Well sir, one might prefer their manhattan with Southern Comfort or Jack Daniels, but they would not be ordering a bourbon drink. Bourbon is a category unto itself which follows multiple guidelines for that 'bourbon' label to be imprinted on it's side.
Right away we are off to Kentucky, the home of 95% of bourbon whiskeys. In fact the word bourbon and Kentucky are pretty synonymous, although any US State may produce a bourbon. (think of Champagne, France)
Bourbon is made primarily of corn (51% or more to be exact) and the rest might be some combination of rye, wheat, malt and barley although some bourbon might boast 100% corn usage. Rye Whiskey indicates that 51% or more of the grain used is rye which gives whiskey a slightly sweeter and spicier flavor. Then their are your Sour Mashes. This is your Jack Daniels category. Sour mash means recycled grains. This is how Jack Daniels consistently tastes exactly the same. They use the the same grains time and time again with some fresh grains to keep the old mash living. (think yeast in some ancient bread recipes) Canadian whiskeys are another beast of it's own which includes your Canadian Club, Seagrams 7 and VO and Crown royals in the mix. Canadians use identical processes to be bourbon but Federal law states that the term "bourbon" means manufactured within the United States.
Other federal regulations put on bourbon whiskey is that it can only be distilled at 160% alcohol (or 80 proof). It will be bottled at 80 proof or more. Water is the only ingredient to be added to the spirit in the distillation process, no additives.
"Straight bourbon" has slightly different rules. These must be aged for 2-4 years and all use some sour mash in the product. Sour mash is a way of regulating the yeast in a whiskey keeping the correct pH balance when new grains are introduced into the next fermentation.
Bourbon is barrel aged in first fill charred American oak barrels. First fill means that the oak is used only once so you get the most flavor out of that barrel. (The second fill of a barrel might be used for a beer, scotch or rum so some of that whiskey taste real read through into the second fill product.) The first fill will give a whiskey it's reddish color, while adding caramelized sugars and give it a slightly smokey, unique taste.
The creator of bourbon is unknown although some people may argue who did what first. the name bourbon is still a relatively young term only having been on the lips of the human kind since the late 1800's.
Southern Comfort is actually a cordial. It starts as a corn whiskey product and then adds sugar, fruits spices and many other ingredients to it, to develop it's own distinct "smoother than straight whiskey" taste.
Whiskeys go back in American culture a long while and each one has a truly unique flavor despite mainly having the same ingredients. Next time you go out, try a Makers Mark Bourbon neat and see how much the flavor opens up by adding a small amount of water. Then try a Whistlepig 100% rye whiskey and do the same. There is so much to love in each spirit, you may even opt for a third.
Saturday, April 19, 2014
Tuesday, April 1, 2014
An ode to beer
Beer is my drink of choice from the hours of 11:30am to about 11pm. I may like an Irish coffee before that and I tend to switch to hard liquor around eleven or twelve at night for good measure or general fullness. Then of course the occasional; I just got out of work and have time for 2 drinks before you close, so I intend to make them count drinks. But beer always catches my eye first on a menu or even better yet, a chalkboard. IPA is my first go to, but I do love a slew of Belgian and Amber ales and porters and anything really that sounds intriguing enough to stand out.
The first beer I ever *fell in love with* was Brooklyn Brown ale. I used to be a total beach bum on Long Island in the summers and if I was lucky enough to have that night off I would swing by Tricia's Cafe in Babylon Village right after. This place gave you a basket of pickles immediately and always had Brooklyn Brown Ale, Brooklyn Pilsner and RC Cola on draft. Needless to say, never had I ever tasted a better beer before. Still to this day if I ever see it on draft anywhere I go, it is the first beer I start my night with.
Sunset Grille in Allston quickly became an inspiration to me. I love seeing that huge ass list and picking a different beer every time the waitress came around. (and they normally have Brooklyn Brown on draft :D) This place made it easy to begin my beer exploration.
IPA came into my world when I moved to Boston. I had never heard of Harpoon IPA, but I found out pretty quickly I liked it. Not to mention how much more alcohol it contained versus Guinness, light beer and coronas. IPA is short for India Pale Ale. Pale Ale refers to the pale malts used within an English beer and then India, talking about the trade business between England and India. These beers are slightly higher in alcohol, have less residual sugar and contain way more hops than other beers. Most IPA's on your local beer shelf are American IPA's. This denotes the use of American hops that create a reddish colored beer with a citrusy or floral hop note.
It wasn't until working a Fenway Cantina did I feel the true uprising of Craft Breweries.
A craft brewery is an independently owned business that makes a limited quantity of it's beers. A microbrewery and craft brewery is the same exact thing. They tend to focus on developing a distinguishing taste and style. Some brews want to be big and bold and in your face, while others more mellow and refreshing. In the end, it's all about the balance for me. I like some maltiness up front with a lingering hop taste to finish. (if you like this effect too, you should definitely try out Troegs hopback or Dogfish 90 minute.)
Pretty Things is one of my favorite brewer's which are based out of Somerville Massachusetts, although they brew all their stuff in Westport, Massachusetts. However, they don't own their brewery so they consider themselves a "Craft Beer Project". They have a distinct yeast that I can almost set them apart from others in just a couple of sips. The last word I would use to describe any of their beers is boring. The first time I tried their flagship product, Jack D'or, on draft it was so crisp and clean tasting. Just awesome.
If you haven't heard of Jack D'or, you really should go pick up a bomber. It's a saison/farmhouse ale which contains 6.5% alcohol. It is golden in color and truly is refreshing, no matter what you are enjoying along side it. It can be described as slightly fruity with a little bit of hops at the end.
I started following Pretty Things from the first year they were available and still get excited when I see a new product from them. Another favorite of mine is Baby Tree which is a quadruple Belgian that is brewed with plums, that almost drinks like a porter. Fluffy White Rabbits is their Spring ale that melds a fruitiness with lots of hops and carbonation to create a 'fluffy' Belgian style beer.
A recent obsession of mine is Stone: Enjoy By… They first created this line in late 2012. The first one I found myself looking for was 12.21.12 and I was not disappointed. The big citrusy and floral hops are right on the forefront of this slightly orange beer. Super fresh tasting; malty with the perfect amount of bitter to finish it out. This year I've already had the 2.14.14 and 4.20.14. The idea of this product is getting ridiculously fresh beer to a consumer in a really small window to enjoy and savor it. The only bad part of this is they had to limit the quantities so chances are, the first time you see it on a shelf will be the last.
Beer nowadays has so much more to it than years before. The same way you would appreciate a fine wine - a beer is looked at the same way.
- You look at the foam on the beer
- You smell the nose or bouquet before you drink it
- You observe it's color, cloudiness and viscosity
- You wait to see how it finishes before you take another sip
Who would have ever thought to any of those things w a Budweiser product?!
Different countries produce many different styles of beer so there is never a shortage of new products to try. Some are highly carbonated while others hardly have any. Recently in Spencer, Massachusetts, a monk created the first Trappist Brewery in the United States. (see: http://www.spencerbrewery.com/beer/) So people other than myself, are more than enthralled with the craft beer movement. So get on the band wagon already. Get out there and pick something up you've never tried before!
Need another recommendation?
The first beer I ever *fell in love with* was Brooklyn Brown ale. I used to be a total beach bum on Long Island in the summers and if I was lucky enough to have that night off I would swing by Tricia's Cafe in Babylon Village right after. This place gave you a basket of pickles immediately and always had Brooklyn Brown Ale, Brooklyn Pilsner and RC Cola on draft. Needless to say, never had I ever tasted a better beer before. Still to this day if I ever see it on draft anywhere I go, it is the first beer I start my night with.
Sunset Grille in Allston quickly became an inspiration to me. I love seeing that huge ass list and picking a different beer every time the waitress came around. (and they normally have Brooklyn Brown on draft :D) This place made it easy to begin my beer exploration.
IPA came into my world when I moved to Boston. I had never heard of Harpoon IPA, but I found out pretty quickly I liked it. Not to mention how much more alcohol it contained versus Guinness, light beer and coronas. IPA is short for India Pale Ale. Pale Ale refers to the pale malts used within an English beer and then India, talking about the trade business between England and India. These beers are slightly higher in alcohol, have less residual sugar and contain way more hops than other beers. Most IPA's on your local beer shelf are American IPA's. This denotes the use of American hops that create a reddish colored beer with a citrusy or floral hop note.
It wasn't until working a Fenway Cantina did I feel the true uprising of Craft Breweries.
A craft brewery is an independently owned business that makes a limited quantity of it's beers. A microbrewery and craft brewery is the same exact thing. They tend to focus on developing a distinguishing taste and style. Some brews want to be big and bold and in your face, while others more mellow and refreshing. In the end, it's all about the balance for me. I like some maltiness up front with a lingering hop taste to finish. (if you like this effect too, you should definitely try out Troegs hopback or Dogfish 90 minute.)
Pretty Things is one of my favorite brewer's which are based out of Somerville Massachusetts, although they brew all their stuff in Westport, Massachusetts. However, they don't own their brewery so they consider themselves a "Craft Beer Project". They have a distinct yeast that I can almost set them apart from others in just a couple of sips. The last word I would use to describe any of their beers is boring. The first time I tried their flagship product, Jack D'or, on draft it was so crisp and clean tasting. Just awesome.
If you haven't heard of Jack D'or, you really should go pick up a bomber. It's a saison/farmhouse ale which contains 6.5% alcohol. It is golden in color and truly is refreshing, no matter what you are enjoying along side it. It can be described as slightly fruity with a little bit of hops at the end.
I started following Pretty Things from the first year they were available and still get excited when I see a new product from them. Another favorite of mine is Baby Tree which is a quadruple Belgian that is brewed with plums, that almost drinks like a porter. Fluffy White Rabbits is their Spring ale that melds a fruitiness with lots of hops and carbonation to create a 'fluffy' Belgian style beer.
A recent obsession of mine is Stone: Enjoy By… They first created this line in late 2012. The first one I found myself looking for was 12.21.12 and I was not disappointed. The big citrusy and floral hops are right on the forefront of this slightly orange beer. Super fresh tasting; malty with the perfect amount of bitter to finish it out. This year I've already had the 2.14.14 and 4.20.14. The idea of this product is getting ridiculously fresh beer to a consumer in a really small window to enjoy and savor it. The only bad part of this is they had to limit the quantities so chances are, the first time you see it on a shelf will be the last.
Beer nowadays has so much more to it than years before. The same way you would appreciate a fine wine - a beer is looked at the same way.
- You look at the foam on the beer
- You smell the nose or bouquet before you drink it
- You observe it's color, cloudiness and viscosity
- You wait to see how it finishes before you take another sip
Who would have ever thought to any of those things w a Budweiser product?!
Different countries produce many different styles of beer so there is never a shortage of new products to try. Some are highly carbonated while others hardly have any. Recently in Spencer, Massachusetts, a monk created the first Trappist Brewery in the United States. (see: http://www.spencerbrewery.com/beer/) So people other than myself, are more than enthralled with the craft beer movement. So get on the band wagon already. Get out there and pick something up you've never tried before!
Need another recommendation?
- Troegs Nugget Nectar
- Rogue Dead Guy
- St. Bernardus Abbey Ale
- Anything that is served from a cask
- Dogfish Head Palo Santo
- Sixpoint Diesel
- Unibroue Maudite
- Lagunita A Little Sumpin' Sumpin'
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