Haut-Armagnac, Tenareze, and Bas-Armagnac areas of Gascony, in southwest France, may be used in the manufacturing of Armagnac. Right after the grape harvest the white grape juice is fermented and distilled. This typically occurs between October and April. In contrast to cognac, its younger cousin, Armagnac has traditionally been made by distilling the fermented juice one time. Even so, recent change in French legislation has permitted double distillations. Armagnac is matured in oak barrels to perfect the flavour of the end product.

To determine the period of time the Armagnac has been aged in oak look at the label. Three stars mean it has been aged for at least two years. V.S.O.R on the label signifies it's been aged not less than five years. Napoleon and X.O. have been aged for no less than six years and Hors d'Age a minimum of 10 years. A vintage year on the label signifies the year of the harvest. A vintage Armagnac is never blended.

Brandy
First discovered in the middle of the thirteenth century in France as an attempt to produce a medicinal drink, brandy is now made around the globe wherever grapes are grown. Brandy is generally distilled twice. The clear, colorless liquid is given its distinctive nutty brownish color and flavor by aging in wood, often oak, barrels. The more time a brandy ages, the greater refined its flavor.



Pisco
This very tangy, slightly yellowish or golden-tinged brandy is the national drink of Chile. Pisco is the main component in the refreshing cocktail Pisco Sour. Pisco is produced from black grapes with a high proportion of muscat grapes. Pisco is twice distilled in copper pot stills and matured in oak casks, glass or stainless-steel containers.

Grappa
This is an Italian spirit distilled from the grape stems, skins, and seeds (pomace) after fermenting and pressing the grapes. The end product is a fragrant pomace brandy anywhere from 70-120 proof. In Italy Grappa is offered as an after-dinner beverage similar to ports in France. For this beverage to be called "Grappa" it has to be created in Italy, Southern Switzerland (Italian portion of Switzerland) or in San Marino.

Metaxa
OOPA! This popular Greek spirit, metaxa is a blend of brandy and wine made from sun-dried Savatiano, Black Corinth grape varieties ( currents) and Sultana (think Thompson Seedless grapes). It is then blended with aged Muscat wine from the Greek islands of Samos and Lemnos. Metaxa is aged in French oak barrels. The amount of time aging in barrel can be established by the number of stars on the label. For instance, three stars indicates three years; five stars, five years; etc. Grand Reserve indicates it has been matured for 30 years.

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All About Irish Whiskey

Queen Elizabeth 1st appreciated Irish whiskey. It is said that she had casks of Irish whiskey shipped to London and stored in the palace. By the 18 century Ireland had approximately 2000 stills in operation creating Irish whiskey. At present there exists only 4 distilleries in operations: Cooley, Kilbeggan, New Midleton and Old Bushmills. January 2012 Beam Inc., makers of Jim Beam and Maker’s Mark, acquired Cooley Distillery, the last independently Irish owned distillery.

Regulations for making Irish whiskey are dictated by the “Irish Whiskey Act, 1980.” This replaced the earlier act of 1950. When compared to the requirements to make Bourbon and Scotch, Irish whiskey is substantially easier. The Irish Whiskey Act of 1980 says that to be labeled Irish whiskey it must be created according to the following requirements:

1) spirits shall have been distilled in the State (Republic of Ireland) or in Northern Ireland from a mash of cereals which has been saccharified by the diastase of malt contained therein, fermented by the action of yeast and distilled at an alcoholic strength of less than 94.8% by volume giving the distillate an aroma and flavour derived from the materials used.
2) spirits shall have been matured in wooden casks in warehouse in the State or Northern Ireland for a period of not less than three years.
3) spirits comprising a blend of two or more distillates are referred to as a "blended" Irish whiskey and must meet requirements 1 and 2.

Styles of Irish Whiskey include blended, single grain and single malt. Blended whiskey makes up most of Irish whiskey being made today. Blended Irish whiskey can be comprised of whiskey from more than one distillate and also more than one distillery provided that it adheres to the regulations defined in the Irish Whiskey Act of 1980. Examples of Blended whiskies include: Bushmills Original, Jameson, Kilbeggan, Clontarf, Inishowen and Paddy to mention a few. To dive a little deeper into the process, Jameson is produced from a mash of malted and un-malted barley. It will then be triple distilled in pot stills and aged in oak casks. To form the final product a mix of triple distilled whiskey and neutral spirits are paired in just the right proportions to make Jameson what it has always been and will continue to be.

Single Malt whiskies can also be found but they are not as popular as blended whiskey. Single malts are made from a mixture of or 100% malted barley, distilled with a pot still and made by a single distillery. Some example of single malt Irish whiskies are: Tyrconnell, Bushmills 10, 16, 21 year old and Locke's Single Malt 8 year old. Tyrconnell uses 100% malted barley, yeast and water. Small batches are then triple distilled in copper pot stills.

While Irish whiskey normally does not contain grains malted with peat you can find a few that do contain this distinctive flavor. Cooley distillery produces an Irish whiskey named Connemara. The malted barley is dried in peat fired kilns that gives it the unique smokey flavor generally associated with Scotch whisky. Connemara is twice distilled in copper pot stills and then aged in American Oak for years. Connemara is considered to be a peated single malt.

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An Incredible History Of Jack Daniels Whiskey

Jasper "Jack" Newton Daniel was one of 13 kids. No one knows exactly when Mr. Daniel was born, resulting from his birth records being destroyed in a fire, nevertheless during the year 1875, the Jack Daniels Whiskey distillery was established. There are claims that Jasper was just 20 years old when he became a licensed distiller. In spite of this, to this day, nobody knows for sure if this is fact.

Sadly, after stubbing his toe and getting an infection during 1911, Mr. Daniel died. He never got married or had any offspring, so he entrusted the distillery to his nephew, Lem Motlow. After Motlow's death in 1947, the distillery was handed to his offspring.

There may have already been laws against the manufacturing of alcohol during the early 1900's, but this would not stop many folks from continuing to produce distilled spirits. Jack Daniels Whiskey saw tough times at the time of prohibition. However, because Motlow happened to be a state senator in Tennessee, he had influence in helping to repeal this law. This made it possible for production to begin again in 1938.

Daniel's whiskey is known for being filtered in vats constructed from wood prior to being left to age. This is not something that is typically done when creating most Bourbon whiskeys. Although technically "Straight Bourbon," none of us seems to mind it being termed Tennessee Whiskey. The Daniel's brand also filters their drink with sugar maple charcoal. Many claim this is one of the reasons Jack Daniel's is probably the finest of all whiskeys.

Traditionally, the Daniel's corporation made the drink 90 proof (45% alcohol by volume). The black label was, once, widely known as a higher grade versus the green. Although, today most bottles of both labels are eighty proof. In 2011 the company developed Holiday Select. Bottles with this label are 100 proof. Currently the highest proof the company has ever made.

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The Best Whiskey Still - Pot Still

Copper Pot Still

Pot stills are the modern descendant of the alembic still. They were one of the earliest still types employed to produce spirits. Pot still are rather inefficient which can be a good thing when producing whiskey. For example, when making neutral spirit with no flavor and high alcohol yield you would use a reflux or column still. For whiskey one needs to make a product which retains the flavors of mash. In this situation the pot still is best suited.

A pot still possesses 4 primary parts: We will look at each one in more detail.

Pot: The body of the pot is typically a cylinder that is wider at the top than the bottom. The pot is loaded with the fermented mash and heated up with fire or perhaps an inner heating apparatus. Nearly all commercial distilleries heat the wort (aka wash) with four hundred degree steam pumped through tubing which is coiled inside of the pot.

Swan Neck: The neck permits the vaporized alcohol as well as some water\flavor to rise up and enter into the lyne arm. The neck is often narrower at the topas opposed to the bottom allowing for non-ethanol compounds to condense around the walls and fall back down into the wash.

Lyne Arm: The lyne arm will impact the amount of non-ethanol compounds that make it into the distillate. For instance, when the vapors rise up the neck and into the lyne arm the temperature becomes cooler and the less volatile compounds (h2o, flavour, etc.) change from a gas into a liquid. If the lyne arm is ascending at a 45 degree angle those compounds will run back down into the wash. This gives you a ‘lighter’ flavour and higher alcohol content in the finished product. Alternatively if the lyne neck was angled down at a forty-five degree angle the less volatile substances will condense and flow down into the condenser together with the ethanol vapors thus supplying the distillate a more flavorful, ‘fuller’, taste.

Condenser: The condenser cools the ethanol vapors to a temperature that is less than the boiling point of the ethanol. As a result, it condenses the vapors into liquid. Condensers may be cooled by the ambient air temperature, moving air (a fan) or water. With a water cooled condenser the cold water is pumped through a coil or around the outside of the tube that carries the ethanol vapors. Different designs will utilize various strategies. The key is to chill the vapors so they drip into a collection container versus escaping into the air.

Naturally, the distiller must experiment with numerous mash recipes, still shapes and designs to create the end product that the distiller set out to create. Bottom line, take notes, take your time, have fun and experiment.

 

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What is a Hydrometer Used For?

A hydrometer measures the relative density of a solution relative to the density of water. This is referred to as Specific Gravity. Sugar water will have a density that is greater than pure water. Ethanol has a density that is less than water. The hydrometer will sink further into a solution of alcohol and not sink as far into a sugar solution. Specific Gravity is unitless. It defines the ratio of the density of a solution to the density of water. Specific Gravity is calculated like so, Specific Gravity = (Density g/cm³)/(1 g/cm³).
In general a hydrometer is utilized to determine the sugar content of something that can be fermented. This could be wine must, beer or whiskey mash and even things that do not have anything to do with making alcoholic beverages. Hydrometers are scaled and calibrated for each distinct purpose. Such as, a hydrometer used to determine the sugar content and potential alcohol in a whiskey mash will usually measure the Specific Gravity within a range between ~0.990 - 1.180. If you're measuring distilled spirits you must have a liquor hydrometer which will have a proof range from 0-200 or a tralle range from 0-100. Here is some sample data that shows the Specific Gravity of a few popular solutions.

• Pure Water: Specific Gravity = 1.0 
• Pure Ethanol: Specific Gravity = 0.785
• 50% Ethanol: Specific Gravity = 0.8925

To calculate the sugar content and potential alcohol of your mash you need to use a beer and wine hydrometer. Simply take a sample of the mash and pour it into a tall graduated cylinder. The graduated cylinder can be a jar or something that is narrow and tall. Nevertheless, ensure that the cylinder is as tall or taller compared to the hydrometer. Next, lower the hydrometer into the graduated cylinder until it is floating. Give it just a little spin similar to a top to shake loose any air bubbles that might stick to the hydrometer. Now you are prepared to read the hydrometer. Examine the number on the hydrometer that is at the same level as the liquid. You can now determine sugar content and potential alcohol assuming that both measurements are on the hydrometer.

To learn more about using a hydrometer check out the article "What is a Hydrometer?" If you are using the hydrometer in the preparation of a whiskey mash or distilled product go to How To Make Whiskey Headquarters for recipes, techniques and discussion on this facinating subject.