Home Brew Digest

Dinah Leabeau asked:


From September 20 to October 5 of this year, Munich, Germany will once again celebrate Oktoberfest. With the myriad of food and drinks offered during this sixteen-day festival, it’s a good idea to learn German to be able to pronounce them.

Oktoberfest will once again be held in Munich, Germany from September 20 thru October 5, 2008. The Oktoberfest is a very valid reason to study German online, if just for the pleasure of actually being able to eloquate the myriad of food and drinks available in the 16-day event.

Food and Delicacies

The numerous kinds of “wurst” (German sausages) are never far behind when you envision Oktoberfest. The frankfurter is the most common sausage, but you will also appreciate the bratwurst (pork, beef, and/or veal), knackwurst (pork or beef with fresh garlic), and bockwurst (pork, lamb, turkey, chicken with salt, paprika, white pepper, chives, and parsley), among other sausages. To avoid making a fool of yourself, learn German in order to eloquate the German names of these delicious sausages.

You’ll also have the opportunity to try the many kinds of spatzle, or noodles, the perfect accompaniment to beer. These noodles are made from common ingredients such as salt, eggs, milk, flour, and diverse spices. You should absolutely try the kasespatzle - cheese noodles with fried onions. These are so scrumptious that studying German, if only to show your gratitude, is a must.

You can also sample other German dishes like hendl (roasted chicken), sauerkraut (fermented cabbage), and Apfelpfannenkuchen (apple pancakes). As if these are not sufficient reasons to study German, wait until you get to the beers.

It’s All About the Beers and Wines

The Oktoberfest is a festival famous for its wines and beers, perhaps much more than its food, music, and costumes. If you have a fair grasp of the German language, you’ll be able to distinguish the plethora of wines and beers offered by the fourteen tents in the Oktoberfest.

You can go for sekt, sparkling wine that’s fizzier than most because of high carbon dioxide levels. Go for the Deutscher Sekt, or sekt formulated from Riesling and Pinot black grapes and gris for special occassions.

You can also get intoxicated on German wheat beer. There are numerous types, including the traditional and unfiltered Hefeweizen, Kristallweizen (crystal wheat), Dunkelweizen (dark wheat), and Weizenstarkbier (strong wheat beer), to name a few. Alcohol content is usually higher with darker wheat, and the monikers hint of the alcohol strength, so learn German quickly so you will not confuse them.

Most of all, get drunk on the marzen (pale lager), a specially-brewed Oktoberfestbier. During the Oktoberfest, there are many more kinds of beers and wines available, with as many as 15 wines offered by the Weinzel tent alone.

Obviously, to drink bacchanalian pleasures, eat great food, meet new people, and appreciate Oktoberfest, you need not learn German. Still, if you want to be heard over the Oktoberfest raucous, learning German is a benefit.

Of course, to drink bacchanalian pleasures, eat great food, meet new friends, and enjoy Oktoberfest, you need not learn German. Still, if you want to be heard above the Oktoberfest noise, learning German is a benefit.



ADHD

Gautamm Mehra asked:


History Of Beer

The exact time frame of beer is debatable. Experts place it between 10,000 years to 7,500 years ago. That makes beer the oldest drink known to mankind. The inventors or discovers of beer, are however, not disputed. Almost everyone agrees that the Sumerians were first to brew them. (God bless their Souls!)

The Ingredients: Barley grains, malt, hops, yeast and water. Each one of them greatly alters the final taste of the brew.

Types Of Beer Beer comes in a number of varieties and variations. However, beer can be categorized under Lager or Ale.

Lager: When beer is produced using the bottom fermentation process, a lager is produced. In this process the yeast sinks to the bottom of the tank during fermentation. A pale gold liquid is produced.

Ales: When beer is produced using the top fermentation process, ales are produces. In this process the yeast is skimmed off the top during fermentation. Ales are usually darker and stronger in flavour.

A more comprehensive categorizing is given below:

Ale: Contains high content of hops and malt. Dark, almost black colour, defines this beer.

Bock: It has its origins in German springs. It is maltier and heavier then traditional beers.

Ice Beer: It is a medium lager with higher alcohol content, due to the removal of ice crystals.

Lager: It means ‘to store’ in German. It has a smooth, refined taste.

Lambic: It is a type of wheat beer to which fruit/sugar is added during fermentation. It has its origin in Belgium

Light Beer: It is characterized by a pale, watery look. It is low in calories and alcohol content.

Pilsners: It gets its name from a town named Pilsner in Czech Republic, where it was invented. It is known for having a malt character and dry, flowery finish. Pilsners are the most popular brewed beers in the world. Golden Lagers too fall in this category.

Porter: This is an extremely dark ale. It contains high content of hops and malt.

Sake: Sake is a Japanese beer made from rice. There are many types of sake and can be had in a variety of ways. This is allowing sake to compete with wine, as a cult.

Stout: This is one of the few beers that is sometimes served warm. However, the author likes it like any other beer, CHILLED! It has its origins in London and tastes of charcoal and molasses with a bitter sweet finish.

Wheat Beer: This type of beer is made with wheat malts. It has hints of fruit flavours such as banana, apple or orange. It is typically deep copper in colour.

White Beer: It is wheat beer with lambic hints. Like lambic beers, it has its origin in Belgium and has a fruity taste.

A Special note on Draft (or Draught): Draft is any beer that is poured out of a keg. Any beer can be poured as a draft. Typically stout and lager beers are served as draft.



Online Shopping

Jimmy Faro asked:


So, you’re having a clambake? Whether cooking on the shores of the ocean, in an outdoor grill, or on the stovetop in the comfort of your apartment, clambakes are a great way to enjoy phenomenal New England seafood. Based on the Native American tradition of cooking seafood over hot coals buried in the ground, clambakes have grown in popularity over the years and can be enjoyed by everyone.

The first step is to go to choose your ingredients. If you’re lucky enough to have a store nearby that sells fresh lobster, clams, and mussels, you can do that, but consider first if you will need to transport your fresh seafood to another location, and how you will package it to keep it fresh. Another option is to purchase fresh lobster online and have the lobster shipped overnight to your location. If purchasing your lobsters online, make sure you plan ahead and place the order online before the date of your event. Then place your order and you’re on your way to a feast!

Next, you’ll need to decide where you’ll be doing your cooking. If you will be cooking in a public place, especially if you plan on digging a clambake pit, you’ll need permission from you local parks or government office. If you are cooking at home, you’re ready to go. No matter where you are doing your cooking, the idea is to generate steam while keeping your food packed together. Some clambakes forgo the use of charcoal and rely solely on hot rocks and seaweed to produce enough heat and steam to “bake” the food, but charcoal is perfectly adequate.

Suggested Ingredients: (per person):

One of the fun things about doing a clambake is that you are free to pick and choose what you would like in your bake. You may want to do only lobsters and corn, or you may want to add a little bit of everything. This is a time that you can completely cater to your personal preferences!

1 lobster

½ lb. shellfish, including any or all: mussels, oysters, clams/steamers

½ lb. sausage (linguica, kielbasa, or andouille recommended)

½ onion, cut into quarters

1 ear of corn

beer, 2 cans or more, or water

Directions for cooking your clambake in a pit or on the grill:

Dig your pit, making it wide enough and deep enough to hold your ingredients. Fill the pit with charcoal, light your fire, and surround the coals with medium to large rocks. Do not cover the charcoal because you could put the fire out. Let the rocks heat up so they are hot enough that a sprinkle of water will bounce off. If using a charcoal grill, remove the grate from the grill, and follow the same instructions as for a pit.

When the coals are burning brightly, begin layering your ingredients: seaweed, clams/oysters, linguica/sausage (if using), potatoes, corn, lobster, more seaweed, and then a layer of wet burlap that you’ve thoroughly soaked in beer to help seal in the moisture and keep the steam going. If using a grill, you won’t need the burlap and can simply close the top.

Cook for approximately 1 hour.

Directions for a stovetop boil:

You’ll need the biggest pot you can find. Don’t worry if you don’t have a fancy, expensive pot in which to cook your lobster/clam boil. The inexpensive lobster pots work just great. Depending on the size you find and the ingredients you are using, you can generally cook enough food for 2-4 people with one of these pots.

Heat a tablespoon of butter in the pot and add the sausage and onion. Sauté until the onion softens and the sausage begins to cook through. Then add a layer of shellfish. Pour in the beer and then place the lobsters and corn in the pot so that all your food is nicely packed in. Bring to a boil, cover the pot, and cook for 12-15 minutes.

Serving suggestions:

Serve your seafood with plenty of melted butter so everyone has enough for dunking steamers and lobsters! Lemon wedges can be squeezed over all the seafood. Nothing completes a clambake or lobster bake like delicious New England clam chowder, cole slaw, and Boston baked beans.



Personal Injury Law Firm

Matt Tremblay asked:


Although it’s really only been the past 2 centuries that have brought with them the introduction of mass market available root beer, it has been brewed in one form or another since ancient times. However, the flavor that we traditionally recognize as root beer came about in 1922, when Charles Hires brought his now famous soft drink to the world.

That’s enough history for now. Lets get down to the meaty part of this article, and see just how we can make our own tasty root beer.

1) First, get thyself some root beer extract. The quality of the extract you buy is really going to have a strong bearing on the flavor of your finished product, so I suggest you stay away from the extracts commonly found in supermarkets. Instead, I’d recommend you invest in a high quality extract such as those offered at http://www.hoptech.com . Don’t feel you need to stick with root beer though. There is a myriad of different flavorings to match almost all major soft drink types (e.g. cola, orange, ginger ale, grape etc.)

2) For step two, I’ll have you look at the bottle of extract that you bought. There is going to be instructions for that particular brand, and they will dictate the amounts of water and sugar and how to mix and boil them. Feel free to experiments with your ingredients; none of this is set in stone. There is a wide variety of different sugars open to your use. Here are some common ones:

* Corn syrup

* Fructose

* Nutrasweet (if your concerned about calorie intake)

* Molasses, maltose, brown sugar or even honey!

Tap water is fine to use, so long as you normally consider it to be good drinking water.

3) Now it’s time to carbonate your soda. There are two ways of doing this, with the most common method being fermentation. The other is forced carbonation. In this article were going to focus on the easier of the two, which is fermentation.

Although the process of fermentation is the same process that’s going on in a batch of beer or wine, such a small amount of alcohol is produced when making a batch of soda that it’s completely unnoticeable. You’d have to drink gallons to even get a buzz!

Before getting started, be sure to sanitize all ingredients with a diluted bleach solution and rinse thoroughly.

Pour your flavored sugar water solution into a sanitized bucket with a lid.

When the solution reaches a temperature of around 75-80˚F it’s time to sprinkle a package of ale yeast (this can be obtained from any home brewing shop, and even some larger supermarkets). Just be sure to get ale yeast. Now we wait for 12 hours. Don’t worry, all the foam that shows up on the top of your soda is completely normal.

4) Now it’s time to bottle. To do this we will need the following:

* 5-6 feet of clear plastic tubing to use as a siphon

* Enough bottles and caps for the amount of soda your making

- You can get both of these at home brewing supply shops

* (Optional but Highly Recommended) Bottling tip for your siphon. Ask as the home brew shop, and they’ll hook you up with what you need.

Before you transfer the soda into your bottles, don’t forget to sanitize your siphon and bottles/caps. Now all that’s left to do is to transfer the soda to each bottle, cap, and store your finished product in the fridge.

That’s it. You’re done! Consider giving your soda another twelve hours in the fridge to finish fermenting/carbonating before you drink it.



Personal Trainer

Dave Text asked:


As you start planning for special event in your life, it always comes down to thinking of the perfect place to have it. From large stylish weddings, birthday celebrations, or other intimate gatherings, reception halls provide the facade you want to imply to your guests.

As you start planning for special event in your life, it always comes down to thinking of the perfect place to have it. From large stylish weddings, birthday celebrations, or other intimate gatherings, reception halls provide the facade you want to imply to your guests. There are various designs that one can see on reception hall, be it with a hotel, casino, ballroom, theatre, and the like. They say that the reception hall usually represent the establishment. It should depict the impression of warmth, elegance, and a sense of comfort.

Here is a list of some establishments, which caters to various special events, and possessing very elegant reception hall designs.

New York

1. Charisma Ballroom

Contact Information

Address: 71-46 Main Street, Kew Gardens, NY 11367

Telephone Number: 718-268-2800

Fax Number: 718-268-2803

Contact Person: Banquet Manager

The Charisma Ballroom is a type of business that is family owned and supervised. It was established during the year 1975. Hence, this location is well known for its spacious and stylish ballroom, night-club ambiance, and its courteous, attentive service. For more than thirty years, it has been providing its guests with delightful professional banquet organization and planning, individualized for each client’s taste and preference. This is whether it is a formal or informal occasion.

With lots of options to choose from, the renowned Charisma Ballroom’s Banquet Manager as well as Party Consultants would be more than happy to provide you with their expertise, capturing your visions and ideas for your special day and making it happen. So what are you waiting for? Let your dreams come true at Charisma Ballroom.

Features:

• Seating Capacity: 300

• Venue Type: Ballroom, Standard, Night Club

• Cuisine Options: Spanish / Latin, Italian, American

Amenities Offered:

• Bridal Room

• Open Sunday

• Coat Check

• Available Imported Beer

• Available Buffet Menu Premium Liquor,

• Audio and/or Visual Equipped

• Accepts Major Credit Cards

2. Home for Water

Contact information:

Address: 525 West 30th St., New York, NY 10011

Telephone Number: 212-616-1655

Fax Number: 212-616-1653

Contact Person: Banquet Manager

The glamorous Home for Water will provide you the ultimate location for corporate events and functions such as awarding events, fundraising events, social gatherings, product launches, press conferences, business and/or sales meetings, fashion schools and/or shows, cocktail receptions, conventions and conferences among others.

The place is designed to suit your every need in mind. Moreover, they will be more than happy to provide assistance to your multimedia presentation as well as recording, dining, floral, and seating, along with music, coat check, hosting, photo documentation, ticketing, and internet connection necessitites.

Features:

• Site Fee: 5000

• Seating Capacity: 200

• Outside Catering Allowed

• Venue Type: Conference Hall, Loft, Waterfront

3. Shop Studios

Contact Information:

Address: 442 West 49 Street, New York, NY 10019

Telephone Number: 212-245-6154

Contact Person: Ben Moore

Shop Studios has an approximately 3000 sq. ft. Of studio loft and an outdoor veranda, providing you with beautiful and majestic skyline views. They will also provide you with a full kitchen, along with floral designs, as well as decorating and lighting services.

Features:

• Site Fee: 5000

• Seating Capacity: 100

• Cocktail/Stand Up Capacity: 150

• Outside Catering Allowed

• Venue Type: Loft

Amenities Offered:

• Wheelchair

• Bridal Room

• Open Sunday

• Tables and Chairs,

• Wi-Fi Internet Access

• Audio and/or Visual Equipped

4. Gallery Viet Nam

Contact Information:

Address: 345 Greenwich Street, New York, NY 11377

Telephone Number: 212-431-8889

Contact Person: Banquet Manager

The Gallery Viet Nam is located within a marker building with its specialty on American and Vietnamese modern artisans and painters. The 2,000 sq. ft. space prides itself with its exotic art, vaulted ceilings, illuminated floor, magnanimous vintage skylight as well as bare brick walls. The Gallery is also available for formal dinners and cocktail receptions. The much acclaimed Viet Cafe provides the catering service which offers their specialty, Vietnamese cuisine as well as European and French fusion menus.

Features:

• Seating Capacity: 110

• Venue Type: Restaurant (Private Room), Loft

• Cuisine Options: Vegetarian, Asian, French, and other international cuisines

Amenities Offered:

• Wheelchair

• Open Sunday

• Onsite Ceremony

• Coat Check

5. Maurya Resturant and Banquet Hall

Contact Information:

Address: 63-108 Woodhaven Blvd., Rego Park, NY 11374

Telephone Number: 917-941-0234

Telephone Number: 718-997-6462

Contact Person: Randhir Khullar

The Maurya Resturant and Banquet Hall has a South Asian feel and can definitely cater to your partying needs. With a beautiful design to match any joyous atmosphere or events, one can celebrate their special moments here, whether it may be a wedding ceremony, an engagement party, anniversaries, sweet 16 occasions, corporate events, and others.

Hence, the Maurya Resturant and Banquet Hall offers you services that will best suit your ideas and needs. You can get pleasure from their Indian cuisine appetizers like Tandoori Mixed Grill, pakoras, soups and samosa.

Dinner menus comprise of a wide vegetarian food selections such as mattar paneer, alu gobi, malai kofta, and others. They also serve non-vegetable items like chicken vindaloo, shrimp bhuna and lamb curry. Once you check their location you will surely be impressed!

Features:

• Seating Capacity: 650

• Venue Type: Conference Hall, Ballroom, Restaurant (Private Room)

• Cuisine Options: Asian, American, Continental, Vegetarian, and other international cuisines

Amenities Offered:

• Valet Parking

• Wheelchair

• Open Sunday

• Coat Check

• 24 hour Security

• Available Imported Beer

• Available Buffet Menu

• Premium Liquor

• Accepts Major Credit Cards

Florida

6. Stardust Event Center

Contact Information:

Address: 2571 12th Street, Sarasota, FL 34237

Telephone Number: 941-365-6888

Telelphone Number: 941-544-9682

Contact Person: Banquet Manager

Stardust Event Centre is known to posses a 24,000 sq. ft. clear span facility that can accommodate about 1260 people. It also has a built-in entertainment surround sound, lighting, projector and a full screen video.

Hence, charter bus service is also available within the premises so as to transport its guests to their destined facility or affair. One can hold their wedding reception, proms, homecomings, quinceaneras, fund raising events, sporting events, trade shows and fashion shows here at the Stardust Event Centre.

Features:

• Seating Capacity: 1260

• Outside Catering Allowed

• Venue Type: Conference Hall, Ballroom

• Cuisine Options: Continental, American, Kosher, Italian, Russian, Asian, Mediterranean, Latin/Spanish, French, Vegetarian, and Child Menu

Amenities Offered:

• Parking Lot

• Valet Parking

• Wheelchair

• 24 hour Security

• Bridal Room

• Open Sunday

• Onsite Ceremony

• Coat Check

• Available Imported Beer

• Available Buffet Menu

• Audio and/or Visual Equipped

• Accepts Major Credit Cards

Pennsylvania

7. La Luna Banquet Hall

Contact Information:

Address: 4610 Bensalem Blvd., Bensalem, PA 19020

Telephone Number: 215-633-8395

Contact Person: Banquet Manager

Sophisticated, elegant, exquisite details, romantic, the La Luna Banquet Hall is a one of a kind location for you to celebrate your ideal wedding reception, jubilee, graduation, anniversary gala or other special moments in your life. This is the perfect place for lasting memories.

Hence, the La Luna Banquet Hall has a stylish facility situated in the Lower Bucks County, PA. Utterly remodelled with a beautiful and unique Mediterranean style with wood parquet floors, and marble bathrooms, it will provide you with warmth and convenience you deserve.

Aside from this, it also provides its guests with an open-air experience of the old European street and combined with a piazza inspired courtyard as well as a fountain. Preferred excellent caterers are provided for wedding packages. With personalize service and wonderful location; your invited guests will surely be thrilled!

Features:

• Seating Capacity: 275

• Venue Type: Ballroom

• Cuisine Options: Continental, American, Kosher, Italian, Russian, Asian, Mediterranean, Latin/Spanish, French, Vegetarian, and Child Menu

Amenities Offered:

• Parking Lot

• Valet Parking

• Wheelchair

• Bridal Room

• Open Sunday

• Open Sunday

• 24 hour Security

• Onsite Ceremony

• Outdoor Ceremony

• Coat Check

• Available Buffet Menu

• Audio and/or Visual Equipped

• Pre-Fixed Menu Selection

8. Marjeane Caterers

Contact Information:

Address: 320 South Broad Street, Lansdale, PA 19446

Telephone Number: 215-855-3510

Fax Number: 215-362-7351

Contact Person: Brian Lutz

Marjeane Caterers provides excellent cuisine, cordial services, as well as personal attention to each factor in your event. This will go beyond your expectation. Moreover, it will definitely delight all your guests. You will surely have the best time in you life here at Marjeane’s!

Features:

• Seating Capacity: 300

• Cocktail/ Stand-up Capacity: 500

• Venue Type: Standard

• Cuisine Options: Continental, American

Amenities Offered:

• Parking Lot

• Wheelchair

• Bridal Room

• 24 hour Security

• Open Sunday

• Garden

• Onsite Ceremony

• Gazebo

• Coat Check

• Available Imported Beer Available

• Available Buffet Menu Available

• Premium Liquor

Connecticut

9. Birch Meadow Banquet Facility

Contact Information:

Address: 76 East Dudley Town Road, Bloomfield, CT 06002

Telephone Number: 860-242-9600

Fax Number: 860-683-8301

Contact Person: Banquet Manager

You are always welcome at the Birch Meadow Banquet Facility. They are a brand new state of the art facility. Birch Meadow has beautiful grounds and ballrooms for any kind of event. They are committed to giving their customers the exceptional service and food you deserve. They can also provide you with a tour of their facility, you can simply give them a call.

Features:

• Seating Capacity: 200

• Venue Type: Standard, Ballroom

• Cuisine Options: American, Italian, Vegetarian, International / Other

Amenities Offered:

• Parking Lot

• Wheelchair

• Open Sunday

• Garden

• 24 hour Security

• Onsite Ceremony

• Outdoor Ceremony

• Gazebo

• Imported Beer Available

• Buffet Menu Available

• Premium Liquor

10. New Sorrento Italian Ristorante & Banquet Center

Contact Information:

Address: 32 Newtown Rd., Danbury, CT 06810

Telephone Number: 203-748-1322

Telephone Number: 203-790-5939

Fax number: 203-748-6030

Contact Person: Banquet Manager

The New Sorrento Italian Ristorante & Banquet Center will surely delight you with its beautiful restaurant which can provide you with mouth watering meals your guests will love! It is the best place for all occasions! You are more than welcome as one of their lucky guests.

Features:

• Seating Capacity: 110

• Venue Type: Restaurant (Private Room)

• Cuisine Options: Italian, Continental

Amenities Offered:

• Parking Lot,

• Open Sunday,

• Available Imported Beer

• Available Buffet Menu

• 24 hour Security

• Premium Liquor

• Pre-Fixed Menu Selection

• Accepts Major Credit Cards

Michigan

11. Blue Dress Barn

Contact Information:

Address: 3893 Territorial Road, Benton Harbor, MI 49022

Telephone Number: 269-944-1751

Contact Person: Banquet Manager

This picture perfect reception hall is situated within the historic White-Washed Barn. With its unique and poignant design, everyone will surely have beautiful and lasting memories here at the Blue Dress Barn.

Features:

• Seating Capacity: 280

• Outside Catering Allowed

• Venue Type: Garden, Mansion

• Cuisine Options: International

Amenities Offered:

• Parking Lot

• Valet Parking

• Wheelchair

• Bridal Room

• 24 hour Security

• Open Sunday

• Onsite Ceremony

• Outdoor Ceremony

• Outdoor Reception

• Coat Check

• Internet Access

• Accepts Major Credit Cards

New Jersey

12. Pantagis Renaissance

Contact Information:

Address: Park & Mountain Avenues, Scotch Plains, NJ 07076

Telephone Number: 908-322-7726

Contact Person: Eleni Pantagis

The Pantagis Renaissance serves as a wonderland for all kinds of occasions. It has a polished marble Italian floors and stylish spiral staircases which leads to the stunning ballroom areas framed with intricate woodwork. This enchanted place also has cathedrals ceilings made out of stained glass, along wit accompanied gold leaf mirrors.

Hence, the Pantagis Renaissance also possesses a beautiful wedding chapel with bridal suites. They also provide catering services with a touch of culinary art for everyone’s delight. These entire specialties are all offered for an affordable price!

Features:

• Seating Capacity: 350

• Venue Type: Ballroom, Standard

• Cuisine Options: Continental, American

Amenities Offered:

• Parking Lot

• Valet Parking

• 24 hour Security

• Available Buffet Menu

• Premium Liquor

• Bridal Room

• Onsite Ceremony



Personal Injury Lawyer Marketing

Gautamm Mehra asked:


Scotch, the word conjures so many images: open green fields, smoky smell of peat, refined taste and everything Scottish. Scotch, is the pride of Scotland and till date is an integral part of the Scottish economy. So what makes this drink, so lovable and highly appreciated by all.

First, lets dive into a bit of history. Scotch is after all whiskey. In fact, whisky took birth as scotch itself. There is a debate on whether the English or the Scottish invented whisky. Far from being diplomatic and resting the issue there, I am going to take a plunge. I believe whisky was discovered in Scotland. There are a few reasons for my belief. Firstly, the first documented home distillation of whisky was found in Scotland in 1494. At that time Gin was the national drink of England. Now, it was only after the Act Of The Union of 1707, when England took administrative control over Scotland, did the whisky distilleries of Scotland come under the English notice. And thus only in the 1850s did Scotch came to be known as an Englishman’s drink.

Malted grains were used for the domestic production of scotch in northern Scotland. Scotch like many other spirits of its time, was infused with various herbs to add medicinal value to it. It was hence, prepared as a potent drink for many a chieftan. Countries like Scotland which typically lack a warm climate, had to use grapes or grains to ferment spirits. It is for this reason beer has been a staple brew for such countries.

How Scotch is made

The main ingredient in scotch is barley. Depending on whether it is a malt or grain whisky, malted or unmalted barley is used. What makes scotch different from almost every other whisky in the world is the natural spring water available and the peat that is used to dry the grain. This “peatiness” is the most important and vital factor that sets Scotch apart from any other whisky in the world.

Lets go over the process of a typical malt scotch production. Firstly, barley grains are taken and completely soaked in water. This allows the grain to germinate and encourages sprouting. The sprouting is then checked, by drying this malt over peat. Peat is basically decaying vegetable matter found in ample quantities in Scotland. Other whiskys use coal or some other fuel, but scotch is made exclusively with peat only. The amount of peat used also determines the final flavour of the scotch. The smokiness attribute to a scotch is dependent on this factor.

Once the drying or kilning process is over, it is now time to mash and drain the grain into large tanks. Natural or cultivated yeast is now added to these tanks to begin the process of fermentation. On sufficient fermentation, the brew or beer is now ready for its next step in the journey.

The brew must now be distilled. Scotch whisky must be double distilled by law. Traditionally this distillation occurs in a copper pot still. This distillate can now be called as scottish spirit, but for it to be called Scotch it is yet to mature for a minimum period of 2 years. Most scotch whisky is distilled for much longer though.

The cask used for maturing is a vital factor in determining the colour and flavour of the final product. Traditionally, two types of casks are most commonly used. The first type are those that have been used for maturing bourbon earlier. The excellent quality American timber with the corn flavour of bourbon adds to the complexity of the whisky. Such scotch is usually light in colour and has a typical corn flavour to it. The other type of cask is the one used to mature sweet wines such as the Spanish sherry. Even these casks are usually made in America itself and shipped to Spain for sherry maturation. Scotch that has been matured in such casks has deeper colour and sweet complexity with a strong scent.

Scotch Growing Regions

The Scotch growing areas in Scotland are divided into four regions.

1) The Highlands: The scotch produced here are soft. This can be attributed to the water that is available here. Also, the Highlands produce a rather “smoky” scotch.

2) Isles and Western Isles: The scotch produced in the Isles are famous for their pungency. This is contributed to the peaty character of the whisky.

3) Campbeltown: The scotch produced here smell fresh and ozoney.

4) The Lowlands: Finally, the scotch produced in the Lowlands are the sweetest and most gentle of all.

Scotch: Its different faces

Scotch is a sophisticated drink. And like any such drink, it has variations and different proportion of ingredients used and hence, you have a variety of scotch whiskys.

The most prized scotch is the Single Malt. Single malts are 100% malt whiskys made entirely in one distillery. Vats or Vatted whiskys are those, that contain a mixture of single malts but contain no grain whisky whatsoever. They are generally rounder and more complex in character.

Single Grain whiskys are whiskys that are made entirely from grain and contain no malt in them. Such whiskeys are typically light bodied and some find it to be a far less challenging scotch.

Blended whiskys are the most selling variety. They are a mixture of a variety of grain and malt whiskys that have been “married” by a master blender. They are often loved, as the blender ensures a consistent end product every time. Hence, it is the most expectable scotch of all.

Brands

Some of the best known scotch brands are Johnnie Walker, Teachers, Balentine’s, Chivas Regal and Whyte & Mackay. There are many many more though and each of them offer a different experience.

Ill be writing articles on the above in the future, but it would be beyond the scope of this article to say more here.

Scotch is an extremely vast subject and I hope to enlighten and entertain you in the future as well.





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