To all you drinkers of alcoholic spirits I have a surprise for you.
I just discovered a spirit that will delight your senses and give new meaning to maple syrup.
If you ever go to Naples, New York there's a unique distillery where you can sample "Tree Spirits." Hollerhorn Distilling makes one-of-a-kind spirits that are categorized as "Spirit Specialties," as they fall into an area of spirit distillation that is yet to have its category. In layman's terms, they are brand new to the world of booze.
The Hollerhorn Distillery's website explains, "Our Tree Spirits are most akin to a rum in production. Rum uses sugar (molasses, cane, etc.) as the sugar source for fermentation. We use the same approach, but with maple syrup as the sugar source and with different fermentation practices. Our Tree Spirits are double distilled (twice rectified in a pot still) at no more than 160 proof. They are not a whiskey, which is a grain-based mash bill."
For the record I didn't get paid for running this post about Hollerhorn Distillery. I shared it because it's new and unique.
A Casual History of Distilling
Because the two ingredients necessary to alcoholic fermentation are widely spread and always appearing together, civilizations in almost every part of the world developed some form of alcoholic beverage very early in their history. Poitin, an Irish spirit, is considered by some to be the world's oldest distilled spirit. It's been produced in Ireland since the sixth century.
The first distilled spirits were made from sugar-based materials, primarily grapes and honey to make grape brandy and distilled mead, respectively. The earliest stills were composed simply of a heated closed container, a condenser, and a receptacle to receive the condensate. These evolved into the pot still, which is still in use today.
Early hand methods of filing, labeling, corking, and other operations have been replaced by highly mechanized bottling lines, with bottles cleaned, filled, capped, sealed, labeled, and placed in a shipping container at a rate as high as 400 bottles per minute!
Spirit strength may be designated in several ways - weight per gallon, percentage by weight, or percentage by volume, all these having reference to absolute (i.e., pure) alcohol and water. The higher the proof the higher you get!
You may be surprised to learn that Jinro Soju is the most consumed liquor brand in the world. I sure am. I never heard of it. It's a Korean distilled spirit made from fermented grains, sweet potatoes, or other starch ingredients.
As it Stands, may your neighbors respect you, trouble neglect you, angels protect you, and heaven accept you. Here's to those that have seen us at our best, and our worst and can't tell the difference!