Distilling the soul.

Regurgitation, I can't help it it's like second nature, and I remind anyone that does actually read this... I'm not making anyone read this... did I mention that I have a real sharp knife in my pocket. SG claims that I need to have an opinion or add something to my regurgitation of the Modern Marvels episode "Modern Distilleries," I don't... besides I don't want to actually make this work or something. Anyway I'm going to break this bad boy into multiple entries over the next few weeks as I have a feeling that my love of alkyhol may get the best of me. This episode of Modern Marvels episode pretty much glazed over the major types of alcohol sold around the world and intermingled this narrative with pictures of modern distilleries. The modern distillery part I could care less about, just like Modern history I say Ba humbug. It was the background information on the liquor that got my attention and it will be the background of Rum, Whiskey, Bourbon, Scotch, tequila, Gin and Vodka that I will split this into. Remember nobody's making you read this and that sharp poke in your ribs, nevermind about that.

Lets start at the basics... based on archaeological finds of terracotta stills found in Pakistan alcohol has been made since around 3000 B.C. The process of making alcohol whether it is making beer, wine, or spirits is the combination of yeast mixed with some fermentable organic ingredient (corn, wheat, grapes) known as mash. The yeast converts the sugars in the mash to ethyl molecules, and when this mixture is heated the alcohol vaporizes and rises up to the top of the still where it condenses back into alcohol. All spirits whether they be Whiskey (Whisky), Scotch, Bourbon, Gin, etc, are colorless and odorless much like Iocaine powder (Iocaine powder: odorless, tasteless, and dissolves instantly in liquid). The color comes from the barrels that the alcohol is aged in. It does seem that hard liquor is something of a modern era thing due to agricultural advances that tended to be leave an excess amount of grains. This excess of grains meant that farmers had to do somethign with this which lead to many farmers becoming distillers. Why? Well just like with beer distilling the excess grains was a perfect solution for the excess harvest, it never goes bad, is much easier to transport, and there is a ready and wanting market of boozers.

Rum was the first spirit enjoyed in the colonies though it was not the first distilled spirit in the new world. I'm making an assumption here but the first distilled spirit was most likely the Parent of tequila, but I'll come back to that in a bit. Rum is made from molasses which is made from sugarcane which was brought by Columbus on his second voyage to the new world. He planted it on some Caribbean islands in 1494 and from that the rum was eventually produced. Rum like many other spirits is colorless until it is added to casks for aging. White rum was created when the Spanish Royal Development Board offered a price to anyone who could improve Rum making. Don Facundo Bacardi Masso (Bacardi Rum) stepped up during this time and provided the most important advancement by using charcoal filtering and specialized yeast strains to create white rum. While Rum was mainly imported from the Caribbean, it was also made throughout the colonies, specifically in New England where it became much desired. The consumption and production of rum eventually stopped due to embargos by Britan which stopped the importation of rum and molasses and the rise in popularity of Whiskey.

Next up.... Whiskey, Jack and Coke anyone?