West Visayas State University 2020

Unit 5: Other Alcoholic

Beverages
Introduction
Alcohol consumption dates back almost to the dawn of human civilization.
Over time, alcohol developed into a major trade item. Some regions developed
specialty drinks that we still drink today. Through it all, there always had to be
someone on hand to host and serve the alcohol. No one knows the exact moment,
year, century, or even period when alcohol was first discovered. It’s believed that
alcohol has been around since at least 10,000 B.C.E., because archaeologist’s
unearthed stone age beer mugs from the Neolithic period. Archaeological evidence
suggests that alcohol was an important part of ancient life. Alcohol played a large role
in travel and exploration. In the New World,Columbus found Native Americans making
beer from corn and black birch sap. Ferdinand Magellan, captain of the first ship to
sail around the world, spent more money on sherry than weapons when stocking his
ship for a voyage to the New World. Sir Walter Raleigh brewed the first beer in
Virginia and then sent a request for better beer back to England. Colonists made wine
from strawberries, blackberries, gooseberries, and elderberries. They also planted
non-native apple trees, which yielded cider. The popular brands we know today
began to appear on the scene in the eighteenth century.
Every culture has its own history of brewing and distilling liquor and spirits
from local ingredients. When Ferdinand Magellan and the rest of the Spanish
conquistadors first arrived in the Philippine islands, natives offered them local goods
like fish, figs, and coconuts. They also gave them a jar of local alcohol, which
historians claim was either arack, which is wine made from palm, or tuba, wine made
from fermented coconut nectar.
Although a particular Philippine wine or spirit may be produced in many areas
and the ingredients for production remain the same throughout these areas, their
names by which the ingredients are called vary. This is due to the vast range of
dialects existing in our country. Both the rice wine and the yeast used to produce it
have many names. The rice wine of the Manobos is called agkud and the yeast used
is called tapey, while the Igorots and the Ilocanos call their rice wine tapuy and the
yeast bubud. The Tagbanuas of Palawan on the other hand, call their rice wine tubad
and yeast cake is called purad. The culture of drinking in the Philippines has
continued into the present, with different bars, pubs, speakeasies, restaurants, and
the like serving a wide variety of liquor and alcoholic concoctions. Thus this chapter
discuses; Aquavit; Bitters; Cachaca; and Local Wines and Spirits.

Learning Outcomes
At the end of this Unit and after actively participating in the live and
online class the student should be able to:
1. discussed aquavit, bitters and cachaca;
2. valued the uniqueness of aquavit, bitters and cachaca; and
3. determined the characteristics of aquavit, bitters and cachaca

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Activity
Name:________________________________ Course, Yr & Sec:__________
Teacher: ______________________________ Class Schedule: ___________
Word Search
Directions: Encircle the words found inside the box either vertically, horizontally or
diagonally. Use the words below for reference.

Aquavit Bitter Cocktail Triple Sec

Schnapps Kahlua Campari Aperitif
Curacao Liqueurs

S Z E B J N X P F H T U O

C U R A C A O I G K R I L

H A O L K D T L T Y E T Q

N R M C S I X I R O D E S

A C Z P R B V Q I I C E C

P K O E A A Y U P L G R V

P B P C U R A E L G W H F

S A I Q K U I U E T O E N

Z X A T L T J R S D W P M

D M V H T F A S E F A A D

C L A K G E W I C G E W I

W K Y V B M R O L A D F O

D H K L N M P W Y U I D F

X T Y E R V B N O Q A B N

P S A G T J I L P Y T I E

Note to Students: Detached this page and submit to your

Professor on the given due dates.

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Analysis
Name:________________________________ Course, Yr & Sec:__________
Teacher: ______________________________ Class Schedule: ___________
Instruction: Write your answer on the space provided.
Please be guided by the following rubric. 10 pts: 7 or more sentences
5 pts: less than 5 sentences
0 pts: no description
1. Briefly discuss. What is Fermentation?
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2. Briefly discuss. What is Distillation?
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Note to Students: Detached this page and submit to your

Professor on the given due dates.

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Introduction

Leisurely get-togethers allow guests to

savor their conversation and their drinks while
they wait for their meal. After-dinner drinks
often help with digestion. Europeans drink
shots of limoncello, minted schnapps, grappa,
and anise liqueurs. Today, after-dinner drinks
tend to be either creamy, hot, or a neat
measure of spirit. Nightcaps can be a hot drink or a single spirit that is sipped to
make one feel warm and cozy inside. If you like the taste of anise/licorice (pastis),
there are many other choices like Galliano, anisette, ouzo, sambuca, pastis, Ricard,
Pernod, or absinthe.
Absinthe has an intriguing history. Absinthe originated in Switzerland and
legend says that the inventor was Dr. Pierre Ordinaire. Absinthe means wormwood in
French. It was one of the original ingredients in the first believed cocktail, the Sazerac.
But absinthe also had a darker, more dangerous side. This pastis had a high alcohol
content and was made with wormwood, which caused slight hallucinations, earning it
the nickname the Green Fairy (La Fée Verte).
By 1906, absinthe was banned in Brazil and Belgium. Other countries
Followed Switzerland in 1908 and the United States and France in 1912. It was
eventually outlawed worldwide except in England, Sweden, and Norway. After
relegalization of absinthe in most of the world in the late 1990s and early 2000s,
producers use clever marketing, extravagant claims, and flashy and hip labels to
sell less-than-worthy imitations. In July 2007, a New Orleans absinthe historian,
chemist, and environmental microbiologist named T.A. Breaux proved to be
instrumental in lobbying the American Congress into allowing the first legal absinthe
(after being banned for ninety-five years) into America. The name ofabsinthe (after
being banned for ninety-five years) into America. The name of this absinthe is Lucid.
Absithe History. The anise flavor we associate with absinthe was a staple in
distillation long before the green fairy (la fée verte as it was christened in French)
started wreaking havoc. Star anise is native to China and, once discovered by
Europeans, the sexy spice earned enhanced status in the Mediterranean as a stomach
settler. While the star anise flavor is distinctive, what sets absinthe apart is the
inclusion of wormwood, or to use its Latin name absinthium, which has been added to
spirits since the Egyptians and Ancient Greeks first began experimenting with them.
In the late 18th century someone was credited with using both botanicals and
thus creating the spirit we know today, although their identity is something of a
mystery. Most accept that absinthe originated in Couvet in Switzerland, though some
recognize Dr Pierre Ordinaire as the creator, while others credit the Henriod sisters.
The recipe ended up in the hands of Daniel Henri Dubied and his son-in-law, Henri-
Louis Pernod, in 1797 and they went into business, taking the concoction to France in
1805. The country became absinthe’s heartland and it boomed there. It made its way
into the glasses of everyone from inspiration- seeking artists such as Van Gogh and

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Degas, to soldiers who used it as a cure for malaria. Indeed it was as popular in
France as gin was in Britain and it soon started traveling across the globe.
By the 1830s absinthe was being exported
along with the exceptionally popular vermouth, both
making their way into the emerging cocktails of
America. With New Orleans being home to many
French, it was no surprise to see the spirit enjoy
success here and during the mid-19th century dashes
of the stuff were finding their way into cocktails such
as the Sazerac. Absinthe subsequently journeyed to
New York, and as drinkers searched for a morning
mind-clearer after a night on the champers, cocktails
such as the Absinthe Cocktail and Absinthe Frappé
emerged, the latter immortalized in the Broadway
musical number “It happened in Nordland.”
Absinthe Styles. Absinthe wouldn’t be
absinthe without wormwood it’s what sets the drink
apart from other anise-based spirits, and it’s also the
source of its notorious reputation. Wormwood has
been revered by medical minds as far back as Pythagoras, who recommended its use
to alleviate the pain of childbirth, but in absinthe it simply provides the musty and
bitter backbone. Fears over absinthe’s mind-bending powers emerged due to its
thujone content, a chemical compound linked to cannabis, and it was believed to
trigger psychedelic episodes. This made the spirit a scapegoat for everything from
artists cutting their ears off to violent murders. But these fears are unfounded and
subsequent research has proved that the level of thujone present in absinthe’s
heyday was only a trace amount and not nearly significant enough to send anyone
mad. Added to which the levels are carefully monitored today. Absinthe is strong, and
if you drink it by the 1/2 quart you’ll be in trouble, but no more so than with any
other strong liquor.
Besides, absinthe contains many other wonderful botanicals, all of which are
macerated in a neutral grain spirit or wine before the liquid is redistilled. This gives
the spirit a complex flavor profile and one that is further enhanced with the addition
of water. When you add water you get what is called a louche, or clouded effect, and
as well as watering down what is a strong spirit, this unlocks plenty of aromas.
In terms of style, look for absinthe verte (green) and products that are colored
naturally by the herbs rather than artificially. Pernod absinthe is a solid starting
point since it’s the grandfather of the type, Pernod having created a commercial
category for absinthe in 1805. Pernod suffered from the ban on
absinthe in the early 20th century, but the original recipe infuses the
current post-ban brand.
Scientist and drinksmith Ted Breaux has taken on the
modern-day recreation of historic brands with his Jade Liqueurs
selection. One for the more confident palate is the CF Berger Verte
Suisse 1898, taken by Jade from original recipes and fashioned as
an original Swiss style. You’ll get a bold blast of wormwood, fennel,
anise, and hyssop, all of which are given a booster shot with the
addition of water.
Un Emile 68 absinthe is lighter in its flavors and not overly
fragrant, makingit great as an introductory absinthe.

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Angélique was launched in 2005 and comes from Switzerland. It uses

botanicals selected from the meadows around the base
of the Alps and has
picked up a number of awards. It’s a decent brand for
trying with water as you
expand your absinthe knowledge.
La Clandestine is also interesting to look at as a
blanche or La Bleue (clear, colorless) style. Based on a
1935 recipe, it’s distilled by enthusiast Claude-Alain
Bugnon in the home of absinthe, Couvet in Switzerland.
It’s a floral absinthe with a nice
balance of sweet and bitter flavors.
If you’re looking for absinthe substitutes then pastis has all the
anise and louche of absinthe but no wormwood, and it must by
law include licorice root.
Henri Bardouin pastis is renowned for its quality. And
while we’re on anise flavors it’s also worth throwing raki into the
mix. This Turkish spirit comes from raisins, grape pomace, and
sloe berries and is a smooth alternative. Finally there’s ouzo,
which by law must be produced in Greece. If you have any of
these in the cupboard from your vacation visits then experiment
with them in place of absinthe.
The following are the common cocktail made from Absinthe
Absinthe Drip. The traditional serve of absinthe is made even more theatrical
in this recipe with an absinthe fountain. You will need a perforated or slotted absinthe
spoon for this.

Glass: Rocks or Old Fashioned

Ingredients: 1 3/4fl oz/50ml absinthe

sugar cube
5–7fl oz/150–200ml
ice-cold water

Garnish: Sugar Cube

Procedure: Pour the absinthe into a glass, then balance the absinthe spoon on the rim.
Place the sugar cube on the spoon and slowly drip water over it to dissolve the sugar
into the absinthe. Stir with the spoon when the mixture has louched (become cloudy).
Absinthe Cocktail. This has enjoyed many incarnations over the years but
the original recipe was a very basic mix. This one comes from Jerry Thomas’ 1887
reprint of his Bartenders Guide, in which he uses the anisette liqueur instead of sugar
to sweeten the drink.

Glass: Flute
Ingredients: 1fl oz/30ml absinthe
2 dashes anisette
dash Angostura bitters
2fl oz/60ml water
ice cubes
Procedure: Shake all the ingredients with ice and strain into a glass.
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Absinthe Frappé. Cayetano Ferrer created this in 1874 at Aleix’s Coffee

House in the French Quarter of New Orleans. Built in 1806, it became The Absinthe
Room when the cocktail was invented and is now The Old Absinthe House.

Glass: Rocks

Ingredients: 2fl oz/60ml absinthe

3 tsp anisette
2fl oz/60ml soda water
crushed ice

Garnish: Sprig of Mint

Procedure: Pour the ingredients into a glass over ice in the order listed, churning
constantly. Top with more ice and garnish with a sprig of mint.

Aquavit
A very strong unaged colorless liquor ranging in alcohol content from about 40-
45% ABV. Aquavit is considered by many to be the national drink in Scandinavia
(Denmark, Norway, Sweden). It is distilled from potaoes and grain flavored with anise,
caraway seeds, cardamom, cumin, dill, fennel, bitter orange and lemon peels, filtered
in charcoal, reduced in proof and transferred into a glass lined vat until it is ready for
bottling or bottled immediately.
In Germany it is known as schnapps, in Denmark schnaps and in Norway and
Sweden snaps. Fruits used to flavor
schnapps as blueberry, peach
peppermint. Root beer and wild
berry. The clear version of aquavit
is called taffel. The Scandinavian
version of vodka is often called
schnapps (not to be confused with
the liqueur of the same name), but
its official names are aquavit (from
Norway) and akvavit (from
Denmark). The word schnapps is
from an ancient Norwegian word
meaning “to snap up or gulp,” and,
not surprisingly, the traditional way
to drink this bracing spirit is ice cold,
in a single gulp, sometimes followed by a swig of beer.
Aquavit is stored in the freezer in Scandinavian homes, and drinking it is a
special tradition at Christmas and on May 17, the anniversary of the drafting of
Norway’s constitution. Aquavit is most often produced from distilling potatoes. It is
distilled at 190 proof and then redistilled (like gin) with flavorings; caraway seed is
the classic, but you may also find hints of cumin, fennel, dill, coriander, clove, and
orange peel. It is aged in oak sherry casks and bottled at 86 to 90 proof, and makes
an interesting substitute in some cocktail recipes that normally call for vodka. On the
Internet you can find numerous recipes that use vodka as the base for homemade
aquavit. Minnesota, with its large numbers of Scandinavian descendants, leads the
United States in aquavit consumption. Exported brands sometimes seen here include

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Aalborg from Denmark and Loiten Export or Lyshold Linie from Norway. The term
Linie on the label means “line” and refers to the practice of shipping the aquavit, still
in its oak casks, across the equator from Norway to Australia in a round-trip journey,
a tradition that dates from the 1800s. The theory is that aquavit gains a richer flavor
by spending several weeks at sea, gently sloshing around in the barrels. The label
may even designate the ship and the date that it sailed. Germany makes a similar
product, known as korn because it is made using corn, not potatoes. German korn
liquor is sometimes flavored with fruit and does not share the Scandinavian tradition
of journeying first to Australia by ship. Famous brands of aquavit are: A.) From
Denmark Aalborg, Brondums, and Hrald Jensen B.) From Norway Bergens, Aquavit
1818, Gammel Opland, Gilde,Linie loitens,Simers and Trondhjems. C.) From Sweden –
Arsta Brannvin, Gammal Norrlands Hallands Flader, Herrgards,Hjartansfrojd, Lacko
Slotsaquavit, Nykopings Brannvin, O.P. Anderson, Porsbrannvin, Ranas Brannvin,
Skane, Stockholm, Svart Vinbars Brannvin and Tallbergs Festbrannvin.

Bitters
This refers to a bitter or bittersweet
alcoholic beverage made from distilled or
infused aromatic bars, herbs, fruits and
roots sold at 45% ABV. Common ingredients
are angostura bark, carscarilla, gentian root,
orange peel and quinine. They were
originally known as elixirs. These very
unique spirits are flavored with herbs, roots,
bark, fruits, and so on, like liqueurs. The
difference is that bitters are unsweetened,
so “bitter” is the right word for them. Once
used primarily as medicines or for hangover
cures, bitters come in two basic varieties:
bitters that provide concentrated flavor and
bitters for beverages. The bitters category is also home to some of the more
interesting libations for the intrepid drinker. Bitters aren’t really lique urs in the
popular sense, but they’re classified as such because they use the same kinds of
ingredients. Bitters, however, are more closely related to the era when concoctions of
known curative botanicals were added to alcohol. They were intended, then and now,
as a medicine to relieve stomachaches and hangovers, and to aid digestion. All bitters
are just what they’re called, and some of the most popular are:
Abbotts Aged Bitters a popular general purpose ingredient for food and
beverage recipes and made from Baltimore, Maryland, USA by the C.W. Abbott Co.
since 1865.
Amer Picon is made in France using cinchona bark and, thank goodness, bitter
orange to disguise the flavor. Cinchona bark is also used to make quinine, which helps
alleviate malaria. A 78-proof, quinine-laced French bitters with a brandy base, is said
to have been what the French Foreign Legion in Algeria added to the water in their
canteens. It is served with ice and water or used in cocktails and never mix it with
anything else.
Amaro Montenegro this is flavored with vanilla and is made in Bologna, Italy.
It is called a half-bitter and thus a good for beginners.
Angostura Bitters, now made in Trinidad, were origin ally concocted in
Angostura, Venezuela (now Ciudad Bolivar, Venezuela) by a Dr. Sigert. The good

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doctor was intent on developing a medicine to help ward off tropical diseases. With
45 percent ABV, it was actually a pleasure to drink. Today, most important is its
contribution as a flavor enhancer for food and in cocktails.
Boonekamp a spirit based digestive Dutch bitters used occasionally in mixed
drinks.
Byrth an aromatic brandy and red wine based bitters flavored with quinine a
herbs, originally from France; served as an aperitif.
Cynar is a perfect trivia question because it’s the only spirit made from
artichoke leaves. In Italy, it’s garnished with a slice of orange and served as an
aperitif. Cynar is also frequently used in cocktails where its distinct herbal flavor is an
addition. It is the world’s only spirit made from artichoke leaves. Its name comes
from cynarum, the Latin word for artichoke, and its reputation is as an aperitif that is
good for the liver. It is brown, syrupy, and high in alcohol content; it is typically mixed
with seltzer or tonic.
Campari is the world’s favorite bitter today. It was developed in 1860 to
celebrate Italy’s unification, and the same formula is
still in use. That consists of herbs and fruits “from four
continents,” which are aged in oak. Campari is also
the main ingredient in two classic cocktails — the
Americano and the Negroni. Campari, a 48-proof red
Italian spirit that truly has a bitter flavor. It is usually
quaffed with soda or tonic or in a cocktail. Campari is
a fashionable drink all over Europe and has become
well known in this country, especially among
sophisticated drinkers.
Fernet Branca has been available since 1845.
In the U.S., it could be sold in food stores until about
1960 when the IRS insisted that it be sold only in
licensed liquor stores. It’s hard 270 to believe that the
combination of 40 herbs and spices could
be an effective digestif, but millions swear it is. Fernet Branca, a 78-proof spirit,
known chiefly as a hangover treatment. Everyone agrees that its taste is terrible.
Jagermeister a German product with a
stately stag on its label and high alcohol content.
“Jager” has made the list of Hottest Brands in the
liquor industry during the first several years of the
2000s, mostly for its reputation as a shooter in bars
frequented by entry-level drinkers. The company
works hard for its rowdy, sexy reputation with rock-
concert-tour sponsorships, a traveling Jager Bus full
of gorgeous Jagerettes and hunky Jager Dudes, and
a Jager Tap Machine that dispenses the spirit super-
cold. Germany also exports Underberg, which is
known primarily as a hangover cure and sold in
small bottles wrapped in brown paper.
Orange Bitters this is made in England from
the dried peels of Seville oranges.
Peychaud’s Bitters is a purely American
product. It was first made in New Orleans in 1793 by Antoine Peychaud, a refugee
Haitian apothecary. It’s no longer used for curing every tropical disease, but it lends

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its unique flavor a few drops at a time to Creole cuisine or cocktails with Southern flair.
Various orange bitters, and the lesser-a New Orleans product. They are used in
minute amounts to flavor mixed drinks.
Punt e Mes is a bitter vermouth with a recipe dating back to the 1700s. The
name means “point and a half,” and legend has it that the name was given to the
product by an Italian stockbroker.
Suze a bright yellow French bitters distilled from gentian root and herbs. It is
usually served with ice and soda water.
Unicum a brandy based bitter from Hungary. It is a thick, black, viscous
concoction made from more than 40 herbs and spices.
Underberg a German brandy based herb flavored bitter that is either drunk
straight in on gulp, or with soda water. Its country of origin is Switzerland.
Bitters and Amari. The modern-day descendants of medieval medical potions,
bitters are marketed as having at least some vaguely therapeutic value (stomach
settlers, hangover cures, and so on). They tend to be flavored with herbs, roots, and
botanicals and contain lower quantities of fruit and sugar than liqueurs.
The Farmaceutica di Santa Maria Novella, in Florence, Italy, founded in 1612,
produces amari
(plural of amaro:
Italian bitter liqueurs)
from recipes that date
back to the 17th
century. Some
European aperitifs
and digestifs have
been lifted from
obscurity in recent
years from active
marketing campaigns.
Fernet Branca,
another Italian amaro from Milan has gained popularity with American
bartenders for an end-of-the-night shot. Jägermeister was a German old man’s
drink, most often served at room temperature in small quantities to warm a body
on cold, damp winter days, until a clever marketing campaign made it popular as
a shooter served colder than an ice cube to American college students.
These digestifs ranging from the dry Unicum from Hungary to the sweet
Becherovka from the Czech Republic are produced in almost every country in
Europe, while new American producers are getting into the game.
Italian immigrant Francesco Amodeo founded Don Ciccio & Figli with recipes
his family produced and sold on the Amalfi Coast from 1883 until an earthquake
destroyed the production facility in 1980. His plant in Washington, DC, produces
limoncello and a variety of amari. Another DC-based amaro producer, Founding Spirits,
makes amaro at a nanodistillery inside the Founding Farmers restaurant. Fernet
Michaud, by Liquid Riot in Portland, Maine, is another fine example of a modern craft
distillery producing their own version of a European classic. Underground Herbal Spirit,
produced by Ogden’s Own in Utah, is also a noteworthy example of the style.
As bartenders scoured through 19th-century recipes looking for classic
cocktails to revive, spirits producers have scrambled to resurrect long-lost spirits,
often found in 19th-century pharmacy notebooks. St. Germain elderflower liqueur
rocketed to popularity when it caught the fancy of bartenders. The Woodinville,

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Washington, distillery broVo Spirits created a line of more than a dozen amari
by working with individual bartenders to create their dream amaro.
Although there are specialty liqueur producers, most brands are produced by
general distillers as part of an extended product line. Among the new generation
general distillers as part of an extended product line. Among the new generation of
craft distillers, some of the standout liqueur producers include Leopold Brothers
Distillery of Denver, Colorado, with their distinctive whiskey-based fruit liqueurs (the
Rocky Mountain Blackberry is particularly noteworthy); Flag Hill Winery and Distillery
in Lee, New Hampshire, with their delicately tinged Sugar Maple Liqueur; and
Sidetrack Distillery, in Kent, Washington, who produce a variety of eaux de vie and
liqueurs using produce from the farm adjacent to the distillery.
Cachaca
Cachaca Brazil’s pronounced (“ka-sha-sa”), is national
spirit of Brazil, which has been made for at least 400 years
and only recently has risen to cult status in the United States,
Europe, and Japan. In fact, in terms of volume, there’s twice
as much cachaça produced as rum. June 12 is International
Cachaca Day, and Germany is the largest consumer of
cachaça outside Brazil. It is the product of the distillation of
fermented sugarcane juice, with an alcoholic strength
between 38 to 48% ABV. Like rum, it has two varieties:
unaged (white) and aged (gold). White cachaca is usually
bottled immediately after distillation and tends to the cheaper.
Aged cachacas come in shades ranging from gold to amber
deserve to be signed like a fine tequila or single malt scotch.
It is aged in wooden barrels and is meant to be drunk pure.
Its flavor is influenced by the type of wood the barrel is made
of. Aficionados are adamant that this spirit is distinctly
different from rum. While rum is distilled from molasses,
cachaça is distilled from unrefined sugarcane juice. It began
as a drink concocted by the slaves who harvested sugarcane
and were given the leftover juice after processing. The juice
fermented to produce an alcoholic drink, but someone
discovered that if it were boiled to form a concentrate, it would be even more potent.
Today, cachaça is used to make the wildly popular caipirinha cocktail and the
less-well-known sweet, fruity batidas cocktails, which are traditional pre-Lenten
carnival libations in South America. The finer-quality cachacas are barrel-aged, and
the liquor emerges with a unique, pleasant sugarcane scent. In order to label it as
“aged,” Brazilian law requires that cachaça be stored in small barrels for one year.
There’s also a type of the spirit known as “yellow” cachaca, a sweeter version created
by adding extracts of caramel or wood rather than aging it. Brazil produces thousands
of brands of cachaca. The industry employs about 400,000 people and the
government has waged a fierce (but so far, not especially successful) campaign to
reserve the name exclusively for Brazilian-made products, insisting that the spirit’s
history and ties to its national culture make cachaca uniquely Brazilian.
In Brazil Cachaça 51 is the best seller. It’s incredibly cheap but punchy and
harsh. Brands that are easier to approach and more commonly available outside Brazil
include Sagatiba, a light and clean cachaça. Leblon is slightly creamy and Abelha is an
organic cachaça product. Ypióca is a little more old school with a certain rustic quality
about it, while Germana has complexity with flavors of bananas and grassy sugarcane.

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Schnapps
Schnapps is a general term used for an assortment of white and flavored spirits
that have originated in northern countries or regions, such as Germany or Scandinavia.
Schnapps can be made from grain, potatoes, or molasses and can
be flavored with virtually anything (watermelon and root beer schnapps from the
United States being proof of that). The dividing line between schnapps and
flavored vodka is vague and is more cultural than stylistic.
Label for Johnny Ziegler Black Forest
Style Apple Aux Pommel Schnapps Eau
de Vie by Wine- garden Estate in New
Brunswick, Canada.
Anise-flavored Spirits.
These spirits can vary widely in style,
depending on the
country of origin.
They can be dry
or very sweet,
low or high proof,
distilled from
fermented aniseed or macerated in neutral spirit. In France, anis
(as produced by Pernod) is produced by distilling anise and a
variety of other botanicals together. Pastis is macerated, rather
than distilled, and contains fewer botanicals than anis. In Italy,
sambuca is distilled from anise and botanicals, but it is then
heavily sweetened to make it a liqueur. Oil of fennel (also known
as green anise) is frequently added to boost the aroma of the
spirit. Greece has a drier, grappa-like liqueur called ouzo, which is
stylistically close to
Pastis.

Local Wines and Spirits

Every culture has its own history of brewing and distilling liquor and spirits
from local ingredients. When Ferdinand Magellan and the rest of the Spanish
conquistadors first arrived in the Philippine islands, natives offered them local goods
like fish, figs, and coconuts. They also gave them a jar of local alcohol, which
historians claim was either arack, which is wine made from palm, or tuba, wine made
from fermented coconut nectar.
The culture of drinking in the Philippines has continued into the present, with
different bars, pubs, speakeasies, restaurants, and the like serving a wide variety of
liquor and alcoholic concoctions. If you’re looking to explore locally-made spirits and
wines made from native ingredients and rooted in
cultural history and tradition, here’s a list of common
Filipino drinks.
Lambanog. Offering a potent kick is the local
spirit lambanog. Most of the coconut-based liquor is
produced in Quezon province in the southern areas of
the Philippines, where quite a number of coconut
plantations thrive. The drink is made from fermenting
and distilling sap from an unopened coconut flower,
producing a strong alcohol that typically rounds out
at 40% ABV. It is then commonly sweetened with
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raisins. The result is a clear liquor which Thrillist describes as crisp and clean, with a
subtle sweet, fruity tang. Although Quezon still keeps its tradition of producing the
drink, there are plenty of factory-produced lambanog brands today that keep the
same unique qualities of the spirit. Such is the case with Lakan Lambanog, a premium
lambanog made from quality ingredients and years of perfecting the multi-stage
distillation process.
Basi. Going up to the northern
regions of the Philippines, the preference for
alcohol changes from lambanog to basi, a
fermented alcoholic drink made from
sugarcanes. Enjoyed from the flatlands of
Ilocos region to the mountainous areas of
Kalinga, basi is a fermented drink made
from sugarcanes processed in earthen jars
called Burnay in Ilocos. Two types of spirits
are produced, basing lalaki, which is high in
alcoholic content with a strong, dry finish,
and basing babae, which is sweeter and less
potent. Basi is frequently made by local
artisans and found along roadside stands or public markets. For a modern cocktail
that highlights basi, a Filipino restaurant in the BGC area called Big Bad Wolf serves
the Basi Spritz. A cocktail made from premium basi wine sourced from Vigan, white
wine, elderflower liquer, campari, and orange juice, it has a tangy, refreshing
beverage that highlights the unique qualities of the local liquor.
Tuba. A Visayan counterpart of
alcohol made from coconuts is tuba, which is
similar to lambanog but is made by mixing
the bark of a mangrove tree with the
coconut sap, resulting in a reddish color.
Mangrove bark, locally
called tungog or barok, is pounded and
ground as it is mixed with the coconut wine,
and serves as a fermenting agent. The clear
or milky coconut wine found in Luzon,
although easy to make, has to be consumed
in a span of one to two days before it further
sours and ferments into coconut vinegar. To avoid that, the mangrove bark in
Visayan tuba also acts as a preservation aid that prevents it from turning into vinegar.
Just like wine, tuba also tastes better as it ages.
Good, well-aged tuba is called bahalina, and tastes
slightly sweeter and fruitier than its fresher
counterpart. A mass-produced tuba called Vino de
Coco hit the markets last 2013, making the drink
commercially-available for people who want to try it.
Vino de Coco offers sweet red, dry red, dry white,
and sweet white varieties.
Tapuy. Also originating from the Cordillera
region, tapuy or tapuey is a fermented rice wine
that has a long tradition of being used for special
occasions. Made from rice, onuad roots, ginger

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extract, and a natural powdered fermentation agent called bubod, the end result is
mildly sweet with a strong kick, with around 14% alcohol content. The drink is
described as tangy, with a unique smoothness and sweet licorice-like aftertaste. Apart
from being great to drink on the rocks, tapuy also makes for a great foundation for a
lot of cocktail concoctions. PhilRice recently launched a commercially-available
premium and all-natural tapuy. Another small business producing bottled tapuy is
Proudly Promdi, a company with a passion for indigenous liquor that partners with
several Filipino fusion restaurants to produce cocktails that highlight the taste of local
Filipino spirits.
Bignay Wine. Not a lot of locals know of the small, locally-grown berry
called bignay or bugnay. With what Pepper.ph describes as a tangy and sweet taste
reminiscent of blackberries, it comes as no surprise that the local Filipino berry can be
fermented into an invigorating, fruity wine. Bignay are small, round berries in trees
commonly found growing in the wild. They produce wine that can be mistaken for a
glass of red wine, with its deep color, but the taste is slightly sweeter than red wine
from grapes, with the bignay wine having an intensely heady fruity aroma. The
berries give the wine unique, slightly tart notes similar to that of blackberries, as well
as a good, hefty kick of alcohol. Today, there are plenty of local enterprises that
produce bottles of good, medium-bodied bignay wine. Proudly Promdi also carries
their own variant called Bielma, which is great on its own or mixed in with cocktails
that highlight the berry’s unique tang.

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Application
Name:________________________________ Course, Yr & Sec:__________
Teacher: ______________________________ Class Schedule: ___________
Direction: Write your answer on the space provided.

1. Make a cocktail / mocktail containing Cachaca. Write the name,

ingredients with corresponding quantity and procedures (5 Points).
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
_____________
2. Make a cocktail / mocktail containing bitter. Write the name,
ingredients with corresponding quantity and procedures (5 Points).
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________

Note to Students: Detached this page and submit to your

Professor on the given due dates.

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Assessment

Name:________________________________ Course, Yr & Sec:__________

Teacher: ______________________________ Class Schedule: ___________

Multiple Choice. Direction: Choose and circle the LETTER of the correct answer.

1. Aquavit is distilled from grain and potatoes and flavored with variety of ____.
A. herbs C. vegetables
B. fruits D. plant leaves
2. A red Italian spirit that best known for beverage bitter.
A. Negroni C. Angostura
B. Campari D. Fernet Branca
3. What name is used to describe bitters meant to be consumed as an appetizer-of-
sorts before a meal?
A. correctif C. aperitif
B. digestif D. motif
4. It is the product of distillation of fermented sugarcane juice and a national spirit of
Brazil.
A. Aquavit C. Cachaca
B. Bitters D. Liqueur
5. Aquavit has a neutral background flavor similar to ___.
A. Gin C. Brandy
B. Vodka D. Tequila
6. It is derived from the Latin word aqua vitae meaning “water of life”.
A. Bitter C. Aquavit
B. Cachaca D. Liqueur
7. What are the main ingredients of Brazil's national cocktail, the Caipirinha?
A. Cachaca, lime, sugar C. Brandy, Triple sec, lemon juice
B. Bitter, Gin, lime D. Vodka, Martini, Vermouth
8. What drink is made by adding a dash of bitters to a cocktail of whiskey and
vermouth?
A. Martini C. Sidecar
B. Pink Gin D. Manhattan
9. What is Angostura named for?
A. a type of tree bark C. a town in Venezuela
B. its creator D. All of these are correct
10. What drink do you get when you mix gin, vermouth and Campari bitters?
A. Sazerac C. Tom Collins
B. Dry Martini D. Negroni

Note to Students: Detached this page and submit to your

Professor on the given due dates.

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References

Cousins, J. Lilicrap, D., Weekes, S. Food and Beverage Service, 9th Ed. 2014

Roldan, A.S., Edica, Benito, T., Cruz Dela, R.M. (2013) Revised Edition. Foodservice
and Bartending

Katsigris, C., Thomas, C., (2012). The Bar and Beverage Book

Rojo Lorenzo G., (2012). Bar and Beverage Service

Arna-Silvestre, S., Ruiz-Jamorabo, A., Rivera, M.N., Claudio-Serraon, V., The Bar
Companion, 2011

Andrews, Sudhir. (2008). Textbook of Food and Beverage Management and

Operations.Textbook of Food and Beverage Management and Operations.
(2008).

Luntz, P. Whiskey and Spirits for Dummies, 2008

Charming, C. Everything Bartenders Book, 4th Ed.

Ditan, Joseph L.A. (2007). Principles of Bar and Operation

Guggenheim-Jacob, L., Ramos-Tumanan, M., Competency – Based learning Guide in

Beverage Management, 2007

https://daydreaminginparadise.com/the-most-popular-traditional-filipino-drinks/

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