|
|
 |
| |
 |
Gin has been made since the 17th
century and originated in England and in Holland where it is
sometimes known as « jenever ».
While theoretically gin can be made by the distillation and
rectification of many raw materials, real gin is made from malted
barley grains, rye and sometimes corn.
The cereals are macerated then fermented with yeast, and then
distilled for the first time. Juniper berries and other ingredients
are added which give Gin its characteristic flavour, the blend
is distilled a second then a third time (known as double gin).
While some drink it straight up, gin is most often appreciated
in a cocktail : the relative neutrality of the taste of some
gin lends itself to a number of cocktails. |
| |
 |
It is said that the name rum comes
from the word “rumbullion”, meaning a great tumult
: it indicates the state of mind and senses of whoever drinks
it…
Rum is generally made with molasses (the un-cristallised
residue left over from
sugar manufacturing) or directly with sugar cane juice. The
sugar is fermented and then distilled : with sugar as a raw
material, rum is the alcohol that needs the least amount of
transformation.
Rum is the emblem of the West Indies as it is the fruit of the
meeting between sugar and pure mountain water. It was Christopher
Columbus himself who brought the sugar cane across the Atlantic
during his second voyage, bringing a few plants from the Azores
to the West Indies.
From the lightest to the strongest, from the clearest to the
darkest, there are many different types of rum : every rum drinker
has their own preferences, and it can be enjoyed straight up
or in a cocktail. |
| |
|
|
| |
 |
In the 16th century, Spanish conquistadors
discovered a highly alcoholic drink made from the heart of the
blue agave plant that grew on a small mountain. They
were bewitched by this drink and gave it a feminine name inspired
by the breast-shaped mountain it came from : « tetilla
», which in time became « tequila »…
The agave plant is a cactus with broad leaves shaped like a
rosette. Once distilled and fermented, the juice of these leaves
produces mescal. The different mescals are as varied as the
number of varieties of agaves they are made from, there must
be at least 51% blue agave juice in order to obtain the appellation
tequila.
Tequila is normally drunk in shot glasses after licking salt
off one’s hand but it is also ideal for cocktails. |
| |
 |
Vodka is no longer the rough, potato-based
alcohol from Eastern Europe or Russia that is consumed without
moderation to ward off the cold. Its manufacturing,
use and image have improved considerably since the end of the
second world war, when it first began to conquer Western palaces.
Today, most vodkas are made from cereal distilled many times
and sometimes flavoured (with herbs, pepper, lemon…).
These vodkas, made all over the world are wide-ranging in types
with important variations in flavour and nuances.
True vodka lovers drink it straight, in particular when it has
subtle flavour. It is also widely appreciated in cocktails,
or simply mixed with fruit juice. |
| |
|
|
Who are we?
Domaine de la Vougeraie
