Why is alcohol called "spirits"?!
Answers:
A distilled beverage, spirit or liquor, is a drinkable liquid containing ethyl alcohol (ethanol) that is produced by means of distilling fermented grain, fruit, or vegetables – excluding fermented beverages such as beer and wine!.
The term spirit generally refers to a distilled beverage that contains no added sugar and has at least 35% alcohol by volume!. Popular spirits include absinthe, baijiu, brandy, gin, grappa, rum, tequila, vodka, whisky, and traditional German schnapps!. Distilled beverages that are bottled with added sugar and added flavorings, such as Grand Marnier, Frangelico, and American style schnapps, are liqueurs!. Fortified wines are created by adding a distilled beverage to a wine!.Www@FoodAQ@Com
The term spirit generally refers to a distilled beverage that contains no added sugar and has at least 35% alcohol by volume!. Popular spirits include absinthe, baijiu, brandy, gin, grappa, rum, tequila, vodka, whisky, and traditional German schnapps!. Distilled beverages that are bottled with added sugar and added flavorings, such as Grand Marnier, Frangelico, and American style schnapps, are liqueurs!. Fortified wines are created by adding a distilled beverage to a wine!.Www@FoodAQ@Com
Distillation is a simple mechanical process that starts with boiling fermented fruit or grain mixtures!. Since alcohol boils at a lower temperature than other liquids, it turns into steam sooner and separates from those liquids!. The steam is caught in a cooling tube and transferred to a different container where it turns back into liquid, leaving the other liquids behind!. When the alcohol liquid is distilled several times, it can produce up to 95% pure ethanol!. Distillation is typically used to produce spirits, also known as liquor (e!.g!. rum, vodka, whiskey, etc!.)!.
"Proof" is the standard measurement of the amount of alcohol in a product!. It is based on a formula that expresses ethanol concentration or percentage!. Proof appears on labels of foods and beverages that contain alcohol!. Generally, the proof number on a label equals two times the percentage of alcohol in that product!.
The ethanol concentration, or proof, of different types of popular beverages varies widely!.
Beer: 8-12 proof (4%-6% ethanol)
Wine: 14-28 proof (7%-14% ethanol)
Distilled spirits (also known as liquor): 80-190 proof (40%-95% ethanol)Www@FoodAQ@Com
"Proof" is the standard measurement of the amount of alcohol in a product!. It is based on a formula that expresses ethanol concentration or percentage!. Proof appears on labels of foods and beverages that contain alcohol!. Generally, the proof number on a label equals two times the percentage of alcohol in that product!.
The ethanol concentration, or proof, of different types of popular beverages varies widely!.
Beer: 8-12 proof (4%-6% ethanol)
Wine: 14-28 proof (7%-14% ethanol)
Distilled spirits (also known as liquor): 80-190 proof (40%-95% ethanol)Www@FoodAQ@Com
I think they term "spirits" for hard liquor was a reference to the hallucinations of ghosts or spirits people had when they drank them!. The word has since been clearly defined and become a standard term!.Www@FoodAQ@Com