Drinking Alcohol in Moderation Can Clear Brain Waste

     It always seems to come back to the old adage, a little is great, but a lot can ruin you.  Like so many other things in this world anything in moderation can be a benefit.  I’ve always felt that alcohol has always been believed to have medicinal value, but overdoing it can kill you.

     If you're partial to a drink or two, you will love the results of a recent study; researchers have found that a "low" intake of alcohol may help to cleanse the brain.  In a mouse study, scientists from the University of Rochester Medical Center (URMC) in New York found that drinking the equivalent to around 2.5 alcoholic drinks per day could reduce brain inflammation.  It was also found to increase the function of the glymphatic system, which is responsible for removing waste products from the brain.  High alcohol exposure, however, was found to impair glymphatic function and increase brain inflammation.

     Lead study author Dr. Maiken Nedergaard, of the Center for Translational Neuromedicine at URMC, and colleagues recently reported their findings in the journal Scientific Reports.  It should come as no surprise that excess alcohol intake can harm health. In fact, the World Health Organization (WHO) report that alcohol is a contributor to "more than 200 health conditions" and causes around 3.3 million deaths across the globe each year.  Increasingly, however, research has suggested that a little alcohol may do us good.

Read More at https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/320824.php

Top Selling Spirit Categories in the United States

        The Spirit Industry report is out and a huge surprise for me is the fact that Rum is #2 in a strong whiskey driven spirits year.  The strong sales of all of the spirit categories is impressive.

1.   Vodka

Volume sales: 71.34m cases

Percentage change: +2.2%

Value sales: US$6.22bn

Percentage change: +3%

The unmoved – and seemingly immovable – spirits leader in the US market is vodka. Growth remained subdued in 2017, but almost 50m cases separate it and its closest volume rival: rum. It’s growth is also all-the-more impressive considering the category continues to face creeping challenges from ‘trendy’ up-and-coming spirits.

2.   Rum

Volume sales: 24.64m cases

Percentage change: -0.4%

Value sales: US$2.32bn

Percentage change: -0.3%

Rum may be the second largest spirits category in the US, but it failed to record volume or value growth in 2017. Some of the largest rum players have struggled to keep up with other spirit types in a move upmarket, and it could be argued that the category has failed to achieve the same boost from the cocktail renaissance as that experience by gin and Bourbon. With American whiskey hot on its heels, might rum slide down the leaderboard in 2018? It remains to be seen.

3.   American Whiskey

Volume sales: 23.15m cases

Percentage change: +6.4%

Value sales: US$3.36bn

Percentage change: +8.1%

Americans’ enthusiasm for their domestic whiskeys – including Bourbon – continued unabated in 2017. The Distilled Spirits Council notes that there was strength across all price points in American whiskey – quite an achievement in this age of pervasive premiumization. The category also added 300,000 cases to sales of its flavored expressions, while rye whiskey proved to be the fastest growing spirit sub-category of 2017, with growth of +16.2% to US$175m, and 900,000 cases.

4.   Canadian Whiskey

Volume sales: 17.54m cases

Percentage change: +2.4%

Value sales: US$1.99bn

Percentage change: +2%

Canadian whisky may not quite be a household name internationally, but it has a dedicated consumer base in the US. The category is tantalizingly close to hitting sales of US$2bn, which it is sure to surpass this year if the current growth trajectory continues.

5.   Tequila and Mezcal

Volume sales: 17.2m cases

Percentage change: +8.5%

Value sales: US$2.7bn

Percentage change: +9.9%

Tequila is one of the hottest categories in the spirits world right now, and the US is its biggest market. The Distilled Spirits Council notes that the fastest rate of growth can be seen at the higher end of the spectrum – which is also evidenced by rampant acquisition activity in recent years. Just last month, Bacardi bought pioneering super-premium Patrón in a deal that values the company at US$5.1bn.

6.   Cognac and Brandy

Volume sales: 13.72m cases

Percentage change: +5.4%

Value sales: US$2.28bn

Percentage change: +7.5%

Cognac and brandy producers hailed solid gains in 2017, though the rate of growth in the states was slightly slower than the global picture. Last month, trade body the BNIC revealed that Cognac exports reached their ‘highest levels’ in 2017, growing by 11% in volume and 14% in value, largely thanks to rebounds in the emerging markets.

7.   Gin

Volume sales: 9.87m cases

Percentage change: -0.6%

Value sales: US$895m

Percentage change: +2.2%

Talk of the ‘gin boom’ is rife in the international spirits industry, but, surprisingly, the category’s volumes struggled in 2017 – could consumer thirst for the juniper spirit be waning? Super-premium craft players are the most likely cause of a 2.2% value gain, edging gin sales in the States close to the US$1bn mark.

8.   Blended Scotch

Volume sales: 7.17m cases

Percentage change: -3.3%

Value sales: US$1.39bn

Percentage change: +0.4%

Volume sales of blended Scotch whisky took a hit in 2017 – perhaps due to the challenge for consumer mindshare posed by its American and Irish cousins. However, value sales marginally increased, indicating premiumization continues to run through the category.

9.   Irish Whiskey

Volume sales: 4.25m cases

Percentage change: +11.3%

Value sales: US$897m

Percentage change: +12.8%

Irish whiskey is one of the US drinks market’s biggest success story and experienced the fastest rate of growth in terms of both value and volume sales of any spirit category in 2017. Of course, the success of Irish whiskey is inextricably linked to the soaring sales of category leader Jameson, but the sector is also receiving a boost from innovative new super-premium players that are piquing consumer interest.

10.  Single Malt Scotch

Volume sales: 2.11m cases

Percentage change: -1.2%

Value sales: US$771m

Percentage ch ange: +1.1%

It was a mixed picture for single malt Scotch in 2017 – while volumes declined, values increased, indicating consumers are drinking slightly less single malt expressions, but choosing more expensive varieties when they do.

This Calculator Translates Your Weekly Alcohol Intake into Burgers and Donuts

      The Liverpool City Council has launched a new online tool to show residents the true calorific impact of their drinking habits.   The Drink Less Feel Good campaign, which launched on Monday 5 February, allows people to see how much they are drinking in junk food-terms as part of the council’s initiative to get locals to cut down.

     The study carried out by the council found that most people consider their high levels of drinking “the norm,” while measuring alcohol in units leaves many confused about their own intake.  

     The council said that focusing on calories instead will give residents a better sense of what their alcohol consumption actually means in terms of their own health.  Three pints of beer contain roughly 510 calories, the equivalent of two burgers, while three large glasses of wine (630) calories translates to eating three donuts per week.  Director of Public Health, Dr, Sandra Davies, said: “Over time, we have seen people drinking alcohol as part of everyday life and becoming an entrenched behavior as they often use it to unwind at the end of the day and when socializing at the weekend.

Go to this website and give it a try.  http://www.drinklessfeelgood.com/

     The tool, which asks users to enter their age and gender before detailing how many drinks they enjoy on each day of the week, also charts how much people drink compared to the rest of the UK population.

“When we’ve asked people about alcohol units it is clear that they find it really hard to equate it to the amount that they drink, and that they don’t realize that alcohol contains empty calories with no nutritional value at all.   Councilor Paul Brant, Cabinet member for adult health, said: “We’re not asking people to give up alcohol altogether – we’re giving you the tools to know whether or not you are having too much, and if so give them hints and tips to drink a little less.”

I took both of the tests and I found the result quite interesting.  This site provides an insight into what your drinking is doing to you to your body and makes some good recommendations .  It is worth the 15 minutes it takes to do the test.

Valentines Day is Just Around the Corner

With Valentines Day just around the corner it is time to start to get your cocktail for the night going.  Here is an idea that with a little imagination will start you valentines evening off just right.  It is a relatively simple cocktail to make that won't take up the entire evening creating it.



Bahama Bob's Valentines Day Special

• 2 oz. Pilar Blonde
• ¾ oz. Honey syrup
• Juice of 1/2 Lemon
• 2 Fresh Strawberry

Add all ingredients to a shaker except the second strawberry, it will be the garnish. Muddle, add ice and shake until chilled and strain into a chilled martini glass. Garnish with a strawberry.

Rum Appears to be Set for Impressive Sales Growth in 2018

The rum is pouring off of the line for you

     Revelers in need of festive spirit are reaching for rum in record numbers, new figures show, suggesting the pirate’s tipple of choice is primed to mimic the ongoing resurgence of gin.   Rum reached nearly $1.4 Billion in the United Kingdom for the nine months to the end of September, according to the Wine and Spirit Trade Association (WSTA), which expects the annual figure to top $ 1.4 Billion for the first time before the first salvo of fireworks ushers in 2018.   Rum is slated to hit this $1.4 billion watermark just a year after gin, the phenomenal success story of the alcoholic drinks industry in recent years.  While rum may be chasing gin in the sales stakes, building a domestic champion is a challenge few have attempted.

     The English Spirit Distillery, housed in a 19th-century barn, employs 15 people making rum from scratch using sugar cane molasses distilled in bulbous copper pots.   Founder and master-distiller Dr John Walters said the business was the first in the UK, and still one of just two along with Scotland’s Dark Matter distillery – to make rum this way.

     “The challenge with any spirit is to present it in its naked form with access to all of its benefits and faults,” said Walters. “With rum, you need a lot of expertise.”  Importing molasses is costly – Walters gets his from Venezuela, while the tarry syrup is messy and hard to handle.   Nonetheless, the effort is paying off. Sales of his three brands, led by flagship Old Salt Rum, were 40% higher than 2016, leapfrogging vodka sales in the process.

     Ian Burrell, the self-styled Global Rum Ambassador, thinks others may follow Walters into rum-making but not in great numbers.  “I can definitely see that happening but it will take time,” he said. “You can make a craft gin within a couple of days but with rum to get your consumer to pay a premium, they want to see it aged.   “You need to stick it in a barrel for a few years to get some character and flavor. Imagine buying a car, and as soon as you get the keys, you’re told you can’t have it for a few years until it’s ready? It’s a waiting game.”  But Burrell is confident that, as far as consumers go, the moment in the sun has arrived for his favorite spirit.

     “Rum cocktails are some of the most popular ones ... mojitos, daiquiris. And there’s a rise in tiki-style drinks too, Mai Tai’s, Pina Coladas etc.  “They not only use rum in abundance but may use several in one cocktail.”  He is also predicting an upsurge for spiced rums, usually made using imported spirits and infused with spices and other ingredients such as fruit peel.

     With a little bit of luck, and the recent excise tax cuts the same will be in store for the United States.  I would love the see rum catch up and maybe even surpass the whiskey sales here in the United States.

New Excise Tax Cut Worth a Half-Billion to Alcoholic Beverage Producers

Drum Circle Distillery in Florida

     In its annual economic briefing yesterday, the Distilled Spirits Council reiterated its support for the recently passed package of tax cuts, which includes a two-year version of the Craft Beverage Modernization and Tax Reform Act.  The act equalizes federal excise tax on spirits, wine and beer for the first 100,000 gallons produced annually.  Under the legislation, distillers will pay $2.70 per proof gallon for their first 100,000 gallons produced in the calendar year.

     “This historic tax cut will enable distillers to invest back in their businesses and communities, generate jobs and support agriculture and growing spirits tourism,” according to Kraig R. Naasz, president and CEO of the Distilled Spirits Council.  “Ensuring that the tax cut is continued beyond the two-year period will be a top legislative priority for the council in the coming years.”  The Senate passed the $1.4 trillion package of tax cuts in December It marked the first time that the United States government had reduced taxes for spirits producers of all sizes since the Civil War.

Westerhall Sugar Plantation Boiling Pots

     Sugar is made from raw sugar that has undergone a refining process to remove the molasses. Raw sugar is sucrose which is extracted from sugarcane.  The sugar syrup is concentrated by boiling in pots like those pictured below and then cooled and seeded with sugar crystals, causing the sugar to crystallize out.  The remaining molasses at the Westerhall Plantation in Granada would be taken to the distillery where it would be fermented and distilled into rum.

Where Did the Still Come From?

Very Early Clay Still

     Stills of various types play a huge part in out lives.  They make it possible for us to separate
selected components from a mixture by making use of the different temperatures that liquids turn to vapor.  It would be hard to have things like gasoline, solvents and "Booze" without them.

     The first indications of distillation was The Ancient Indian Subcontinent during the Common Era or Before Christ, where there have been some clay retort pots unearthed in Taxil and Charsadda in the area that is Pakistan today.   These Gandhara stills and were only capable of making weak liquors. This style of still was found in Rome, Egypt and China,

Classic Late 1700's Caribbean Rum Still

   Alcohol distillation comes from Arab chemist Al-Kindi in the 9th century in Iraq.  The process later spread to Italy, where it was described as the "School of Salerno" during the 12th Century.    Serious beverage distillation in China didn't get underway until the 12th and 13th centuries during the Southern Song Dynasty.   Fractional distillation was created in Qinglong Herbei Province, China in the 12th century.  Distilled beverages became commonplace during the Yuan Dynasty in the 13th and 14th centuries in China.

Modern Multi Column Still

     German writer, Hieronymus Braunschweig wrote the book "The Art of Distillation" in 1500.  Today there have been many many improvements in the stills, but the principles of distillation haven't changed since it was discovered during the "common era".  Today our stills are very efficient, but the separation of elements of a liquid into the components is still the same.

     Today we have every type of still from the very basic pot still to very sophisticated column and hybrids of the two available to us for making the finest spirits.

Who Puts “Muck” in Their Rum?

     The Jamaicans do., but what is this stuff that makes the Jamaican Rums taste that is unique to many of the rums that are produced in Jamaica.

Dunder Pit at Hampden Estates

     A “dunder pit” was essentially a hole in the ground, often deep in the jungle, that Caribbean rum-makers threw their distillery waste into—fruit, molasses, Stillage (what was left after distillation).

  

 “Dunder pits look as disgusting as you’d imagine.”    Once the pit underwent bacterial fermentation, it becomes something they call “muck,” the distillers would put a portion of it back into their fermentation tank. By the end of the fermenting process, the gross scent of muck would be gone and the rum would come out smelling like a fruit basket. 

"Thumpers" or Retorts of a Pot Still

    Here is some insight into exactly what makes up the muck.   Semi-solid materials settled at the bottom of the wash before distillation.   Semi-solid materials that are settled at the bottom of the wash after it’s distilled.   Cane trash–the field residue remaining after harvesting the cane stalk.   is the residue at the bottom of the still retorts or “thumpers.”  This is generally a hard and fast recipe for muck, but it is pretty much like a liquid compost pit, filled with bio-degradable materials.

     The Muck is the source of the esters that give the Jamaican rums their “funky” flavor that makes them so popular.  When you buy a rum from places like Worthy Park or Hampton Estates you will know what the muck really does for rum.

Bacardi Unveils Spirit Forward Series to Promote Equality

     Bacardi will launch the Spirit Forward series next month – a collection of seminars designed to empower women in leadership roles.  The Spirit Forward Bacardi Women in Leadership Empowerment Series hopes to champion the individuals that make up the spirits trade and hospitality community through a host of inspiring speakers and professional seminars.  It will cover topics including sexual harassment, diversity and inclusion in the workplace.

     Marlene Gordon, vice president, general counsel for Bacardi North America, said: “Now more than ever, we can all appreciate the power of community and how interdependent we truly are.  “This series is borne out of Bacardi’s desire to bring women and men from all parts of the spirits and hospitality industries together to not only educate, inspire, celebrate and motivate each other, but also to activate and accelerate the development and advancement of all women in our industry.”

The initiative will host Q&A sessions, workshops and networking opportunities in five locations as it tours across the US.   It will also host story sessions on breaking stigmas and workshops on financial planning and self-defense.  Each of these sessions will be led by speakers, industry professionals and members of the hospitality industry.

     Dana Cowin, the former editor-in-chief of Food & Wine Magazine and current chief creative officer of Chef’s Club International, has been chosen as the summit’s keynote speaker.   Cowin said: “The commitment to supporting and empowering women is more important than ever. It is imperative that we all, men and women alike, work together to help inspire positive change and work toward equality on all levels.”

       A five-city tour around the U.S. starting in Houston on February 12 and culminating in New York City on April 3, the Spirit Forward Bacardi Women In Leadership Empowerment Series will bring the tools, solutions, relationships and know how needed to help inspire and unleash the potential and further advancement of women in the spirits and hospitality industries, directly to each city. The first summit in Houston will be held at the Hotel Zaza Museum, and along with trailblazing national female participants who are on the road for the series, local Texas industry speakers and presenters featured include Jessica Sanders, Alba Huerta and Bobby Heugel.

For more information go to https://www.bacardi-women-in-leadership.com/

Hot Rum Coffee Morning

     Here is another idea for a wonderful coffee cocktail and you don’t have to make a pot of coffee to enjoy it.  Having just recently had the opportunity to work with the new Koloa Hawaiian Kaua’i Coffee rum, I’m developing some ideas on how to use it.  Here is another way to make an enjoyable coffee cocktail.

Bahama Bob’s Cocoa Coffee Morning

• 3 0z. Koloa Coffee Rum
• ½ oz. Vanilla Syrup
• ½ oz. Crème de Cocoa
• 2 0z. Half and Half

Place all ingredients except into a coffee cup that can go into the microwave and heat for about 1 minute and 30 sec.  Stir in the half and half and top with fresh ground nutmeg.

Why Do Distillers Make a Stripping Run?

     When distilling rum, the stripping run is often the first distillation of the wash.  The goal of this first distilling run is to strip as much alcohol from the wash as possible. This distilled alcohol is often referred to as “low wines” and what’s left over in the boiler is the bulk of the water, sediment and yeast from the fermentation process which can be discarded.  A pot still is often used for this distillation process and is run hot and fast, with no cuts made during the run so the separation between fractions is bad.  It’s common to see a stripping run alcohol by volume or "abv" range between 40% – 60% abv.

     The chart shows what’s going on during a pot still stripping run. Notice as the alcohol by volume (abv) drops the water increases as the distillation proceeds.  Most distillers stop the stripping run around 20% abv or 40 proof it’s simply not worth distilling the ethanol gain does not warrant the cost.

    Yellow is Ethanol   Blue is Water  Red is Heads and Foreshots  Purple is Tails

     Why should I do a stripping run before a refining run?  The stripping run allows you to significantly reduce the volume of product that needs to be distilled during the spirit or refining run,  significantly reducing distillation time.   It will also produce a better tasting alcohol.   For example, if we start with 300 Gallons of Wash we can strip this down to 60 Gallons of “high wines” and then run a single spirit run this will take much less time.

     Stripping Run temperatures are very different from Refining Run Temperature.  In practice, most distillers collect high wines until the stripping run temperature reaches 208 F or 98 C. Remember you don’t make any cuts during this distillation the primary goal is to strip off the water, yeast and other solids that are a part of the wash.   

Is There a Difference Between Sugarcane Juice, Syrup and Molasses?

Sugarcane Juice

     What is the difference between molasses and cane syrup?  Molasses is a byproduct of the sugar making process. The syrupy residue is left behind after the sugar crystals are extracted from sugarcane juice during the boiling process. On the other hand, cane syrup is made from sugarcane juice that is boiled down and evaporated to create cane syrup in much the same way as maple syrup is produced.

Barbados Molasses

     In Richard Seale’s Facebook page, he talked about spending the morning tasting their pot distilled rums created from cane syrup that was sourced from the St Nicholas Abbey Estate in Barbados. The first batch is from Oct 2016, about 14 months ago and the second from June 2017, about 6 months ago.  The results are pleasing but the rums are of course far too young for release. I say this thinking of a few rum geeks who I know would be just as happy to drink them now !  I could not help but think of them when tasting. 

Barbados Sugarcane Syrup

     Remarkably similar to Foursquare molasses rums and little in common with rum from fresh juice. This should not be surprising considering, Both rums are distilled in a pot still by the same distiller seeking to cut what he likes.   Rhum agricole the most well known rums from juice is a sum of its parts and the creole column still is a key part of its signature.

     Cane syrup is a form of molasses and certainly has a lot more in common with molasses than fresh cane juice.  Cane syrup is “purer", with a higher sugar concentration per total solids concentration, so in theory a stronger, less diluted wine can be made, that puts less stress on the yeast.   This makes a lovely rum, but so does molasses.

Sugarcane Cutters

     Richard Seale is a great source of information on all aspects of rum and rum making, Watching his Facebook pages is a very enlightening read most any day you take the time to read it.

Crossing The North Coast of Cuba

     One of the coolest parts of flying to Havana last Monday was the crossing the north coastline of Cuba heading for the Jose Marti Airport.  It was such a beautiful morning with the angle of the sun and the beautiful skies as the ocean meets the land.

An Interesting Facebook Discussion with Richard Seale of Foursquare Distillery

Richard Seale - Foursquare Distillery

     Here are some excerpts of a Facebook with Richard Seale.  It has a lot of very interesting information and is a great discussion of the working of these three types of stills.  I hope you find this to be as interesting and I have.

Here is a distilling question:

I have made some fermented molasses wine and I have three stills.

(1) the common pot still - French or Scottish
(2) the Caribbean pot still with retorts and some plates
(3) the Caribbean Creole 'single' column continuous still (say 24 plates, 15+9 strip+rect)

Which rum that I distill will have the highest amount of congeners?

Mathilde de Ramel Congeners are produced during fermentation...

Richard Seale yes, but after distillation which rum will have the most left

Roger Morenc All 3 can extract the same amount. It's a question of how well compressed/ isolated they are as they come off the still and then what the distiller chooses to keep.

Richard Seale yes they can but in practice will they? does the distiller have the same choice in all 3?

Christian De Tomate Should be easier to isolate congeners with 1 and 2 as it's discontinuous and you're covering a wider range of molecules

Richard Seale yes, and which of 1 or 2 will give the greatest control over selection?

Roger Morenc Is it really greater control or the opposite of control? The congeners just spill over the still top with less discrimination than with plates. I just go back to the idea that if you completely run out all the alcohol of a ferment then you're going to get the same congeners. It's only a question of what you want to keep and what level of precision capability you have to keep/discard.

Brian Rolls Hmm. The Savanna French column has a pretty high congener count, as does the modern Jamaican pot and the amateur Haitian homebrew. So all three types can do it.
I would guess that the still that has the most likely rich congener counts would be the one with the least ability to control the output. So a simple pot still with a short neck for the least separation.

Richard Seale Indeed it is the one with the "least ability to control" that has the highest congeners, but you have chosen the wrong one - hint - it is the column still with the least control

You can find this discussion in its totality on Richard Seale's Facebook page.  Here is Richard"s summary of the discussion.

Richard Seale So answer time (well it is mostly above):

The question is really about the discussion and not the answer. The purpose is to clear up some generally held myths and misunderstandings.

The "correct" answer is (3). The single column will in practice have the most congeners. It is common to believe that anything from a column is "lighter", more "purified". This is not correct. Surely you do need a multi column to make neutral and the coffey double column will make a light spirit. But in this single column, the rectification i.e. the separation of the "undesirable" heads and tails is low and no cuts are taken. This gives a very "heavy" i.e. high congener spirit. Think Caroni. Think Rhum Agricole. 

Now if you took no cuts from the pots they too could make a very heavy spirit but in practice the distiller will find it very easy with the time driven output of the batch process to take some nice heads and tails cuts. The spirit will then have lower congeners compared to the single column. Now I have simplified a bit. High contact time with copper and heat will create and remove congeners versus the column but lets keep things simple.

But which of (2) and (3)?

Well in theory they can make the same level of congeners. The congeners are in the wine/beer and it is the cuts, not the plates that drive the nature of the distillate. See my earlier piece of plates. The plates cannot make the congeners vanish into thin air. It is very common again for people to believe once a column/plates is involved, somehow things will be more "pure". 

But that is to fundamentally misunderstand the difference between the column in continuous distillation and the column in batch distillation. Again, refer to my earlier piece on plates. In a continuous system, the column separates physically and given enough plates we can isolate and remove heads/tails with draws at physical positions. In the batch system, our plates only affect the timing of the heads/tails and so we can still choose to keep as much as we want. 

The Caribbean pot still with the retorts/plates will afford the distiller greater control over the timing of arrival of all congeners. The additional plates/retorts give greater separation by time over the arrival of the congeners. The distiller can then simply be more selective in what he takes and what he rejects. So IN PRACTICE a rum from the Caribbean pot still may have slightly lower congeners i.e. (2) lower than (1) because the distiller has been able to carefully extract more undesirable congeners. 

It is the best of all configurations.

Sean Nielsen Richard Seale Well put. Just like how American whiskey producers tout their proprietary yeast strains as a key component in their product, whereas most of the world outside of the US talks little about their yeast.

Richard Seale Precisely.

I hope that you take the time to go to Richard Seale's Facebook  Page and read the entire discussion, it is worth the time.