Alcohol beverages are portable liquids that contain between 1% to 75% AVB of liquor. These beverages are produced by introducing yeast to allow for fermentation. The yeast is added to substances such as fruits, grapes, grains, rice, and barley and is then distilled. The alcohol content in the liquid is measured as alcohol by volume. Alcoholic beverages are categorized into two; fermented beverages and distilled beverages.
Fermented beverages
Beer
An alcoholic beverage is produced by extracting raw materials with water, boiling, and fermenting. When it comes to talking about beer, there are two words that you cannot miss to hear people saying; ale and lager. This should not be strange because all beer falls into these two categories.
• Ales
Ale is a type of fermented type of beer using saccharomyces cerevisiae, a common type of yeast used for making different products, including bread. These yeasts work better regardless of the environments having a wider range of temperatures. Usually, it is described as top-fermenting yeast, given that it rises to the top and sink to the bottom when fermentation ends. Ales are darker and have a cloudier appearance accompanied by high alcohol content.
• Lagers
This is fermented using saccharomyces uvarum. This yeast does not rise to the top so high before settling to the bottom. If compared to the yeast used in ale, this yeast is said to be fragile and needs specific conditions to thrive. The beer produced from this yeast is a mixture of smooth and sweet beer. This beer is a lighter, bright appearance with low alcohol content.
Regardless of the type of beer you take, the yeast in it will directly impact the overall alcohol content.
Wine
Wines are types of grapes, but these grapes are not the ones we find at the grocery stores. The grapes used for making wine have thick skins, small in size, sweet, and contain seeds. There are common types of wines, and they include;
• Red Wine
Red wine is made of black colored grapes that are fermented with the skin. The skin of the vine is what adds the red color to the wine. These wines have a robust taste and pair well with food that is robust as well, for instance, red meat and pasta dishes.
Types of red wines
i. Beaujolais
ii. Burgundy
iii. Carignan
iv. Cabernet Franc
• White wine
This is made from grapes that are red-colored or green colored but fermented without skin. They are usually drunk when cold with light foods with fish.
Types of white wine
i. Muscadet
ii. Chenin Blanc
iii. Chardonnay
• Rose wine
This type of wine is pink or blush color. The pink color comes from the skin of the grape included in the fermentation process for the first few hours. Sometimes, the color is due to the wine being a mixture of red and white wines. Most of the rose wines are sweet and are suitable for beginners.
• Sparkling wine
Champagne is one of the best known sparkling wine. This wine comes from the France region. Other types include Italian sparkling wine, Prosecco, and sweet Italian sparkling. This wine is called sparkling wine because of the sparkling bubbles of carbon dioxide, which is a natural byproduct of the fermentation process.
• Fortified wine
As the name implies, this type of wine is wines with brandy and other spirits added during the fermentation process. Most of these wines are sweet, but this only depends on when the spirits were added during the fermentation process.
Examples of fortified wines include
i. Port
ii. Sherry
iii. Ice wines
iv. Madeira
Cider
This is usually categorised as wines. It is made of fermented fruit juice and one can find apple and pear ciders in the market.
Distilled beverages
Liqour
Liqueurs
Types of liquors
Liquors, unlike beers and wines, contain more alcohol. There are a lot of the kinds of liquors available in the liquor stores, and they include;
i. Gin
ii. Rum
iii. Brandy
iv. Vodka
v. Tequila
vi. Whiskey
Types of liqueurs
These are sweetened spirits. Examples include;
i. Amaretto
ii. Baileys
iii. Aperol
iv. Averna
To sum up, there are a lot of alcoholic beverages one can find in the stores for themselves. Some people would love to take fermented beverages while others distilled beverages. Whichever is suitable for you, go for it and have fun.