Alcoholic beverages contain ‘Ethanol’ which is a type of recreational drug. Alcohol is produced by distilling fermented grain or fruit mash. There are different types of alcoholic beverages like whisky, brandy, rum and more.
Alcohol is used in the preparation of food either to add flavour or for visual display. It is also used to make cocktails in which alcohol is used as a base ingredient and mixed with other ingredients.
One of the Indian brands is the Officer’s Choice (OC) and it is a manufacturer of alcoholic beverages. It offers alcoholic beverages like whisky, brandy and rum. The officer choice price is right for the wage earners.
Alcohol in cooking
Alcohol is often used in cooking to enhance the flavour of the dishes.
Whisky
It can be used for cooking stir-fries, finishing a dish, marinade, fruit salad, traditional fruit cake and any Asian dish. Single malt whiskies can be used to enhance the flavour of a dish. Sometimes whisky is also used in various sauces.
Sweeter whiskies are mainly used in making desserts and chocolates. It is also used in traditional recipes like cranachan or trifle. Some of the popular cocktails made using whisky are Old Fashioned, Julep and more.
Brandy
It is commonly used for deglazing while making sauces. In some soups, it is used to give an intense flavour. It is used for flavouring traditional food like brandy butter, Christmas cake and Christmas pudding.
It can be used to flambe’ dishes before serving in which the alcohol content gets reduced in the dish but its flavours are maintained. It can be poured over traditional Christmas pudding and set alight before serving. Some of the popular cocktails made from brandy are Brandy Alexander, Sidecar and more.
Rum
It is used as a flavouring agent in desserts like rum cakes, rum balls and fruit cakes. It is used in marinades and some dishes. It is used to make some hard sauces. It is sometimes mixed in ice cream and used in making cookies.
Some of the popular cocktails made using rum are Dark ‘n’ Stormy, Pina Colada and more.
How do alcoholic beverages get their flavour?
The flavour of alcohol comes from the congeners and other acids present in them. These come from the distillation process and have a strong taste and smell.
The beverages develop colour, flavour and taste when they are stored in wooden barrels. Sometimes the barrels are charred to give a type of flavour. The alcohol and the congeners react with the wood and oxygen. Some of the compounds get extracted like tannin.
Various flavouring and colouring agencies can be added to alcoholic beverages. This can be done while blending. The typical smoky flavour of whisky comes from using peat smoke to treat the malts.