Indian Figs

Is another word for cactus fig.

Infusion

Describes the method of the production of alcoholic drinks, where the alcohol will be aromatized with herbs, spice etc through the distillation. A sieve f.e. with pulverized and good mixed spice and herbs is placed in the distillation instrument. Underneath this sieve sits a container containing the alcohol, which will evaporate by heating up the alcohol and it will also remove the aromatice substances of the herbs, these substances will fuse together with the steam of the alcohol, that will be liquidated again by cooling it down. Other products like Crème de Cacao, Gin, Triple Sec are also produced with this method.

Instant Sugar

Granulated crystallized sugar easy dissolvable in liquid and that's why it is often used instead of Gum.

Irish Whiskey

There are many similarities between the history and development of Irish Whiskeys and of Scottish ones. For example, like in the Scottish Highland, there also existed many small distilleries, mostly only for home-production of their owner, who produced a very rough distillate, in the sparsely populated areas of Ireland in the 17th century. Illegal distillation and licences were the same problems as in Scotland. The Irish Whiskey-production was mainly concentrated around towns like Dublin and Cork, where about 2,000 distilleries worked at the end of the 18th century. The whiskey-production remained restricted to a few towns in Ireland the following years, but not so in Scotland. Consequence: Necessary expansions of the distilleries could not happen because there was no space and a lack of clean water. Therefore, the distilleries, which merged together to the 'Irish Distiller's Ltd', decided to build one big distillery in the country for themselves at the beginning of the 70's. This happened near the small town Middleton, where a big plant was built according to most modern aspects. There, whiskey could be produced by changing certain production conditions, which were very similar in their tastes to the former ones produced in the smaller distilleries everywhere in the country. Therefore today, practically all whiskeys, like for example the known kinds Jameson, Paddy or Tullamore Dew, can be produced one after another in one plant. The production of Irish Whiskeys is similar to the one of Scottish Malt Whisky in its basics, but there are also differences. The most important thing, they have in common is the use of traditional distilling pots, the 'Pot Stills' made of cooper. In comparison to the Scottish procedure, in Ireland the sprouted grain is never dried above peat-fire, but only above coal-fire. Another difference is that, while in Scotland only malted barley is used to produce whisky, Irish Whiskey contains a mixture of malted and unmalted barley. Even a product of 25 to 50 % of malted barley and a rest of unmalted oat, wheat or rye can be used, too. The water used in the distilling process in Ireland is similar smooth to the one of the Scottish Highland. Distillation also happens in cooper-'Pot Stills', but these have a bigger volume of about 100,000 to 150,000 litres than the ones in Scotland. Furthermore a three-time distillation is always prescribed, while the character of Scottish Malt Whiskies is determined by many factors, in Ireland the barrel-storage is the main important factor for the quality. On principle, four different kinds of barrels are used. Sherry-, Bourbon- and Rum barrels as well as unused barrels made of fresh American oak. It is very important, that different whiskeys, all having their own aroma, can ripen by storage in different barrel-qualities. A storage time of at least three years is prescribed by law, but mostly a longer storage time is common. After ripening in barrels, a process follows, which is described as "Blending" in Ireland and which produces the "Blended Irish Whiskeys". But this blending cannot be compared to the common meaning of Blending in Scotland, where whisky is blended with grain whisky. In Ireland only whiskeys of different kinds of barrels and different vintages are mixed.

Izarra

Die Heimat des Likörs Izarra ist Bayonne im Baskenland. Für die Produktion des grünen Izarra werden 48 verschiedene Blüten und Pflanzen benötigt, für den gelben Izarra reichen 32. Die grüne Version ist rockener und kräftiger in Aroma und Alkohol (48 Prozent); der gelbe ist leichter (40 Prozent) und lieblicher. Beide wurden 1835 zum erstenmal von Joseph Grattau, dem Gründer der Destillerie, hergestellt. Die in Qualitätsbranntwein eingelegten Blüten, Pflanzen, Samenkörner, seltenen Wurzeln und Gewürze werden destilliert und ergeben einen sehr konzentrierten "Geist", der dann in kleiner Dosierung für die Zubereitung des Izarra verwendet wird. Dabei wird der Geist mit altem Armagnac, Sirup aus raffiniertem Zucker und weißem Honig 24 Stunden lang gerührt. Danach fließt der Likör durch Filter in Eichenholzfässer, in denen er lange lagert, um seine samtige Weichheit zu bekommen. Vor der Flaschenabfüllung wird er noch einmal gefiltert.