Rob DeSalle - Distilled: A Natural History of Spirits

DISTILLED

A Natural History of Spirits

ROB DESALLE & IAN TATTERSALL

Illustrated by Patricia J. Wynne

With contributions from Miguel A. Acevedo, Sergio Almcija, Anglica Cibrin-Jaramillo, Tim Duckett, Joshua D. Englehardt, Michele Fino, Michele Fontefrancesco, Amrica Minerva Delgado Lemus, Pascaline Lepeltier, Christian McKiernan, Mark Norell, Susan Perkins, Bernd Schierwater, Ignacio Torres-Garca, Alex de Voogt, and David Yeates

Published with assistance from the Louis Stern Memorial Fund.
Copyright 2022 by Yale University.
Illustrations copyright 2022 by Yale University.
Frontispiece photo: (altered) iStock.com/gresei.
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Library of Congress Control Number: 2021946782
ISBN 978-0-300-25515-7 (hardcover : alk. paper)

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To Patrick McGovern,
with appreciation from all who share his passion for
the ancient history of alcoholic beverages

A fter our two books A Natural History of Wine and A Natural History of Beer, a companion volume on distilled spirits might seem almost inevitable. But it is no afterthought. It is true that fermented beverages like wine and beer were around for millennia before some creative soul figured out how to make them into highly alcoholic spirits. But when distillation came about, this formidable technological development didnt just pump up the alcohol; it radically broadened the range of gustatory experiences available to drinkers. That is because ethanol is far from being a tasteless substance, as is often believed. Instead, once it rises above a concentration of about 20 percent by volume, well above anything you would expect to find in a conventional beer or wine, it imparts a subtly bittersweet and uniquely mouth-filling quality that has yet to be replicated by any other substance. Often described accurately, if sometimes a little unfairly, as a burning sensation, this sensory quality has been ingeniously exploited by distillers to provide an almost infinite variety of taste experiences, the breadth of which far surpasses those offered by drinks made simply from fermented grape or grain.

Just as in our earlier books, we will look at our subject, distilled spirits, through the lens of natural history, positioning it within the diverse contexts of evolution, ecology, history, primatology, molecular biology, physiology, neurobiology, chemistry, and even astrophysicsall in the hope of enhancing your appreciation of a liquid that hopefully reposes in a glass nearby. But we also depart a bit from our earlier format. Spirits are in certain respects trickier for the analyst than beers or wines because, particularly with barrel aging, spirits derived from vastly different sources can converge significantly over time, just as spirits within the same general category can develop vastly different characteristics. Because of the sheer variety of distilled spirits on the market, then, both in terms of major categories and of regional variations on the distilling theme, we have called on several knowledgeable colleagues to contribute or collaborate with us on some chapters that deal with specific spirits or drink types. Our deepest thanks go to all of these colleagues, whose expertise and enthusiasm have made this volume far more entertaining and authoritative than it otherwise would have been.

As this final volume of our natural history of alcohol series appears, it is also appropriate to acknowledge the many contributions of Patrick McGovern, genial colleague and preeminent authority on early alcoholic drinks. Everyone who writes or cares about the ancient history of alcoholic beverages owes a huge debt to Doctor Pat, and we owe even more, because all three volumes of our series were vastly improved by his careful readings and commentaries. It is thus a pleasure as well as an honor to have dedicated this one to him. Any lingering deficiencies are, of course, entirely our own.

Our thanks also go, as ever, to our wonderful editor Jean Thomson Black, who has enthusiastically supported this series since its very beginning. Without her active engagement we could never have carried it through, and the process certainly wouldnt have been as much fun. The same applies to our illustrator, Patricia Wynne, without whom it would by now be almost unthinkable for us to contemplate taking on a project like this. At the Yale University Press, we are also deeply indebted to Margaret Otzel, Elizabeth Sylvia, and Amanda Gerstenfeld for keeping the project on track with the greatest of good humor, to Julie Carlson for smoothing everything out with her careful copyedit, and to Mary Valencia for her elegant design.

The world of spirits is, of course, so broad and deep that we would hardly have dared to take on the subject without the encouragement and support of many other fellow spirits lovers and, in some cases, mentors. Besides those who have joined us as authors (with a special extra shout-out to Alex de Voogt), those aficionados include Will Fitch, Robin Gilmour, Marty Gomberg, Jeanne Kelly, Jakob Kllhofer, Chris Kroes, Brian Levine, Mauri Rosenthal, Nancy Taubenslag, and Sarah Weaver. Thank you all. And, as ever, our gratitude and affection go to our wives, Erin and Jeanne, not least for their forbearance and good humor during the production of this entire trilogy.

If a monkey could enjoy the products of fermentation, we thought, why not us? So we were a little disappointed to learn that despite the glass monkeys decorating the bottle in front of us, its contents actually had no connection to our primate relatives. Monkey shoulder is, apparently, a condition that afflicts Scottish maltsters when they have shoveled their grain too energetically. Nonetheless, we were eager to sample those contents, and our optimism was rewarded. The malt shovelers who had made this bottle possible had helped to create a satisfyingly smooth, blended Scotch whisky. A light straw color, it offered faintly peaty aromas, enhanced with a whiff of dried apricots and a whisper of fresh-mown grass. On the palate it was seductively smooth, with a heavy accent of salted caramel and a hint of vanilla. This was a classic blend, with a lingering finish and a harmonious integration of flavors. We hoped that no humans had been harmed in its production.

E veryone knows why they like distilled spirits, and why they drink them. If, indeed, they do like and drink thembecause spirits, as the strongest alcoholic beverages on the market, with the most aggressive flavor profiles, take rather extreme positions on the sensory and alcoholic scales. Yet those who do appreciate the sensory complexities of spirits, and the sheer gustatory variety they offer us, are almost invariably enthusiasts. For them (and us), existence without this water of life would be frustratingly incomplete.