How many types of alcohol are available in the world?

It will be highly surprising to know that there are lot more kinds of alcoholic drinks than you might imagine. All the different kinds of alcohols can be grouped under three types namely wine, spirits and beer. As per the custom, each type of alcohol is served in a specific type of glassware in order to present the drink and accentuate its flavors. Here we learn about the types of alcohol and why each of them is unique in its own way.

Wine

There are 5 types of wines namely red wine, white wine, rose wine, sparkling wine, and fortified wine. Within each of these sub-groups, there are a large number of types based on the type of grapes used and the processes involved in their preparation.

Wines are basically made after completely fermenting the grape juice. While this process can take about a month, it can also last for years in some types of wines. Depending on the type of wine, the aging process is different. It is believed that a longer aging process will mean a better taste of the wine. For the purpose of making wines, the grapes are crushed along with different kinds of yeasts. The yeast used in the preparation of wines is the main ingredient in them. The yeast used is responsible for producing alcohol by converting the sugars present in the grapes.

Spirits

‘Spirit’ is not the name that refers to a kind of drink. This term is used to describe distilled and unsweetened plain alcohol. All the different kinds of spirits are produced by fermenting substances. Later the fermented content is distilled. The process involved in the making of spirits make them very strong and potent. Spirits contain high amount of alcohol anywhere from 20% and 65% as is the case with the given kind of spirit.

The different kinds of spirits include brandy, vodka, rum, gin, whisky, and tequila. All of them do not have even a trace of carbohydrate, cholesterol or fat. All the different kinds of spirits except wines and beers are colorless and look clear to start with. The aging process results in golden brown hue and other rich colors that the spirits turn into in due course.

Beer

Beers are made mainly from four ingredients namely barley, yeast, hops and water. To make beer, sugar is extracted from grains and yeast is added to it to turn it into alcohol and carbon dioxide. This process creates beer and beer is made after the fermenting and brewing processes are over. The two kinds of beers are known as ales and lagers. These types are based on the kind of yeast used for the fermentation process. While top fermenting yeast are used in ales, bottom fermenting yeasts are used in lagers.

Very interestingly, it is said that the shape of the glass you use to drink beers can impact its flavor. This is due to the fact that the type of glass decides how you hold it. Your hand’s temperature can impact the flavor of the beer due to temperature change. It is always advised to drink beer from a thick glass. If you are drinking beer that will taste good in room temperature, drink it from chalice glass.