What is it that you are drinking?

Potatoes, Flowers & Grapes: Do You Know What Your Favourite Drinks Are Made From?

We all have our go-to drinks. Some of us may pour ourselves a nice glass of wine whilst others prefer a stiff gin and tonic or the most premium of single malts on the rocks. Whatever your choice of poison, we’re here to tell you what it’s all made of. Some of the ingredients might surprise you.

Gin

It is a colourless alcohol made by distilling rye or other grain spirits along with juniper berries or aromatics such as star anise, caraway seeds, or angelica root for more flavour.

Rum

Rum can be dark, white, or silver depending on how long it has been aged (the longer it’s aged, the darker the colour). But this isn’t always the case, some brands also add caramel, molasses or burnt sugar for a richer colour. But all rums are distilled from cane juice, molasses, or from the lees of former distillations.

Tequila

Popularly had as shots or in margaritas, tequila is distilled from the fermented juice of the plant Agave Tequilana, found in Central America.

Vodka

It is distilled from fermented wheat mash or from rye mash, corn or potatoes. Fruits and sugars are also used sometimes to give it a different flavour.

Whisky

The classic drink is distilled from grain, potatoes and the like. In the US, whisky is generally distilled from maize, rye, or wheat, but in Scotland and Ireland, it is often made from malted barley.

Brandy

It is distilled from wine or fermented fruit juice.

Liqueurs (Flavoured Spirits)

Liqueurs are flavoured spirits and are distilled from natural or artificial aromatic or flavouring agents. They are also prepared by infusing fruits, flowers, woods, in either water or alcohol, and sugar, when needed.

Red Wine

It is derived from dark red or black-coloured grapes.

White Wine

It is a wine of a clear, transparent colour, resemblingwhite and is derived from white grape varieties and sometimes also from light red-coloured grape varieties.

Rosé Wine

This one’s a pink-coloured wine from red grapes where the grape skins are kept in contact with the wine for a very limited period than in the usual red wine-making process.

Sparkling Wine

Sparkling wine is derived from white or red grapes and is an effervescent (bubbles) wines.

Beer

It is made from four basic ingredients – barley, water, hops, and yeast. The proportions of these ingredients varies depending on the variety of beer. Some variants also include wheat.