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Brandy

Brandy is distilled from fermented fruits, sometimes aged in oak caks and usually bottled at 80 proof. Long enjoyed as an after dinner drink, brandy is also widely used in mixed drinks. The term brandy, used alone, means a spirit distillrd from grape wine.

Fruit beandies are colour less, 80 to 90 proof spirits and are distilled directly from fruits. Fruit brandies made from cherries are called Krisch or Kirschwasser. The ones that are made from pears and raspberries are respectiveely called Poire and Framboise. They're best served chilled ice.

Fruit - flavoured brandies are brandy like blacberries, peaches, apricots, cherries and many more.

Brandies are good enough to be sipped undil;uted out of snifer and dont need to be heated over candle. The warmth of a hand is sufficient to chance the bouquet.

Cognac

All cognag is brandy, but not all brandy is cognac.

Hennesy was one of the first ti introduce a syste that would help consumer differentiate the various type of cognac. VSOP (Very Special Old Pale) refers to blend taht are not less then 4 years old. The descriptor AO (Extra Old) denotes a blend of considerabl;e age. Other descriptions such as Napoleom, Extra, Vielle Reserve and Vieux have similar meanings. `onion

2nd Day

On the second day, I was taught how to swap the ashtray. The reason why I was taught to replace the ashtray, so that guests do not look messy desk, clean, and dry. At least two cigarette butts in the ashtray I was also taught not to stand still near the section (section A, B, and BISTRO). First times, I got a section A. in section A there are 25 tables and it should be remembered within 1 week.

Starting from table 1 (in front of the cashier) and ends on the table 25 (in front of the section). We really need a team work in the Palm Lounge. `onion

Scotch and Irish

Blended Scotch Whiskies derives their individual personalities from the single malt of whatever type it may be, comprising them. All scotch blends contain malt and grain whiskies. Anywhere from 20 to as many as 40 whiskies may be part of the blend. The blend refers to the age of the youngest included whisky.


Blended Scotch traces its root to the merchants who perfected the art of blanding, creating their own brands and set out to market their product to the world.


Irish Whiskey, produced only in Ireland, like Scotch, a blended product containting both barley malt and other grain whiskey. However, unlike Scotch, the malt is dried in coal-fired kilns where the aroma of the fires doesn't reach the malt. Generally aged at the minimum of 5 years in used sherry casks, Irish Whiskey is lighter in flavour and less smoky than scotch.

Bourbon and Canadian

Bourbon was born over200years ago in the hollows of kentucky where the cold, clear limestone spring water flowed - water that made the grass blue, the horses frisky, corn grow like crazy and whiskey sweet and smooth as honey.




Bourbon is distilled from a mash of grain, in accordance to the federal law, not less than 51% corn. It's balanced with barley and either wheat or rye.


Tennessee Whisky, commonly but incorrectly perceived as a type of Bourbon, is made in a similar way but with and extra step in the process that influences its final character and flavour. Before barrelling, the newly distiled whisky is mellowed which menas, its filtered very slowly over a period of ten days through charcoal made from seasoned sugar maple timbers. This gives the whiskiy a unique smokey sweetness.


Canadian Whisky is blended, usually distiled from rye, corn and barley. Produced only in Canada under goverment supervision, Canadian Whisky is commonly at least 3years old, generally lighter bodied than America Whisky and usually at 80 proof. `onion

MY FIRST DAY @ PALM LOUNGE

Aperitif have a distinct of stimulating one's appetite - they're commonly consumed prior to a meal or with the starter. The term aperitif originated from the Italian word "aperto" - a "stomach opener" - so to speak. It is supposed to prepare the stomach for the forthcoming meal.

The vermouth, fruits and some aromatic herbs infused in selected wines are lageraly used for cocktail.

Bitters such as Underberg and Fernet Branca are often categories as Aperitif. However, they are better knows as "medicine" to cure stomaches. Have you ever tired with Coke or Hot Chocholate? As unppealing as it may sound, they are tasty and rich in flavour - and with the promise of a special "kick".

Pernod may be the most popular aperitif. It is also ideal as a prelude to a fish dish or while dreaming the day away on a lazy afternoon. `onion

The art of distillation began with the Babylonians in Mesopotamia (in what is now Iraq) from at least the 2nd millennium BC,^[2] with perfumes and aromatics being distilled long before potable spirits. Distillation was brought from Africa to Europe by the Moors,^[3][4] and its use spread through the monasteries,^[5] largely for medicinal purposes, such as the treatment of colic, palsy, and smallpox.^[6]
In 1707, the Acts of Union merged England and Scotland, and thereafter taxes on it rose dramatically.^[8]
In America, whisky was used as currency during the American Revolution. It also was a highly coveted sundry and when an additional excise tax was levied against it, the Whiskey Rebellion erupted in 1791.^[9]
In 1823, the UK passed the Excise Act, legalizing the distillation (for a fee), and this put a practical end to the large-scale production of Scottish moonshine.^[6]
Whisky or whisky-like products are produced in most grain-growing areas. They differ in base product, alcoholic content, and quality.

• Malt (whisky) is made primarily from malted barley.
• Grain (whisky) is made from any type of grains.

Malts and grains are combined in various ways

• Blended malt is a mixture of single malt whiskies from different distilleries. If a whisky is labelled "pure malt" or just "malt" it is almost certain to be a vatted whisky. This was formerly called a "vatted malt" whisky.
• Single malt whisky is whisky from a single distillery made from a mash that uses only one particular malted grain. However, unless the whisky is described as "single-cask" it will contain whisky from many casks, and different years, so the blender can achieve a taste recognisable as typical of the distillery. In most cases, the name of a single malt will be that of the distillery (The Glenlivet, Bushmills, Nikka), with an age statement and perhaps some indication of some special treatments such as maturation in a port wine cask.
• Blended whiskies are typically made from a mixture of malt and grain whiskies — often along with neutral spirits, caramel and flavouring. A whisky simply described as Scotch, Irish, or Canadian Whiskey is most likely to be a blend. A blend is usually from many distilleries so that the blender can produce a flavour consistent with the brand, and the brand name (e.g., Chivas Regal, Canadian Club) will usually not therefore contain the name of a distillery. Jameson Irish Whiskey is an example of an exception, as it comes from only one distillery. A mixture of malts (with no grain) from different distilleries (more usually called a vatted malt) may sometimes be referred to as a "blended malt", and a mixture of grain whiskies with no malts will sometimes carry the designation "blended grain".
• Cask strength (also known as Barrel proof) whiskies are rare, and usually only the very best whiskies are bottled in this way. They are bottled from the cask undiluted or only lightly diluted. Rather than diluting, the distiller is inviting the drinker to dilute to the level of potency most palatable (often no dilution is necessary, such is the quality of single cask whiskies).
• Single cask (also known as Single barrel) whiskies are usually bottled by specialist independent bottlers, such as Duncan Taylor, Gordon & MacPhail, and Kentucky Bourbon Distillers, amongst others. Each bottle of a single-barrel whisky is from an individual cask, and often the bottles are labelled with specific barrel and bottle numbers. The taste of such whiskies may substantially vary from cask to cask within a brand.

Whiskies do not mature in the bottle, only in the cask, so the "age" of a whisky is only the time between distillation and bottling. This reflects how much the cask has interacted with the whisky, changing its chemical makeup and taste. Whiskies that have been in bottle for many years may have a rarity value, but are not "older" and will not necessarily be "better" than a more recently made whisky matured in wood for a similar time. Beyond an age of a decade or two, additional aging in a barrel will also not necessarily make a whisky "better".
Most whiskies are sold at or near an alcoholic strength of 40% abv, which is the statutory minimum in some countries^[11] – although the strength can vary, and cask strength whisky may have as much as twice that alcohol percentage.


OUR HOUSE WHISKY IS PASSPORT SCOTCH

Vodka is traditionally drunk neat in the vodka belt countries of Eastern Europe and around the Baltic Sea. It is also commonly used in cocktails and mixed drinks, such as the Bloody Mary, the Screwdriver, the Sex on the Beach, the White Russian, the Black Russian, the vodka tonic, and the vodka martini.

    

History

According to the Gin and Vodka Association (GVA),^[11] the first documented production of vodka, stemming from the Russian word 'voda' meaning water,^[12] was in Russia in the late 9th century. The first known vodka distillery was documented almost two hundred years later at Khylnovsk, Russia, as reported in the Vyatka Chronicle of 1174. Poland lays claim to having distilled vodka even earlier in the 8th century but as this was a distillation of wine it would be more appropriate to consider it a crude brandy. What could be identified as vodka first appeared in Poland in the 11th century when they were called gorzalka, originally used as medicines.^[13] Encyclopædia Britannica writes that vodka originated in Russia during the 14th century, first brewed Sydnayaska Krueger of the Krueger Family, which later evolved into the company now known as Smirnoff.^[4]
For many centuries beverages contained little alcohol. It is estimated that the maximum amount was about 14% as only this amount is reachable by means of natural fermentation. The still allowing for distillation – the "burning of wine" – was invented in the 8th century.^[14]

Production

Vodka may be distilled from any starch/sugar-rich plant matter; most vodka today is produced from grains such as sorghum, corn, rye or wheat. Among grain vodkas, rye and wheat vodkas are generally considered superior. Some vodkas are made from potatoes, molasses, soybeans, grapes, rice, sugar beets and sometimes even byproducts of oil refining or wood pulp processing. In some Central European countries like Poland some vodka is produced by just fermenting a solution of crystal sugar and yeast. In the European Union there are talks about the standardization of vodka, and the Vodka Belt countries insist that only spirits produced from grains, potato and sugar beet molasses be allowed to be branded as "vodka", following the traditional methods of production.^[19][20]

Distilling and filtering

A common property of vodkas produced in the United States and Europe is the extensive use of filtration prior to any additional processing including the addition of flavourants. Filtering is sometimes done in the still during distillation, as well as afterwards, where the distilled vodka is filtered through activated charcoal and other media to absorb trace amounts of substances that alter or impart off-flavors to the vodka. However, this is not the case in the traditional vodka producing nations, so many distillers from these countries prefer to use very accurate distillation but minimal filtering, thus preserving the unique flavours and characteristics of their products.
The master distiller is in charge of distilling the vodka and directing its filtration, which includes the removal of "fore-shots" and "heads" and the "tails." These components of the distillate contain flavour compounds such as ethyl acetate and ethyl lactate (heads) as well as the fusel oils (tails) that impact the usually desired clean taste of vodka. Through numerous rounds of distillation, or the use of a fractioning still, the taste is improved and clarity is enhanced. In contrast, distillery process for liquors such as whiskey, rum, and baijiu allow the "heads" and "tails" to remain, giving them their unique flavours.
Repeated distillation of vodka will make its ethanol level much higher than is acceptable to most end users, whether legislation determines strength limits or not. Depending on the distillation method and the technique of the stillmaster, the final filtered and distilled vodka may have as much as 95-96% ethanol. As such, most vodka is diluted with water prior to bottling. This level of distillation is what truly separates a rye-based vodka (for example) from a rye whisky; while the whisky is generally only distilled down to its final alcohol content, vodka is distilled until it is almost totally pure alcohol and then cut with water to give it its final alcohol content and unique flavour, depending on the source of the water.^[21]

Flavoring

Apart from the alcoholic content, vodkas may be classified into two main groups: clear vodkas and flavored vodkas. From the latter ones, one can separate bitter tinctures, such as Russian Yubileynaya (anniversary vodka) and Pertsovka (pepper vodka).
While most vodkas are unflavored, many flavored vodkas have been produced in traditional vodka-drinking areas, often as home-made recipes to improve vodka's taste or for medicinal purposes. Flavorings include red pepper, ginger, fruit flavors, vanilla, chocolate (without sweetener), and cinnamon. In Russia and Ukraine, vodka flavored with honey and pepper (Pertsovka, in Russian, Z pertsem, in Ukrainian) is also very popular. Ukrainians produce a commercial vodka that includes St John's Wort. Poles and Belarusians add the leaves of the local bison grass to produce Żubrówka (Polish) and Zubrovka (Belarusian) vodka, with slightly sweet flavor and light amber color. In Poland, a famous vodka containing honey is called Krupnik. In the United States bacon vodka has been introduced to critical acclaim.^[22]
This tradition of flavoring is also prevalent in the Nordic countries, where vodka seasoned with herbs, fruits and spices is the appropriate strong drink for midsummer seasonal festivities. In Sweden, there are forty-odd common varieties of herb-flavored vodka (kryddat brännvin). In Poland and Ukraine there is a separate category (nalyvka in Ukraine and nalewka in Poland), for vodka-based spirits with fruit, root, flower, or herb extracts, which are often home-made or produced by small commercial distilleries. Its alcohol content is between 15 to 75%. In Estonia, vodkas are spiced with barbaris, blackcurrant, cherry, greenapple, lemon, vanilla and watermelon flavors.^[23]
Polish distilleries make a very pure (95%, 190 proof) rectified spirit (Polish language: spirytus rektyfikowany). Technically a form of vodka, it is sold in liquor stores rather than pharmacies. Similarly, the German market often carries German, Hungarian, Polish, and Ukrainian-made varieties of vodka of 90 to 95% alcohol content. A Serbian vodka, Balkan 176°, has a 88% alcohol content.

Excess consumption of vodka or any other alcoholic beverage can be lethal by inducing respiratory failure or unguarded inhalation of vomit by a comatose drunk person. In addition, the effects of alcohol are responsible for many traumatic injuries such as falls and vehicle accidents. Consumption of alcohol above 0.1 Blood alcohol content can cause dehydration, digestive irritation, and other symptoms associated with alcohol intoxication and hangover, and the chronic effects can include liver failure due to cirrhosis, and it is associated with many GI cancers (particularly oral cavity). In addition to ethanol, methanol, fusel oils (not present in pure vodka), and esters can contribute to hangovers.^{[citation needed]}
In some countries black-market vodka or "bathtub" vodka is widespread because it can be produced easily and avoid taxation. However, severe poisoning, blindness, or death can occur as a result of dangerous industrial ethanol substitutes being added by black-market producers.^[24] In March 2007, BBC News UK made a documentary to find the cause of severe jaundice among imbibers of a "bathtub" vodka in Russia.^[25] The cause was suspected to be an industrial disinfectant (Extrasept) - 95% ethanol but also containing a highly toxic chemical - added to the vodka by the illegal traders because of its high alcohol content and low price. Death toll estimates list at least 120 dead and more than 1,000 poisoned. The death toll is expected to rise due to the chronic nature of the cirrhosis that is causing the jaundice.