You may find that liquor degrees range from 30 to 70 degrees on the market, but 52-53 degrees are the most common; while Western foreign wine is mostly 40 degrees. Why is there such a big difference between liquor and foreign wine? Which degree is better?
When I catch up with my friends at the weekend, I can't help but have a drink. Some people like Maotai liquor with mellow sauce, while others like sweet and mellow rum. However, no matter what wine you drink, don't try your best. It's better to take a look at the wine bottle first. How much alcohol do you drink?
Why a 53 degree, a 40 degree? The reason is very simple, liquor does not mix with water, foreign wine into water
53 degree liquor, the most mellow
'degree 'refers to the volume percentage of alcohol (ethanol) in wine at room temperature. '53 degrees' means that there are 53 milliliters of alcohol in 100 milliliters of wine. Those above 40 degrees can be classified as' spirits', and most of these spirits are distilled spirits.
Distilled wine is a kind of wine which is produced by fermentation and re distillation of grain. It was first seen in the first century A.D.
The main difference of distilled spirits in the world lies in the difference of raw materials: whiskey made from barley, brandy made from fruit, vodka made from bread. The raw materials of Chinese liquor are mostly sorghum, wheat and other grains.
Today's Chinese liquor (distilled liquor), also known as Chinese Shaojiu, has a history of more than 1000 years. In compendium of Materia Medica written by Li Shizhen, it was recorded that 'Shaojiu was not an ancient method, but was first created in Yuan Dynasty'.
Traditional distiller used in ancient China
Liquor degrees range from 30 to 70 degrees, but 52-53 degrees is the most common.
Taking Maotai liquor as an example, the original liquor obtained by fermentation and distillation is about 60 degrees. However, the alcohol content at this time is too high, and the taste of direct drinking is not good. It needs to be aged for more than 3 years. In this process, a small amount of alcohol will volatilize, so the degree of alcohol will be reduced. When the product is produced, the alcohol degree will be reduced to 52-53 degrees.
53 degree, which is not a random number, but originated from the unique aesthetic standards of Chinese liquor. Chinese people drink liquor, there is an important indicator, called 'mellow taste'. So how to calculate the mellow? Perhaps we can measure it by 'viscosity'.
The viscosity of the molecules in a liquid depends on the type of attraction. Therefore, the viscosity of wine depends on the ratio of water and alcohol molecules and the interaction between them. There is an inverted U-shaped curve relationship between alcohol degree and the viscosity of liquor. The volume of alcohol corresponding to the maximum viscosity value is about 53%. Therefore, 53 degree liquor has the largest viscosity, so it can present the most mellow taste.
Relationship between alcohol degree and wine viscosity
40 degrees, the most delicious wine
Also as distilled wine, Western wine seems to be in a lower degree. Because they mixed water.
Take whisky as an example. The alcohol content of the newly distilled whisky is about 70%. After more than three years of aging, the alcohol was partially evaporated and the alcohol content was reduced to 60%. However, before bottling and shipping, the manufacturer will specially add water to dilute the whisky to about 40 degrees.
Why is it 40? There are two main reasons.
The best wine is 40 degrees
More than 98% of the liquor is water and alcohol, and the flavor difference of different wines comes from 2% of other components, such as aldehydes, esters and aromatics.
Composition ratio of wine
Take whisky as an example. Its taste is mainly related to a small molecule called guaiacol. The distribution of guaiacol in wine was affected by alcohol concentration.
When the concentration of alcohol is below 45%, guaiacol molecules are more stable at the interface between wine and air. In other words, in 40 degree whisky, guaiacol tends to float on the surface of the wine, thus releasing more liquor aroma. If the alcohol content is too high (& gt; 59 degrees), then these guaiacol molecules will be wrapped by alcohol molecules and will be 'pressed' into the solution, which means that the aroma of the wine can not be emitted. Therefore, to dilute whisky with water can make guaiacol and similar small molecules more fully exposed, improve the taste and flavor of the wine. The researchers also said the results could be applied to other spirits.
After mixing with water, guaiacol is more easily exposed to the surface of the wine
Only when the wine is 40 degrees is the real price
In addition to giving full play to the flavor of the wine, the foreign wine was set at 40 degrees for certain historical reasons. Among them, the volatile properties of alcohol play an important role.
Europe in the 17th century was the climax of the era of great navigation. In addition to money, sailors on a long voyage can also get a certain amount of rum as a reward. Of course, it is inevitable that there are stingy captains who add water to the wine and deduct the hard-earned money of their subordinates. But sailors are not stupid. When they get the wine, they sprinkle a glass on the gunpowder. If drunken gunpowder can still be ignited, it means that the degree of alcohol is high enough, and there is no shortage of weight, then they will accept the salary. At room temperature, the minimum volume fraction of alcohol that can burn on the surface of the solution is 40% -- that is, rum must be at least 40 degrees on gunpowder for sailors to buy.
'rum' is the pirate's favorite
Soon, hard-working people around the world learned it. In 18th century Russia, there were a lot of inferior wine mixed with water on the market. The fighting people who were addicted to drinking were very unhappy and always marched in protest. To this end, Peter the great issued a decree that if the surface of vodka supplied in the hotel can't be ignited, customers can 'kill the owner of the hotel'. Obviously, 40 degrees is the balance point for hotel owners to make money and save their lives.
There is another saying about the 40 degree of vodka: Mendeleev, a great scientist, experimented with different proportions of alcohol and water, and later found that 40% alcohol is the best to drink. This rumor is based on Mendeleev's doctoral dissertation on the combination of alcohol and water. However, reading through the full text, we can not find any trace of 'vodka'. Mendeleev only discussed the characteristics of the mixture of alcohol and water, without mentioning the relationship between degree and taste.
Adding water to make wine more 'layered'
No matter 53 degree or 40 degree, it is the mixture and regulation of water and wine in essence. But it's not that easy to add water to the wine.
In China, the practice of mixing water into wine has been despised. Liquor mixed with water usually means cheap and inferior. In Lu Xun's Kong Yi Ji, the workers had to watch the wine scooped out of the jar without water, so they were willing to pay four Wen for a bowl. In the world of martial arts, I don't know how many bartenders have broken their ribs or taken their lives because of the water in the wine.
In the west, however, the practice of 'mixing water' is common. There is even a special word in English for 'grog'. Grog, originated in the British navy. In the 18th century, in order to prevent the soldiers from drinking the wine stored on the ship in one breath, the captain would mix the wine with water and distribute it in a fixed amount. Sometimes, they will add some juice to the wine to supplement vitamin C and prevent scurvy.
Adding water is also an important part of Western liquor tasting. When I first heard the strong liquor, the strong alcohol carried a large number of small molecular substances, which made people unable to distinguish the aroma in the liquor. At this point, the small molecules will be squeezed together by the professional tasters. To paraphrase wine tasting terms, adding water can make the aroma of wine 'more hierarchical'.
Based on similar reasons, neighboring Japan also accepted the idea of mixing water with wine. In Jiuzhou, where liquor making is popular, the host's family usually starts to prepare "mixed liquor" one week in advance if a distinguished guest comes to visit. In general, the liquor is mixed with water according to the proportion of 'liquor six water four', and then stored for several days. This way of mixing water can fully release the aroma of wine, greatly reduce the irritation of alcohol, thus avoiding the impact of liquor on the taste of dishes. When the guests drink, they will drink.
In short, there is no difference between good and bad, and there is no constant standard. What's more, it's not only water, but also alcohol with juice, spirits and coke. However, in this way, although the wine becomes better, it also increases the risk of drunkenness.
No matter how much water is mixed, wine is still wine. A small drink will make you happy. Drinking too much will hurt your health. If someone forced to drink, please seriously refuse TA.