1955 The U K B G Guide to Drinks (2nd edition revised)

A GENERAL GLOSSARY OF USEFUL INFORMATION

Alcohol. The name of Alcohol covers a very large number of compounds of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen, but the member of the alcohol family which is such an important component part of all wines, beers and spirits is Ethyl Alcohol, or C.H.O, a colourless liquid with a faint and pleasant ethereal smell. There is nothing in the chemical composition of Ethyl Alcohol to warrant its description as a poison or narcotic. Like other carbo-hydrates, it releases heat and supplies energy for muscular work ; hence it is a food. But it is a food with a specific action upon the nervous system, an action which leads to perfectly normal functional changes, causing a gentle inner mental stimulation when taken in moderate quantities by normal subjects, but causing grave mental and physical deterioration when taken to excess or by subjects with undeveloped or impaired mental powers. The quantity of Ethyl Alcohol present in wine is reckoned by degrees of absolute alcohol in France and in most wine producing countries, but in England it is reckoned in degrees of proof spirit, 100 of absolute being equal to 175 Proof Spirit. The Ethyl Alcohol present in spirits is measured in England according to Sikes' method in degrees over or under "Proof", which represents diluted alcohol equal to 57.05 degrees of absolute alcohol by volume, or 49.85 degrees by weight, at a temperature of 60 degrees Fahrenheit. Bees Wing. Light film (crust) seen clinging to glass after drinking Aged Wines or Liqueurs. Bitters. The name given to alcoholic tinctures of bitter roots and barks, flavoured in various ways and possessing a tonic action on the stomach. They are used mostly as Aperitifs, and also in cooking for flavouring.'In the U.S.A.the law distinguishes between ordinary Commercial Bitters and Medicinal Bitters, which are not subject to the regular alcohol Internal Revenue Tax and may be sold by grocers, drug and department stores. During prohibition, the fact that Dr. Siegerts Angostura Bitters happened to be recognised as a medicinal bitter was most fortunate for the firm and the American public. Probably the most used bitters are Orange Bitters, but there are many registered brands of bitters as well; such as besides Angostura, "Bitter Secrestat" and"Amer Picon" in France, "Abbott's Aged Bitters"prepared in Baltimore since 1865 by the Abbott family,"Fernet Branca"and "Campari" from Italy, etc. 266