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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 .dJneas 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 wUl 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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