Having a drink can always be fun, but it can be even more fun to learn about much loved alcoholic beverages. Have you ever wondered where what your tequila was made from or where your rum was brewed?
Here’s something to think about the next time you hit the bar or get a shot of something to drink.
- It’s a common misconception that drinking alcohol will raise body temperatures, since its effects makes the body feel warm. The truth is that it actually lowers the temperature of the body and does not prevent hypothermia.
- Captain Morgan rum is produced by the British Company Diageo. Their white rum variety measures 100 proof.
- France has some of the best soils for growing grapes used for wine. The soils is considered to be so valuable that workers are required to scrape off any dirt they may have on their shoes before they leave the plantations.
- Tequila is made from blue agave, which is not actually a cactus, but a member of the lily family.
- The German Jägermeister is herbal liquor made with 56 herbs and spices. Initially this was made to be a digestif and healing potion for cough, sore throats and the like. It takes more than a year to make this concoction, to date, the company uses the original process that inventor Curt Mast put together in 1935.
- Bourbon is the official drink of the United States. It takes its name from Bourbon County in the state of Kentucky. Jim Beam is the most popular Kentucky whiskey. Founded in 1795, there are now several varieties to this bourbon including honey, maple and black devil’s cut.
- Adolf Hitler followed discipline even in his personal life as he strictly abstained from drinking alcohol. On the other hand, Winston Churchill displayed little restrain in the area and was known to be a heavy drinker. Whisky, brandy and martini were regular drinks on Churchill’s list.
- Many of the alcoholic beverages that are sold in the market today started out with other purposes. Vodka was originally used as in the medicinal field during war. It served as an antiseptic and anesthetic. It was also used for perfume and aftershave.
- 80 percent of the world’s production of rum comes from the Caribbean where the drink was originally discovered.
- Champagne can produce 30 bubbles each minute. A 750 ml bottle of champagne can have as much as 48 million bubbles within it.
- Beer is enjoyed so much in Europe that beer is a regular part of their menu. McDonald’s chains in Spain, Germany, Italy and Spain are just some places where customers can get a cold beer with their chicken nuggets or fries.
- Fancy taking your Captain Morgan’s rum or Jack Daniel’s whiskey with cola? Be ready to get buzzed faster. Alcoholic beverages that are mixed with carbonated drinks tend to be absorbed by the body more quickly.
- 13 essential minerals are needed by the human body to function properly. All 13 can be found in alcohol. Technically, the human body produces its own supply of alcohol continuously.
- White tequila does not necessarily equal poor quality. All tequilas start off white. The aging process in the barrel gives it a golden tinge. Other manufacturers simply add color to pass off their spirits as higher in quality. The true measure for good tequila lies in the ingredients and process used for distilling.
- French vodka, such as Ciroc and Grey Goose, has become known as premium quality. It differs from cheaper brands mainly because of the number of times it is distilled. Undergoing more distillation cycles allows for better removal of impurities. This creates a cleaner and crisper taste in the spirit.
- Distilled alcohols do not contain any carbohydrates, fat or cholesterol making them fairly low in calories.
- Asia is the biggest market for cognac such as the French brand Hennessy. Since becoming a status symbol for China’s upper crust sales for the spirit has boomed. The demand has become so high that distribution of this particular alcohol is allocated in order to make supplies last.
- Beer, wine and spirits have just about the same amount of alcohol in them. In fact, breathalyzers will detect all this the same way no matter what type of alcohol was taken in.
- Most spirits get better as they age, except for vodka that is. It is the one alcohol that can go stale if it is not consumed within a certain time frame. Most vodka manufacturers suggest consuming the spirit within one year of its production date.
- There are a variety of ways to consume spirits. On the rocks means drinking it with ice, neat equals drinking it without anything added to it, straight entails chilling the spirit by mixing or shaking it with ice then removing the ice. Spirits may also be served with water or mixed into cocktails.
