Health Benefits of Alcohol? Merry Christmas!

Christmas. It’s the season to eat, drink and be merry – something most of us will embrace whole-heartedly. Unfortunately, despite all the revelry of the festive season, January will be lurking just around the corner, replete with guilt and remorse following our over indulgences.
Gym memberships will hit their yearly peaks, and cutting back on alcohol will inevitably feature in New Year’s Resolutions lists across the country. But booze hasn’t always been the bad guy.
Alcohol has enjoyed and endured a range of roles during its lifetime. It has been revered as a miracle cure, and reviled as the bane of society. The New and Old testaments make over 190 references to alcohol being used medicinally, but the temperance movement (which led to prohibition in America) considered it the root of all evil.
Today, we are developing a healthy respect for alcohol, but there is still an enormous amount of confusion as to what the health implications of alcohol consumption actually are. Here’s some of what we do know:
Alcohol is highly calorific. At seven calories per gram, it is one of the most calorific substances around (pure fat, by comparison, has only nine calories per gram). By this logic, a pint of beer packs about the same number of calories as a burger, and a glass of wine is equivalent to a slice of cake. Sadly, these are also known as ‘empty calories’, of no nutritional value.
As well as contributing to obesity, and the host of health problems associated with it, high levels of alcohol consumption are also associated with heart disease, liver damage, and cancers, as well as sociological manifestations such as violence and crime.
At this point, as someone who works in the alcohol industry, I’m not far off making myself redundant. Happily, there’s another side to the coin:
Moderate (yes, moderate) consumption of alcohol has been linked through various studies with a host of health benefits: reduced risk of strokes, diabetes, arthritis, and dementia, as well as a longer life expectancy than both heavy drinkers and, surprisingly, abstainers. The lowest mortality rates are found in those who consume one or two alcoholic drinks per day.
There is an interesting phenomenon known as The French Paradox: the observation that the French have a relatively low rate of heart disease, despite their diet typically being high in saturated fat – normally a key risk factor. Most theories suggest that their steady consumption of red wine plays an important role in protecting them from heart disease. When this view was aired publically on American television in 1991, a 44% increase in red wine sales followed!
Red wine in particular seems to be beneficial due to the high level of antioxidants it contains. These antioxidants help to reduce the build up of fatty deposits in the arteries. Other drinks which boast these credentials include dark ales and stouts. The antioxidants in these drinks seem to be particularly effective when combined with a diet which includes fresh fruit and vegetables, and some studies claim that the effects are most marked in older drinkers.
However, whilst experts have not yet reached firm conclusions as to the exact mechanisms at work , there are some points on which they agree: the positive effects of moderate consumption are completely lost, arguably reversed, when over indulging.
Let us not forget though, that alcohol also has some very pleasant short term benefits. It can make you happy, help you relax, and make you (think you are) an awesome dancer. The news that can also be good for you may well be cause to celebrate – moderately, of course.

Distillation - The Basics

Distillation is a very simple process for separating two liquids in a solution from each other, utilising different boiling points. In the same way as evaporating sea water leaves salt behind, so heating a low alcohol solution will allow the alcohol to evaporate whilst the water content remains.

By collecting and condensing the vapour as it evaporates, we separate out a concentrated alcohol.

The equipment used for distillation is known as a ‘still’, and can take many forms. Most will fit into one of two categories:

The pot still is the most basic type of still. Generally made from copper, it consists of a large copper pot sitting atop a heat source (usually gas nowadays), with a ‘swans neck’ at the top where vapour is collected. This pipe is usually cooled to encourage the vapour passing through it to return to liquid form, before being collected in a receiving cask.

Using a pot still for distillation is very time consuming and labour intensive, since only one ‘batch’ can be processed at a time, and the distiller must wait until the whole process is finished before he or she can empty the pot and begin again.

The continuous still is a more technically advanced piece of equipment, which allows a continual input of the low alcohol solution, whilst separating out the desired alcohol in a constant output stream. A ‘column’ element within a continuous still will see the vapour condensed and vaporised many times over, each time increasing its alcoholic strength, which allows this type of still to produce incredibly high abv spirit.

The economical advantages are obvious here, but in a classic quality / quantity debate, pot stills are still considered to produce the most flavoursome and characterful spirit.

Plantation Rum @ Trailer Happiness Rum Club

Trailer is a legendary bar for a host of reasons. Their fantastic tiki menu, bewildering rum range, and ability to create world famous bartenders being just three of them.
Furthermore, the infamous ‘rum club’, an event which sees innocent rum representatives (such as myself) succumbing to the allure of alcohol in the name of education.
On Monday, May 10th, I had the pleasure of hosting said club, displaying a selection of the Plantation Rum range.
A haul of enthusiastic amateurs and professionals alike accompanied me on a mini Caribbean tour, taking in samples of local rum from Nicaragua, Guyana and Barbados.

Starting with the Nicaragua, 1998 vintage, we were very much at the lighter end of the rum scale. Made entirely in column stills after a brief fermentation produces a delicate, almost ethereal body to this rum. The complex, rich palette truly evolves as you keep the spirit in your mouth, as well as paving the way for a delightful toffee after taste.
We’d started well, and the group were unanimous in their appreciation of the Nicaraguan. Next stop, Guyana.
The 1999 Guyanese is almost the opposite end of the spectrum . Pot stilled instead of column, long fermentation instead of short, this rum is full bodied and heavy with dark fruit and green banana flavours. Towards the end we find almost peaty, vegetal notes (which proved very familiar to the Whisky fans in the room).
It’s fair to say the Guyanese rum was more divisive than the Nicaraguan. Although most could appreciate the heavier style, around 2/3rd of the room preferred the lighter, Nicaraguan example when drinking neat.


Next on the way we found the middle ground: Barbados 2000. Wow! This time, we had a combination of pot and column still production, blended together and aged in Bourbon casks. Rich, full bodied, but remaining elegant and subtle, the vanillins from the Bourbon oak spoke clearly alongside the green, exotic fruity notes. I believe, though I’m open to correction, that this proved to be the most popular of the vintages sampled that night.

But I still had one more trick up my sleeve: The Barbados Grande Reserve. This 5 year (average) blended rum was a very pleasant surprise – not least due to costing almost half the price of the vintages. A soft, sweet rum, as happy neat as in a daiquiri or (my personal favourite), with lashings of ginger beer.

The real advantage of this rum for the professionals out there is that, due to being a blended rum, we can be certain of consistency of both quality and supply. With the vintages, as awesome as they are, when they’re gone, they’re gone – which makes for some interesting reading for the rum collectors out there. The Grande Reserve, however, will keep coming as long as we keep drinking it!
Overall, a great event, and a good time had by all. There’s even talk of a return visit with Los Valientes... Watch this space!

Cigars and Cognac

Another great event – can you believe I get paid to do this?!

On the 20th of April, 2010, a group of Cigar and Cognac aficionados gathered at 10 Manchester Street, a gem of a boutique hotel, to learn about, and enjoy, cognac and cigars.

The speakers for the day, Jimmy McGhee from  Hunters & Frankau cigars, and yours truly! For today I would be speaking about a cracking cognac, Pierre Ferrand’s Selection Des Anges.

This cognac is a blend of grand champagne eaux du vies, with an average age of some 30 years. Typically, for Pierre Ferrand, they do not feel the need to slap ‘XO’ all over the label. The delimitation itself only guaranteeing a minimum age of 6 years, it only really serves to impress rappers and fashionistas in New York. The connoisseurs, however, know better what to look for.

This 100% grand champagne cognac is a deep mahogany colour, with a nose of jasmine, honeysuckle and walnut. On the palette it is rich with candied fruit, ginger, honey, and nutmeg. Rancio flavours are abound, which made this cognac ideal for the cigar matching – the purpose of the evening.

I’m pleased to say my choice of cognac went down very well, and the assembled group seemed to thoroughly enjoy themselves. My thanks to 10 Manchester Street for the invitation to speak on the evening, and I’m pleased to accept their invitation to return.

Fame at last!

Did I mention I now have a monthly article? No? Well, I have - and very proud of it I am too!
From March 2010 I will be writing a monthly 800 word article for The University Catering Magazine.
If you're remotely interested, you can see my debut intoxicology insight here (it may download as a pdf).

700 Years of Armagnac

It’s been a while since my last blog, due, in part, to the number of fantastic events I’ve been lucky enough to attend of late.

Not least of which was the 700^th anniversary of Armagnac. Hosted in the luxurious surroundings of the Connaught Hotel, those of us able to evade the army of Mercedes and Bentleys whilst crossing the road were handsomely rewarded on arrival.

The event started with a short lecture from Ian Wisniewski, who never ceases to amaze me (and everyone else present) with his encyclopaedic knowledge of Armagnac (and, ostensibly, any other category he sees fit to discuss).

The inevitable comparisons with Cognac were drawn, but not in the ‘me too’ manner which you might expect. For today was Armagnac’s day to shine in its own right.

I will not be attempting to replicate the information given by Ian in this blog for two reasons:

1 – His fantastically entertaining and informative lecture was obviously the result of many weeks of dedicated research. For me to simply cut and paste it here would be highly dubious.

2 – I couldn’t write quickly enough. The man is a machine!

So, with Ian’s introduction well received, we were set loose on the tasting room.

With some 75 spirits on offer, the obvious threat of inebriation was a real and present danger. As your man in the field, however, I heroically put research before self-preservation and got stuck in,

For the sake of brevity, (and because my tasting notes veered towards the undecipherable), I shall provide you with just my top three highlights, in no particular order.

The Samalens Singles 12 year Grand Bas Armagnac was outstanding. Plenty of roasted, woody flavours brought prunes, fig and almonds to the palette, with a luxurious and light finish.

My biggest surprise of the day was courtesy of Janneau for their 12 year offering. Sweeter than I had anticipated, and delicate to boot. Dare I say, a more feminine take on the Armagnac style? Certainly, something more akin to the Fins Bois cognacs style than the single distillery Armagnac it is.

Moving up a notch in age took me to the Larressingle 21. Being a Tenereze Armagnc, I had expected a heavier, richer spirit. I had not expected, however, such luxurious richness. Certainly, it was a more full bodied spirit, but the power and balance of the developing rancio flavours left it perfectly proportioned. This Armagnac received a very rare 4.5/5 in my tasting booklet, and is something I will definitely be drinking again.

The Future of Tequila? El Tesoro @ Cafe Pacifico

What happens when you get a load of London bartenders together in a room, then fill it up with Tequila?

Well, probably not quite what you are expecting. This would be due, in part, to the bad reputation which still lingers (undeservedly) around the tequila category. And, to be fair, the reputation which continues to thrive regarding London's bartenders!

February 1st saw the launch of the El Tesoro Tequila competition, in which competitors can win themselves a trip to Mexico to visit the 'La Altena' distillery, home of not only El Tesoro, but also Ocho and Tapatio.

Gathering in Covent Garden's Cafe Pacifico were bartenders and managers from some of the most easily identifiable 'key' Tequila venues in the country: Crazy Homies, Green & Red, Navajo Joe's and, naturally, Cafe Pacifo itself, as well as a host of other influential cocktail bars.

The competition kicked off with a tutored tasting, hosted by Tomas Estes, the European Tequila Ambassador, followed by discussion of what the future holds for Tequila.

Having won the Imbibe Ice Awards taste competition by a Mexican mile, as well as being the proud winner of more awards than any other Tequila on the planet, I need not go into the details which came out of the tasting here (but will do so separately). 

Instead, the focus of this blog entry will be the ideas and comments of the group regarding the past decade of trends in the Tequila market, and where they see this leading in the coming decade.

Interestingly, Tom Estes pointed out that the UK (and London in particular) is really not a large market for Tequila, in global terms. It is, however, one of great kudos within the Tequilaros of Mexico, giving great status to those brands successful within the city. This apparent incongruity seems to stem from the high regard in which bartenders from our capitol are held worldwide. 

It is fair to say that, in this country at least, Tequila still suffers in the eye of the public from a relatively negative perception (see my previous article from a Tom Estes talk). Slowly but surely, this appears to be changing. 100% agave tequila is now the fastest growing spirit category in the country (although the agave itself isn't growing much quicker).

Evidence of this can be seen quite easily: there are now many venues dedicated to all things Mexican. And not just in a kitsch, 80's kind of way, either. The likes of El Camino, La Perla, Cafe Pacifico, Green and Red, Wahaca, and Cafe Sol are bringing serious quality to the market.

Furthermore, in Westbourne Park Road's Crazy Homies we now find a dedicated tequila bar! That's right, a venue which serves exclusively Tequila, and no other spirits. The public's increasing interest in the Tequila category can be seen here on a daily basis.The team were keen to point out that articles in mainstream publications such as the Guardian and Observer (oddly, willlowe.com seems to have passed them by...) are engaging the middle classes, bringing them through the doors actively seeking to know more about the spirit. And Homies are delivering, in a big way. They bought along for discussion a proof of their new, soon-to-be-launched menu / bible. In this mighty tome, we see a full four pages dedicated solely to Tequila; a full menu including tasting notes for each tequila on their shelf. It is very hard to imagine this happening ten years ago.

And it's not just happening in London. Leeds has a strong following emerging, with the likes of Azucar and Neon Cactus. Further afield, Glen Morgan (of Soho's Lab), recently back from Tokyo commented on the aptly named 'Agave' there, stocking more than 360 Tequilas and Mezcals.

All of this attention, and increased sophistication, is a far cry from the standard serve of a dirty shot glass, salt and lime of years ago.

But how is it happening? The marketing machine behind Patron Tequila has been credited with influencing the market to a large degree, especially when it comes to American customers. Many bartenders are also actively selling tequila, educating their customers, and passing on a passion for this much mis-understood spirit. Order a rum and coke in Crazy Homies, for example, and you'll likely walk away with a Batanga, a little bit more knowledge, and a smile on your face.

And that, we all agreed, is where the future lies.

Tom Estes may be the Tequila Ambassador, but everywhere he goes he seems to create small armies of ambassadors in their own right, each carrying the passion, and passing it on wherever, and whenever, they can.

 

By the way, if you're interested in joining the competition to win a trip to the distillery, it is running in February, March and April of 2010. You need to be a bar / restaurant / club in the UK, and be prepared to share some Tequila love! Contact wlowe@bibendum-wine.co.uk for more details.