Spirit or liquor is an alcoholic drink produced by the distillation of fruits, grains, or vegetables that have undergone a process of alcoholic fermentation. The process of distillation concentrates the liquid to increase its alcohol by volume. Since spirits contain more alcohol (ethanol) than other alcoholic drinks, they are “harder.” In North America, the concept of hard liquor is used to differentiate distilled alcoholic drinks from non-distilled ones, but the concept “spirits”: is used in the UK. Some examples of liquors are absinthe, whiskey, tequila, rum, gin, brandy, and vodka.
The first people in the world who mastered distillation are the Alchemists in the Middle East. They were not just focused on finding gold; they also tried making medical elixirs. To carry that out, they distill liquid, collect the vapor, and gather the “spirit” extracted from the material.
Roman Llull, a Franciscan monk, is known as one of the first people to use distillation solely for alcohol. He is the first to write specific formulas for “loosening” the alcohol from wine.
Liquor is base alcohol that has the water physically removed via distillation, which causes an increase in the alcohol concentration through evaporation. Then the alcohol is condensed down. That is, the spirit of the liquor is leaving the lower alcohol base liquid, then coming down in a liter form to drink. So, we are consuming the spirit of fermented liquid. That is the basic reason why spirits are called spirits.
Spirits are consumed for the psychoactive effects of alcohol, just like other alcoholic drinks. You can consume liquor on its own (“neat”) in small quantities. Spirits can also be consumed in their diluted state as flavored liquor or as part of a mixed drink.
Too much intake of spirits can cause alcohol poisoning or alcohol intoxication, which is dangerous for your health.
The concept “spirits” means liquor that doesn’t contain added sugar and has at least 20% alcohol by volume (ABV).
Most spirits have an alcohol content that is higher than 30%. For beer and wine that doesn’t go through a distillation process, they are limited to an alcohol content of about 20% ABV because most yeasts cannot metabolize when the concentration of alcohol is above that level, so fermentation stops at that point.
Where did the word spirit come from?
The word “spirit” as regards alcohol came from Middle Eastern alchemy. The alchemists were more focused on producing medical elixirs than transmuting lead into gold. The vapor that is given off and collected during an alchemical process (just like the distillation of alcohol) was referred to as the spirit of the original material.
Spirit as in “essence,” almost “soul,” rather than linking to any depiction of a spirit. But the imagery that is used for an ethereal spirit may depend on how alcohol burns.
It was known as a spirit of the original material because it felt like the vapor that is gotten by distillation contained the essence or nature of the material it was distilled from.
What is the difference between alcohol and spirit?
Alcohol is an organic compound in which the hydroxyl clings to carbon, while the spirit is an alcoholic beverage that you can produce through alcohol distillation. The major difference between alcohol and spirit is that alcohol is gotten from fermentation, while the spirit is gotten from a process of distillation.
Another difference between alcohol and spirit is that all alcohols are consumable, but all spirits are consumable beverages.
A significant content of spirit is ethanol, and ethanol is alcohol. Methanol, propanol, ethanol are various compounds of alcohol. Usually, the potency of spirit is rated, but the quantity of alcohol contained in it.
Alcohol is produced through the fermentation of grains, fruits, and other sources of sugar.
Spirit or liquor is produced via fermentation of grain, fruit, or vegetable. Spirits are unsweetened, distilled, alcoholic drinks with alcohol content of at least 20% ABV. For common distilled drinks like vodka and whiskey, the alcohol content is around 40%. Spirits are flammable. During the fermentation process, sugars get converted to ethanol before distillation begins. Alcohol has a lower boiling point than water, so it evaporates, and then the collected vapor condenses back to create the concentrated spirit. Spirits can be measured based on their alcohol content instead of their volume. See examples of spirit beverages are: vodka, rum, brandy, and whiskey. In terms of alcohol by volume (ABV), spirits are stronger than other alcoholic drinks like beer or wine. Most spirits have about 35% to 40% alcohol by volume (ABV). But most beers and wines have around 5% to 11% ABV.
What are the 7 Spirits of alcohol?
Check out the 7 Spirits of alcohol below.
| Vodka | Vodka is a clear distilled alcoholic beverage that originated from Europe. There are several varieties of vodkas. The major ingredients of vodka are water and ethanol with small amounts of impurities and flavorings. Most vodkas have 40% alcohol by volume. The percentage varies according to the country you are in. Vodkas are usually served “neat.” Many vodkas today are produced from grains like sorghum, corn, rye, or wheat. Among grain vodkas, rye and wheat vodkas are generally considered superior. Some vodkas are produced from potatoes, molasses, soybeans, grapes, rice, sugar, and beets. Most vodkas are unflavored. |
| Tequila | Tequila is also a distilled beverage made from the blue agave plant that is majorly grown around the city of Tequila, northwest of Guadalajara, and in the Jaliscan Highlands (Los Altos de Jalisco) of the central-western Mexican state of Jalisco. Its alcohol by volume is 38% to 55%. The taste of most tequilas doesn’t change over time like other spirits once they are bottled. Most tequilas don’t need strict storage conditions as wine does. The two basic categories of tequila are mixtos and 100% agave. Mixtos use no less than 51% agave, with other sugars making up the remainder. Mixtos use both glucose and fructose sugars. There are four categories for tequila, depending on the aging period, Blanco, reposado, añejo, and extra añejo. |
| Gin | Gin is another distilled alcoholic drink that got its unique flavor from juniper berries (Juniperus communis). Gin was initially known as a medicinal liquor produced by monks and alchemists in Europe, Southern France, Flanders, and Netherlands. Currently, gin is produced in various ways. It can be differentiated into three basic styles depicting modernization in its distillation and flavoring techniques. Some flavoring agents for gin apart from juniper are citrus elements like lemon, bitter orange peel, cinnamon, almond, and many others. |
| Rum | Rum is a type of spirit that is produced by fermenting. Distilling sugarcane molasses or sugarcane juice. The distillate, which is usually a clear liquid, is aged in oak barrels. Most rums are produced in the Caribbean and American countries, but also other sugar-producing countries, like the Philippines and India. There are different types of rums. Light rums are commonly used in cocktails, while “golden” and “dark” rums are consumed straight or neat, iced, or used for cooking but are now commonly consumed with mixers. Standard rums are made to be consumed either straight or iced. Rums do not have a specific production method; it has different traditional styles that vary according to locations and distillers. The quality of rums is based on the quality and kind of sugarcane used to produce them. |
| Brandy | Brandy also belongs to the 7 Spirits of alcohol. It is made by distilling wine. Brandy usually contains 35% to 60% ABV. Some brandies are aged in wooden casks. Others are colored with caramel coloring to imitate the effect of aging, while some are produced using a combination of both aging and coloring. There are different varieties of wine brandy around the world. Most times, brandy is traditionally served at room temperature (neat) from a snifter, a wine glass, or a tulip glass. When drunk at room temperature, it is often slightly warmed by holding the glass cupped in the palm or by gentle heating. Excessive heating of brandy may cause the alcohol vapor to become too strong, making its aroma overpowering. Some brandy drinkers who like consuming their brandy when it is warm may request the glass to be heated before the brandy is poured. You can add brandy to other beverages to make different popular cocktails like Brandy Sour, Brandy Alexander, Sidecar, Brandy Daisy, and Brandy Old Fashioned. |
| Whiskey | Whiskey or whisky is another type of distilled alcoholic that is produced from fermented grain mash. Whiskey is usually aged in wooden casks, which are often old sherry casks or may also be made of charred white oak. There are different types of whiskeys. Grain whisky is made from any grain. Malt whisky is made from malted barley. Whiskeys are mostly produced in grain-growing areas. They differ in the base product, alcoholic content, and quality. There are American, Australian, Canadian, Danish, English, Scotch, Swedish whiskeys, and many more. Whiskeys do not age in the bottle, but they age well in the cask. Most whiskeys have a 40% ABV, but it varies in some countries. Most cask-strength whiskeys may have as much as twice that alcohol percentage. |
| Mezcal | Mezcal is a distilled alcoholic drink that is made from any agave. The word mezcal comes from Nahuatl Mexicali, which means “oven-cooked agave.” You can find agaves or magueys in Mexico and Oaxaca. Mezcal is still made from the heart of the agave plant, called the piña, just like it was 200 years ago. In Mexico, mezcal is generally consumed straight and has a strong smoky flavor. Traditionally, mezcal is handcrafted by small-scale producers. A village can have many production houses, called fábricas or palenques, each using methods that have been practiced from generation to generation, some using the same techniques practiced 200 years ago. This is a major difference between mezcal and tequila which is nowadays mostly produced industrially.Mezcal is distilled twice like tequila. The first distillation process is referred to as ordinary and the alcohol by volume is usually at 37.5%. The second distillation process raises the ABV to about 55%. The two types of mezcal are made of 100% agave and those mixed with other ingredients, with at least 80% agave. Mezcal is not mixed with any other liquid when you want to consume it, but it is always accompanied by sliced oranges, lime, or lemon with a mixture of fried ground larvae, ground chili peppers, and worm salt. |
Which alcohol is known as the Great Spirit?
Spirytus Vodka is known as the Great Spirit because it has 95% ABV. It is the most robust commercially available spirit in the world.
If you must consume the Great Spirit, make sure you don’t drink it neat; instead, mix it with juice or use it as a base for liquers and other infusions.
Conclusion
Spirits are also called liquors. They are produced through a process of distillation, unlike alcohol that is produced through a fermentation process. Alcohol is different from spirits.
The seven spirits of alcohol are vodka, tequila, rum, brandy, mezcal, gin, and whiskey.