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

U. K. B. G. GUIDE TO DRINKS containing 50 per cent, by volume of alcohol at 15.6 degrees C. (60 degrees F.) (Trailles alcoholometer). Thus 1 per cent, of Proof Spirit equals 0.46 per cent, of absolute alcohol by weight and 0.57 per cent, of absolute alcohol by volume. Stills. The apparatus used in the distillation of spirits, that is to separate the alcohol present in any alcoholic liquid from some, or most of all of water in it. This may be done in two quite different ways, by Pot Stills, or Patent Stills. In Pot Stills, the alcohol in the'mash' is vaporized by the application of heat and collected by condensation. Patent Stills, which also bear the name of Coffey Stills, from one ^neas Coffey who perfected Robert Stein's apparatus, are continuous Stills, in which the alcohol in the'mash'is gradually, step by step, freed from not only water but all else, so that in the end one gets a spirit which . is called pure or plain, because there is nothing left in it, other than ethyl alcohol, of what there was originally in the'mash': it is free from all impurities, and free also of all taste. Temperature. All white wines are better served cool or cold, that is to say, at the temperature of the ideal white wines cellar, i.e. 48 degrees F., and all red wines at the temperature of the ideal red wines cellar, i.e. 55 degrees F. There is no great harm in cooling white wines rather quickly in a frigidaire or ice bucket, if they come from too warm a cellar, but there is a very grave danger of ruining red wines past all hope of redress by bringing them up to a higher temperature than that of the cold cellar out of which they come. To put a red wine in front of the fire, or to plunge it into hot water, 'to take the chill off', is a sin that cannot be forgiven because there is no atonement for it. If your red wine comes from too cold a cellar, leave it in the dining-room long enough, and it will soon acquire the temperature of the room, which is all that is desirable. If you cannot leave it long enough in the room, warm the glass in the hollow of your hands, and you will soon have the wine at the right temperature. Ullage. An ullage means a bottle with a faulty cork which has allowed some of the wine to escape. An ullaged bottle of Champagne, provided the loss of wine has not been excessive, may be excellent, whereas an ullaged bottle of Claret or Burgundy is always flat and poor. On ullage, refers to a cask of wine which is no longer full to the bung, a dangerous condition for any wine if so left for any length of time.

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