Obscure Alcoholic Beverages

Some of the more unusual alcoholic beverages that humans have indulged in. Oh Yes, Martini SHOULD BE stirred and NOT shaken!!

Saki is made using fermented rice. While many refer to it as a wine, it is closer to a beer as far as the fermentation & processing used are concerned. It has a mildly sweet taste, light in color, non-carbonated and served warm in small porcelain cups. There are historical records that document the brewing of Saki for over 1500 years.

Absinthe is a very strong spirit with alcohol levels that are often as high as 70%. Light green in color, made from wormwood, anise and other flavorings. It is usually served diluted with water at room temperature and sometimes sugar may be added to make the drink more palatable. Popular during the 18th & 19th centuries, this licorice flavored sprit was outlawed in Europe for 80 years as it was rumored to cause addiction, insanity among other things. During prohibition a bottle of Absinthe fetched over US$ 25,000 a bottle.

Green Charteuse is an unusual liqueur dating from the 17th century. It is made by the monks at the Grand Charteuse Monastery, France for over 250 years. It has a very strong flavor that comes from a mixture of over 130 flowers & herbs. The green color comes from Chlorophyll. There is also a Yellow Charteuse that is lighter and sweeter and get its color from Saffron. The recipe is so secret, that any one time, only 3 monks know the recipe. It is only when one of them passes away is another monk allowed to take his place and learn how to create this drink.

Mad Monk made from coffee beans, has a strong flavor, 48 proof and contains 12 milligrams of caffeine per serving. It is usually served over ice, either straight or with cream. This drink will give you a real jolt. It gets its name from a 19th c, Russian religious zealot: Grigori Rasputin.

Mead comes from fermented honey. Its strength, color and flavor vary widely throughout the world depending on the regional additions to the basic recipe. The making of this alcoholic beverage is so old that some historians claim that it may be prehistoric in origin. There is physical evidence that the Chinese were brewing as far back as 7000 BC.

Cauim is an ancient drink from Meso-America. It is made with maize or manioc root and fruit. The first step is gathering of the ingredients, second step is cooking and then the third step in the process is to chew the brew. Human saliva contains enzymes that cause the starches to turn into fermentable sugars. Alcohol content varies from region to region, usually opaque in color and the color comes from whatever the fruit is used.

Everclear is the strongest liquor manufactured and sold in USA. It comes in 2 strengths: 151 proof & 190 proof. This is so strong that this beverage is illegal in some states, and other states will allow only the sale of 151 proof. It is flavorless and colorless, basically a pure alcohol with a little remaining water that they are unable to distill out

Goldschlager has visible flakes of 14 Kart gold floating in sprits. It is there for appearance and not for flavor. The actual amount of gold has been measured at 13 mg in a one-litre bottle. It is brewed in Italy, but originally from Switzerland. The word means ‘gold beater’ in German and is in reference to goldsmiths who worked hard pounding out extremely thin sheets of gold leaf.

Martini is a cocktail made with gin & vermouth and garnished with an olive or lemon twist. There are stirred so as not to disturb the flavor of Gin. Shaking a martini enhances the antioxidant effects of alcohol. Jimmy Carter ran a populist campaign in 1976 and used the example of the’ Three Martini Lunch’ to highlight class difference wealthy businessmen (who presumably had the time and money to enjoy such lunches and could deduct them from their taxes as a business expense) and working men and women who could not deduct lunch costs as business expense

How about a beer? Breckenridge Brewery in Colorado imports beans from Madagascar and Papua New Guinea to make one of their more popular beers. It is flavored with Chocolate & Vanilla. As odd it may sound, Breckenridge’s Vanilla Porter Beer, is one of their number one seller. It sounds like a drink for the brave connoisseur who will try anything once!.

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