Although whiskey is called the drink of gentlemen, being able to understand its varieties, using the drink correctly, is considered a necessary skill for a person moving in business and social circles, regardless of gender.
How to drink whiskey properly
Whiskey is a strong drink made from fermented grains. The difference in different types of beverage is the difference in the grain and malt used to create it. The most famous types of whiskey are scotch and bourbon. Scotch (scotch) – Scotch whiskey, it should contain only barley, yeast and water. This whiskey is aged in oak barrels for at least three years. Whiskey made only from barley malt and at one distillery is called single malt. The most famous varieties of single malt scotch are: – Glenlivet; – Lagavulin (Lagavulin); – Dalmore (Dalmore); – The Balvenie (Balvini).
Malt scotch made from whiskey made in different distilleries is somewhat cheaper
Scotch made from a mixture of grain and malt whiskey is called blended. The following varieties are in greatest demand: – Ballantine’s; – Chivas Regal (Chivas Regal); – Johnnie Walker (Johnny Walker); – White Horse (White Horse, or White horse).
Bourbon is an American whiskey made from a grain blend containing at least 51% corn kernels. Bourbon is kept in charred oak barrels for at least two years. Famous varieties of bourbon: – Jim Beam (Jim Beam); – Kentucky Gentleman – Evan Williams (Evan Williams); – Wild Turkey (Vaid Turks).
The famous whiskey Jack Daniels (Jack Daniels) refers to a special type of bourbon – Tennessee whiskey. Only this type of American whiskey is filtered through charcoal made from a special kind of maple.
Canadian and Irish whiskeys are also distinguished. The first one should be made from at least 51% rye grains, the rest of the raw material can be grains of corn, barley or their mixture. Irish whiskey is brewed from barley malt, as well as grains of barley, rye, wheat, oats.
The type of whiskey dictates the rules for drinking the drink. Single malt scotch is one of the most difficult types of whiskey in terms of aftertaste and aroma. It is smoky, earthy, they drink it without diluting it, sipping it like a good cognac. By pouring scotch tape into a special heavy-bottomed glass, the maximum you can add to it is a little warm water to help open the drink. Before taking a sip of scotch, you should inhale its aroma, appreciate the amber color, and only then you can drink.
Scotch is not drunk with ice, as ice cubes lower the temperature of the whiskey and prevent the nuances of taste and aroma from manifesting
Irish whiskey – soft and round in taste, it is recommended to everyone who is just starting to get acquainted with this difficult drink. It is drunk with ice or diluted with soda.
Sweetish due to the presence of corn in it, with vanilla and citrus notes, bourbon is often to the taste of ladies. Tennessee whiskey has an incomparable charcoal aroma and a caramel, sweet aftertaste. Both of these drinks are great in cola cocktails, but they can also be served with ice.
Scotch is served with noble cheeses, chocolate; of course, a faithful companion of good whiskey is an expensive cigar. Bourbon is often paired with select steak
Although connoisseurs of the drink insist that real whiskey is drunk without mixing, there are over a hundred classic cocktails that contain one or another type of whiskey. For example, a julep with champagne. For it you will need: – 120 ml of champagne; – 60 ml bourbon; – 1 teaspoon of cane sugar; – 6 fresh mint leaves.
Mash the mint and sugar in a mortar, add the bourbon, stir and strain into a tall, straight-walled, collins glass. Add champagne and some ice cubes.
There is a recipe that combines three types of whiskey at once. It is called “The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse” and is made from: – 15 ml of Johnnie Walker Scotch whiskey; – 15 ml Jack Daniels Tennessee Whiskey; – 15 ml of the famous Jim Beam bourbon; – 15 ml of “golden” tequila; – 15 ml Jagermeister herbal liqueur; – 30 ml of pineapple juice; – 60 ml of a mixture of lemon juice and syrup.
A ready-made mixture of lemon juice and syrup is sold in Western stores under the name Sweet and Sour and is often used in cocktails. At home, it is prepared from 250 ml of lemon juice with 2 tablespoons of sugar syrup.
Pour all alcoholic beverages into a shaker half filled with ice. Shake several times, strain into a highball glass filled with ice cubes, add pineapple juice and sweet and sour syrup.