1

BEVERAGE
KNOWLEDGE
 Unit Topics
▪ Non-alcoholic beverages
▪ Coffee, tea, mineral water, carbonated
water, etc.
▪ Alcoholic beverages
▪ Fermented
▪ Distilled
▪ Compounded
▪ Liqueurs
▪ Cocktails
 Unit Objectives

1. Identify the main raw material of

each beverage correctly.
2. Explain the characteristics of each
beverage.
3. Recommend appropriate beverages to
guests.
 General Categories of Beverages

1. Non-alcoholic drinks – drinks that does note

contain any alcohol

2. Alcohol drinks – drinks that contain ethyl

alcohol.
 Service Areas of
Non-Alcoholic Drinks
▪ Served from the kitchen/still area
▪ Tea
▪ Coffee
▪ Dispensed from the bar
▪ Aerated drinks
▪ Mineral water
▪ Juices
▪ Squash
▪ Non-alcoholic wines
▪ Non-alcoholic cocktails
 Alcoholic Beverages

Alcohol has always been used by man. It was

probably discovered by chance. Beer and wines
were being produced in 4000 BC. In Mesopotamia
and Egypt and by 1000 BC. The Greeks and
Phoenicians were trading alcoholic drinks
throughout the Mediterranean.
Nowadays, alcohol contents of alcoholic drinks are
always indicated in each bottle by either ABV
(alcohol by volume) or by Proof for the following
reasons.
▪ For taxation
▪ Medical or Health
 ABV and Proof
▪ Alcohol by volume (abbreviated
as ABV, abv, or alc/vol) is a
standard measure of how much
alcohol (ethanol) is contained in
an alcoholic beverage
(expressed as a percentage of
total volume).
▪ The ABV standard is used
worldwide.
▪ Proof – is another way of
specifying the amount of
alcohol which in the United
States is twice the
alcohol-by-volume number. For
example, 40% abv is 80 proof
 Alcoholic Beverages

Classifications of alcoholic drinks

1. Fermented
▪ Wines, Beers
2. Distilled
▪ Brandy, Whisky, Vodka, Rum, Tequila
3. Compounded
▪ Gin, Aquavit, Bitter
 Fermented Alcoholic Beverages

Are made from products such as grains and fruits

with alcoholic strengths ranging from 3.2% -13.5%
alcohol by volume (ABV) through the process of
fermentation
▪ Fermentation is the natural process of
converting fruit sugar into ethyl alcohol and
carbon dioxide
▪ The by-products of fermentations are:
▪ Wines
▪ Beers
 Fermented Alcoholic Beverages

Wine
▪ The simple definition of wine -
the fermented juice of grapes -
does little to explain why
academics in such diverse
fields as biology, chemistry,
microbiology, geography,
horticulture, sociology,
economics, and medicine have
all been fascinated with the
study of wine.
 Fermented Alcoholic Beverages

History of wine
▪ Winemaking is a natural phenomenon: grapes
have sugars that wild yeasts convert to ethyl
alcohol.
▪ The earliest years - The earliest traces of
winemaking may date to 6000 B.C. in the
Caucasus region. By 4000 B.C. winemaking
had spread to Mesopotamia, Babylon, and
Egypt.
▪ In fact, the Egyptians had already begun the
practice of labeling wines to indicate the place
of origin, the grape, the name of the
winemaker, and the vintage.
 Fermented Alcoholic Beverages

Fermentation
▪ When grapes ferment into wine, the
fermentation process creates alcohol from
sugar stored in the grape.
▪ If the sugars are fermented completely, the
wine is dry. If the sugars are not completely
fermented, the wine retains varying degrees of
sweetness.
▪ In addition, ethanol, the main form of alcohol
produced by fermentation, is perceived as
sweetness.
 Basic Type of Wine

Sparkling Table / Still Dessert Fortified

Cava Spumante Prosecco Red White Rose’ French Sherry Port Vermouth Muscat
 Fermented Alcoholic Beverages
Beer
▪ More than 8,000 years ago, early
peoples discovered that wild barley,
when soaked in water, produced a
liquid that fermented on contact with
natural yeasts.
▪ According to clay tablets found in
Mesopotamia dating to about 6000
B.C. the earliest known recipe of any
kind is for making beer.
 Classifications of
alcoholic Drinks
Distilled spirits – are results from a distillation
of fermented beverages
▪ Distillation is the process of converting
liquid into vapor by heating, and then
condensing the vapor back to liquid form.
▪ Almost any fruit or vegetable can be crushed to
liquid, fermented and then distilled to make a
spirit.
 Distilled spirits

▪ Distillation is a method of separating mixtures

based on differences in their volatilities in a
boiling liquid mixture.
▪ Distillation is a unit operation, or a physical
separation process, and not a chemical reaction.
▪ Distillation of fermented solutions has been used
since ancient times to produce distilled
beverages with a higher alcohol content.
▪ The premises where distillation is carried out,
especially distillation of alcohol, are known as a
distillery
 Distilled Beverage

▪ A distilled beverage, spirit, or liquor is

an alcoholic beverage containing ethanol that is
produced by distilling(i.e., concentrating by
distillation) ethanol produced by means
of fermenting grain, fruit, or vegetables.
▪ This excludes un-distilled fermented beverages
such as beer, wine, and cider.
▪ The term hard liquor is used in North America to
distinguish distilled beverages from un-distilled
ones
Laboratory Display of Distillation
1. A heating device
2. Still pot
3. Still head
4. Thermometer/Boiling point
temperature
5. Condenser
6. Cooling water in
7. Cooling water out
8. Distillate/receiving flask
9. Vacuum/gas inlet
10. Still receiver
11. Heat control
12. Stirrer speed control
13. Stirrer/heat plate
14. Heating (Oil/sand) bath
15. Stirring means e.g. magnetic follower
(shown), anti-bumping granules or
mechanical stirrer
16. Cooling bath
 Classifications of
Distilled Spirits

Brandy Whisky Vodka Rum Tequila

 Classifications of
Distilled Spirits
Brandies - are distilled from fermented juice of fruits
of which 99% are grapes.
▪ Cognac is brandy produced in France from the
regions of Cognac. The Only brandy that can be
legally called Cognac.
▪ Cognac is generally considered premium brandy.
The letters VSOP, VSEP, VSO and VO indicate a
minimum age of 4 years for the youngest cognac
with an average age between 10 and 15 years old.
Cognac labelled with special names such as
Napoleon, Cordon Bleu, X.O., etc. have a
minimum age of 6 years for the youngest brandy,
but in fact run an average of upwards of 20 years.
 Classifications of
Distilled Spirits
Whiskies – could either be blended or single malt
which are distilled from a fermented mash of grain
or combination of grains (Corn, rye, barley or
wheat) and then aged in oak barrels.
▪ It is commonly produced in Scotland, Ireland,
Canada and in the United States of America.
▪ The most popular whiskies are Scotch
Whiskies, Irish Whisky , Canadian Whisky and
the American Whisky (Bourbon and Rye)
 Classifications of
Distilled Spirits
Vodka - is the most versatile of all alcoholic
beverages, is highly refined and filtered liquor.
▪ It was originally made in Russia, from potatoes,
but in the United States, vodka is usually distilled
from grain, primarily corn and wheat.
▪ Being almost entirely neutral, vodka is the ultimate
cocktail spirit as it takes on the flavor of the mixer.
 Classifications of
Distilled Spirits
Rum - is distilled from fermented juice of sugar
cane, cane syrup, and molasses, it is aged in
un-charred barrel where it picks up very little
colouring: dark rums often have caramel added to
them for colour.
Tequila - is distilled from a sap taken from the
base of agave plants, especially those cultivated
in the Mexican state of Jalisco.
▪ It is usually distilled twice to achieve the
desired purity and potency.
 Compounded
Alcoholic Beverages
Compounded beverages – are made from
combining either a fermented beverage or spirit
with a flavoring agent

GIN AQUAVIT BITTER

 Liqueur

Liqueur or Cordial - is describe as liquor made by

mixing or redistilling neutral spirits with fruits,
flowers, herbs, seeds, roots, plants, or juices
which are sweet, colorful and highly concentrated.
The word cordial and liqueurs are synonymous