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For as long as I can remember, I have always been interested in the intricacies of the production of vodka, wine, cognac, and so on. Such a hobby, let’s say, provoked me to watch interesting videos and read many articles.
I have read and watched about the production of cognacs, wines, vodkas and tinctures, and it is difficult to surprise me with something. But you won’t believe it! Just about a week ago, I first tried an inexpensive liquor.
It was actually my first “liquor” experience. Something really wanted to “sit” with friends. We bought sparkling wine (I can’t call it champagne), Sangria, and this very liqueur from the K&B store.
What is liquor anyway?
Or rather, what it should be if we talk about a normal drink that justifies its own name. First I will tell you what kind of liquor I tried, and what I thought of it.
Here is the same drink that we purchased at the K&B store
“We took coffee with cocoa, added a little vanillin, a lot of sugar, added vodka and mixed it with water, monosodium glutamate, potassium benzoate and other very useful substances,” these were my impressions from the first sip of the “elixir”. In fact, I can do it myself.
Liquor, on the other hand, is a flavored alcohol-containing drink (more than 20%) with a high sugar content using berry, herbal or fruit extracts.
Mandatory conditions:
- a lot of sugar, more than 100 g / l;
- base – alcohol or a strong alcoholic drink such as cognac, rum, vodka and always more than 20 revolutions;
- persistent aroma;
- rich taste.
After reading the information that I cited above, I understood the following: I didn’t manage to try the liqueur, because our object contained about 15% C2H5OH. Disappointment!
It was necessary to pour more alcohol there, then everything would stand in its place, but the manufacturer, apparently, saved money.
Liquor making process
At first glance, the process is quite simple, but if you think about the preparation of drinks on an industrial scale, then the price of real liquors is quite justified.
There are four methods of preparation:
- Pressure – this is how natural flavors are obtained from the peel of citrus fruits.
- Soaking – ingredients are thrown into cold alcohol, taken out, ground and squeezed.
- Boiling – alcohol is boiled, it is passed through the ingredients, C2H5OH vapors rise up, passing through the components, and, gaining aroma, condense and drain.
- Infusion – the easiest way – threw the ingredients, insisted on alcohol with constant temperature control. The process takes several days.
Brewing seems to be the simplest way to prepare an alcohol enriched with flavor and aroma.
Next comes distillation – purification. The manufacturer cleans the alcohol from the components that gave it its flavor.
Now the manufacturer needs to mix all the ingredients, including the horse dose of sugar. At this stage, other spices can be added, it depends on the recipe of a particular drink.
Further, the product does not hurt to ripen a little. This can last for several years, and after re-filtration, the drink must be carefully filtered.
The final stage is the addition of an aroma-retaining agent that attracts all the right substances to itself, the last filtration, adjusting the alcohol content to the desired degree, and bottling (and, possibly, the organisms of the plant employees).
If necessary, add dyes.
Which ingredients are most commonly used and give a rich flavor
Most often, berry and fruit components are used, including the citrus group. It can be apples, pears, plums, currants, cherries, apricots, peaches.
The most commonly used citrus fruits are lemons and oranges. Personally, I have never seen grapefruit liqueurs, although I would very much like to try. I love everything with this flavor.
Of the berries, strawberries, wild strawberries, raspberries are used – these fruits give the richest taste and aroma. Those who have tried such liqueurs (two of my friends) speak very well of these drinks.
Cranberries, blueberries, cloudberries – this is already mostly used by Russian producers, which I will discuss below.
Interesting and such a berry as pineapple. I looked on the net – yes, they also make such liquors, however, the price there is “pineapple”, under 2 rubles. It was I who saw a drink from Giffard, the country of origin is France.
Personally, I met the Pina Collada liqueur in the store, its strength, however, also falls short of our case (15%), it includes pineapple and coconut.
By the way, some recipes for liqueurs from leading manufacturers are kept secret, just like in winemaking.
The ingredients are very diverse, it can also be the bark of a mastic tree for making the Greek liquor of the same name
Herbs and spices are also very common ingredients. Most often come across drinks with the addition of cinnamon. If we talk about liqueurs like Mojito, then mint must be included.
What is used as ingredients in our factories
It depends, of course, on the drink and the plant that supplies it. In our country, such production was founded only in the XNUMXth century, although Europe has been preparing liqueurs since the Middle Ages.
We make mostly aperitifs, although they are sold as liqueurs. This is “Karelia” on cranberries, on mountain ash, lingonberries. The same drink is from the company Finberry, also on cranberries.
There is an interesting liqueur (35%) “Elder” on honey, it costs around 650 rubles. Coffee Love Story – I saw it in the store – 300-something rubles. Here, the Beluga brand supplies more expensive products, for example, Hunting Berry liqueur (1099 rubles), which includes cranberries, herbs, anise, cinnamon.
Judging by the price – a chic liquor, I would love to try it
As I understand it, the vast majority of our liqueurs are made on the basis of what we grow. Cranberries, cherries, local herbs, rowan blueberries.
Cheap liqueurs are usually coffee, vanilla, “cream” flavored or simply go as “berry”. Of course, budget products necessarily contain some kind of chemistry like flavor enhancers, acidity regulators such as sulfur dioxide.
What do you think about this, and what Russian liquor would you advise me? Here, what kind of our liquor can really be called such, moreover, so that it does not cost more than a cast-iron bridge?
Or should I still prefer some imported products, or maybe not risk it at all and make it myself? In principle, this is possible. Insist, strain, add sugar, hold – what do you say?