The wine and alcohol beginner's guide - learning drinking culture - part 3

Well, Well, Well... Guess what?! It's finally back!

And in the words of Frank Gallagher:

So, if you are wondering what you have missed, here it is:

In the first part we learned the simple rules on how to match food and wine

And in the second part we spoke about how to actually understand its taste

Now you probably have noticed that I decided to slightly change the name of the guide, to: "The wine and alcohol beginner's guide".

(the truth is - I just like how it sounds)

“One drop of wine is enough to redden a whole glass of water.”
― Victor Hugo

Also I am quite flattered by a new nick name of mine, that some users gave me : "The steemit sommelier", thanks guys!

And, I was going to talk about more wine today... BUT then, I actually realized that most people don't have a clue about the simple beauty of alcohol! So, off we go "deeper into the rabbit hole" :

“Alcohol may be man's worst enemy, but the bible says love your enemy.”
― Frank Sinatra

• Alcohol is divided into a few groups by the type of the raw materials used to make it :
  Grains - used to make beer, whisky, vodka
  Fruit juice - wine, brandy, cognac, vermouth, calvados, gin, sambuca etc.
  Vegetables - tequila, rum, vodka
  Others - arrack, mead, kumis and so on
• All alcohol is fermented (means something ((i.e. grapes)) has undergone a process of converting its energy (in this case sugars) into something else (in this case alcohol)
• Some alcohol is also distilled (which is basically an additional process of purifying)
• Some basic things for you to know:
  Rum is made from sugar canes
  Tequila is made out of blue agave cactus
  Vodka is made by the distillation of fermented cereal grains or potatoes
  Gin is made from berries
  Whisky is made out of mixing grain types and aginf the drink in casks
  Cognac is a type of brandy(!), it's made out of wine

Why on earth am I boring you with this?

Well, by understanding what alcohol is made from, its taste and its texture, you can understand 2 main things:

• What do I drink it with?
  Let's see, it's simple. Grains go well with red meat, that means whisky and red meat go well together. Berries make a person fill fuller then he is, that's why gin is enjoyed without food!
• How to mix it
  For example by knowing that vodka is a "distilled potato", i know that it may mix well with tomato juice (they are two vegetables)

Now that you know this, try to use this simple knowledge to choose the right drink for the right meal. Or maybe even a few drinks =)

“I don't have a drinking problem 'Cept when I can't get a drink.”
― Tom Waits

Next time we will talk about how to mix drinks and how to choose them.

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