Plant Uses - Part 2

Alcoholic Beverages

Corn

Alcoholic Beverages - as old as civilization & found in every country of the world
Bet you cant name an alcoholic beverage that doesnt come from a plant.

Alcoholic beverages produced from Plants are of 2 types - Distilled & Fermented
Distilled Beverages (also called Spirits)
Agave: Tequila Mezcal Almond: Amaretto Anise: Absinthe Arak Ouzo Pastis Sambuca Apple: Applejack Calvados Barley: Scotch whisky Irish whiskey Coconut: Arrack Corn: Bourbon whiskey Corn whiskey Tennessee whiskey Grape Brandy, Cognac; distilled wines Honey: Drambuie Krupnik Juniper Berry; Gin Potato: Vodka (also made from wheat) Aquavit Rice: Rice baijiu Shch Soju Rye: Rye whiskey Sugarcane/Molasses: Rum Aguardiente Falernum

Blue Agave - Tequila

Juniper berries - Gin

Fermented Beverages
Barley: Beer Rice: Sake Grapes & other types of fruit: Wine

Sake is made from rice

Fermented Alcoholic Beverages

1st Alcoholic beverage - Beer

1. Worlds most widely drank alcoholic beverage, > 35 billion gallons/yr Probably the 1st alcoholic beverage; ca 7,000 - 8,000 yrs old; 1st nonpolluted drink Lower in alcoholic content than wine & spirits, generally 3-6%, but up to ca 20% in newer extreme beers Best drank fresh (ie not stored) and cold 2 Main styles of beer: Ales and Lagers
Beers come in wide range of colors

2.

3.

4. 5.

Main Ingredients in Beer

Main Ingredients used to make beer: 1. Barley (Hordeum) which is malted 2. Hops - added for flavor 3. Other flavor additions; eg blueberry, herbs 4. Water & yeast

Hops grown on trellis system in Germany

The flower of hops; used as bittering agent

Barley spikes & grains

Difference between ales & lagers

Ales - their yeast ferment at higher temp. & more quickly than lagers (7-8 days); typically produce more by-products, more fruity flavors & aromas; can be pale to dark & includes the darkest - Stout Lagers - yeast ferment at lower temp. and longer than ales (up to 30 days); typically produce fewer aromas, are cleaner & crisper but can have prominent hop flavor too; Pilsner style pale lager (from Pilsen in Czech Republic) is most popular style in US (90%); can be pale or dark

Lager

Ale

How Beer is Brewed

Key Steps 1. Malting - of grain, typically barley; causes germination, release of key enzymes; then can be roasted to add flavor & color 2. Mashing-converts starch to sugars 3. Sparging- extracts the fermentable liquid (wort) from the mash 4. Boiling- sterilizes the wort & increases the sugar conc. 5. Fermentation- converts the sugars in wort to alcohol 6. Filtering and packaging

Grains malting in Germination room

Small boiler at Sam Adams

How Beer is Brewed

Malting barley Adjuncts add extra starch if used

Hops are added to some beers to add flavor

Mashing Boiling Sparging

Fermentation Where yeast (Saccharomyces) is added; metabolizes sugars to produce alcohol

Fermentation of beer (and wine) by yeast produces Ethanol

Alcohol Fermentation - occurs in yeasts (and bacteria). The product of fermentation, ethanol, is toxic to the yeast & thus limits the alcoholic concentration of beer & wine; different yeast strains have different toxicity levels

Starch in Malted Grains

General diagram of alcohol fermentation

Which country consumes most beer per capita?

Which country consumes most beer per capita?

Note: Beer production in countries is correlated with beer consumption & pop. size

Beer - is it healthful or harmful?

Moderate beer consumption (1-2 glasses/day) has not been shown to be harmful: 1. Does not cause brain cell death when drank in moderation (as was once claimed) 2. Because it contains some antioxidant flavonoids, may help prevent clogged arteries and reduce the risk of heart disease.

Does a beer a day keep the doctor away?

According to Tufts health experts, moderate beer consumption may offer health benefits worth drinking to. (Hartford Courant)

Beer may be low in alcohol but has a lot of calories!

For longer list - check out - Beer100.com

2nd Alcoholic Beverage - Wine

1. 2nd most widely consumed beverage after beer
Probably originated in Fertile Crescent region; in Egypt, ca 8,0009,000 yrs ago, then spread to Europe Produced from variety of fruit, but mostly from grapes, especially Vitis vinifera; includes no. of varieties eg. Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinvandel
White wine grapes

2.

Red wine grapes

3.

Wine
4. Vitis grows in a wide range of temperate & sub tropical climates; soil conditions & climate determine fruit character; some of the best & most expensive wine comes from very harsh growing conditions (eg Bordeaux) 5. Biggest producers of wine: #1-France, #2-Italy, #3-Spain, #4-USA, #5 Argentina
Vineyard in France

Where wine is produced & percent

Wine production in US
6. Biggest states for wine production 1st -California, Wash., Oregon , NY However, you can find good wine in lots of states, including Massachusetts! Go to a local winery!

7.

California Vineyard

Locations of wineries in Mass

Major Types of Wine

8. 3 Major types of wines: a) Table wine b) Sparkling wine c) Desert wine 9. 3 Types of Table Wines Red - eg. Merlot, Pinot Noir, Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon White - eg. Pinot Gris, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay Rose - mainly made in France; different from White Zinvandel although both are pink

Types of Table Wine

Table Wines Generalities a) Produced by fermentation; ca. 8 - 13% alcohol content (higher than most beer) b) Best wines - are aged (reds longer than whites), often in oak barrels, then in the bottle; aging softens a wine, reduces tannins, bitterness c) Labels tell a lot about a wine d) Best way to learn about wines - attend free wine tastings

Guess which wines below are most and least expensive, best and worst?

Wine
5. Major types of wines: b. Sparkling wine (8-12% alcohol) Best is - Champagne - comes only from one region of France (not far from Paris) Fermented twice; 1st like other wine & 2nd in the bottle, where it produces CO2; yeast is removed & CO2 kept in by Method Champenoise (right)
Champagne,France

Guess how much?

Wine
5. Major types of wines:
b. Sparkling

wine

Best is - Champagne - comes only from one region of France (not far from Paris) Fermented twice; 1st like other wine & 2nd in the bottle, where it produces CO2; yeast is removed & CO2 kept in by Method Champenoise (right)
Champagne,France

$35

>$79

Wine
5. Major types of wines:
b. Sparkling

wine

There are other types of sparkling wines besides Champagne. They are generally ca. $15-20 cheaper than Champagne. Eg From Italy - Prosecco From Calif. Called either Sparkling Wine, Brut, Chandon

Wine
5. Major types of wines: c. Desert wines (13- 20% alcohol) eg. Port (red wine fortified with a brandy-like spirit, comes from Portugal), Sherry, Ice Wine Used as after dinner aperitifs; drank in small amt. Usually medium to very sweet wines
Port

Ice wine is made from grapes left on vine & concentrate sweetness

Wine Making
1. Grapes are crushed and fermented in an open tank; with their skins for red wine; without their skins for white wine After fermentation, the grape must is pressed, purified in a settling vat, filtered, and often aged in oak barrels Unlike beer, good wine continues to age & get better in the bottle
Fermentation step

2.
3.

Old fashioned way to press grapes before fermentation

Is wine healthful or harmful?

The French Paradox suggests it is healthful. The term French Paradox, 1st used in 1991, referred to the observation that -

For a long time, it was recognized there is a low incidence of cardiovascular disease in the French population, despite their consumption of fat-rich foods (like cheese, Froi Gras). Why? Was thought to be due to their high consumption of red wine.

Wine health benefits

What's in Red Wine that is good for the heart? Red wine is a particularly rich source of antioxidant flavonoid polyphenolics, particularly one called resveratrol. Resveratrol, found in grape skins and seeds, increases HDL (the so-called good cholesterol) and prevents blood clotting and plaque formation in arteries.

OR

Now being sold as an anti-aging drug

2nd Type of Alcoholic Beverages

Distilled Beverages (= Spirits)

Distilled Beverages: 2 most common typeswhiskey and gin & vodka

Main Difference is source & clarity 1. Whiskey - produced by distilling grains (barley for Scotch, corn for American whiskey); is aged in wooden casks; high in alcoholic content (eg 40-50%); golden hue color 2.Gin and vodka - produced by distilling grains or other plants; 35-50%); clear in color with a cleaner flavor

Whiskey
1. Whiskey - vary greatly in price, usually alcoholic content is in Proof (Proof = 2x alcohol concentration) a. Single Malt Scotch whiskey - most expensive, double distilled, made in single distilleries in Scotland, aged in casks 3-15 yrs typically; longer aging increases cost (eg. $30 and lots more) b. Tennessee whiskey, eg. Jack Daniels - a partial blend, aged 3 yrs or more (ca. $20-30 and more) c. Bourbon whiskey, eg. Makers Mark, Jim Beam, also made from corn but a Kentucky whiskey

Whiskey
d. Blended whiskey blended, usually aged <3 yrs , eg most Canadian whiskies; cheapest

Process of making Scotch whiskey

Steps: 1. Barley is malted 2. Mashing and fermentation of wort 3. Double distillation makes it more expensive 4. Aging in oak casks for 3 or more years

Final alcoholic content: 80-100 proof (alcohol = 40-50%!)

Gin & Vodka

Gin is distilled from a mash made from malted barley to a high alcoholic level (40%) then flavored with Juniper berries; eg English or London Dry Gin; Gin & tonic cocktail contains quinine - introduced by the army of the British East India Company; why was it so popular? Vodka is the dominant spirit of Eastern Europe; probably originated in Russia; made by repeated distillation of grains (eg corn, rye, sorghum, wheat) or potatoes; has no flavor of its own
Vodka martini with vermouth

Alcoholic equivalency between beer, wine & spirits

Note: Standard drink of all 3 types contains same amt. of alcohol

Alcohol content in beer

For longer list - check out - Beer100.com

Alcohol content in wine and spirits

Why is too much alcohol harmful?

What kind of substance is alcohol? Alcohol is classified as a depressant because it slows down the central nervous system, causing a decrease in motor coordination, reaction time and intellectual performance. At high doses, the respiratory system slows down so much it can cause a coma or death. Note: It is particularly dangerous to mix alcohol with other depressants, such as GHB, Rohypnol, Ketamine, tranquilizers or sleeping pills, cocaine. Combining depressants multiplies the effects of both drugs and can lead to memory loss, coma and death.

How much is too much? What does it depend on?

How much is too much? It depends on a number of things. Most important - your sex & weight
Drinking: Men and Women are Unequal by David J. Hanson, Ph. D.
When it comes to alcohol, men and women are inherently unequal. Women are affected by alcohol more rapidly because they tend to have a higher proportion of body fat than men. And since fat cannot absorb alcohol, it is concentrated at higher levels in the blood. Women also have less of a gastric or stomach enzyme (alcohol dehydrogenase) that metabolizes or breaks down alcohol before it enters the bloodstream. Because of this, women absorb up to nearly 30% more alcohol into their bloodstream than men of the same height and weight who drink the same amount of alcohol.

How much is too much? Depends on if man or woman, weight, if eaten, etc
BAC Chart
Blood alcohol content chart

For longer list

How much is too much? Depends on if man or woman, weight, etc

So - Watch What you Drink & How Quickly you Drink Be Smart! Dont Drink Too Much Too Fast

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